Girl Genius Vol. 7: Agatha Heterodyne and the Voice of the Castle

Girl Genius #7

by Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio, Cheyenne Wright (Contributor)

Adventure, Romance, Mad Science! Agatha Heterodyne is the last heir to the Maddest of Mad Scientist families, and now she's returning home to claim the family castle. Unfortunately, it turns out that she's not the only one with that idea in mind. This collection represents an all-new installment of Phil & Kaja Foglio's award-winning gaslamp fantasy series and includes an extra four-page story in addition to the main plotline.

Genres: Steampunk, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Humor

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

A popular science fiction fan artist in the 1970s, Phil Foglio began writing and drawing cartoons and comics professionally in the 1980s. His work includes Magic: The Gathering, Buck Godot, and the popular series of comics and novels, Girl Genius, co-written with his wife, Kaja Foglio.

Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)

Reviews

[Alta · Rating 4 out of 5]

:)

[Kristin Boldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha improves coffee, and lots of great little asides.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 5 out of 5]

REREAD 2019

It don't feel right to cut this down to 4/5 stars anymore.

This album is one of my favorites, despite of Zola - that girl can just stuff it. I can't stand her and the politics behind her - we're introduced to the castle and the Mechanicburg.

I also really like how the art style changes in this album. It's darker and grittier than earlier, and a lot more steampunky, which is never wrong. (Steampunk was how I found the series in the first place, after all.)

This album did remind me tat there are some story lines that aren't finished yet, though, despite the first arc being over. I wonder how many arcs are planed...

[Elizabeth Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm telling you, this series keeps getting better, and I thought it was pretty fantastic about four volumes ago. The artwork is amazing, Phil Foglio at his most hysterical. The colors are just stunning, Agatha's hair is almost TOO good, it's distracting how vibrant the gradients are. And the writing, just amazing. Agatha going nuts on caffeine and rebuilding the coffee machine (with half the town's help) and the seneschal's reaction when he tried it...hilarious. And the downright creepyness of Castle Heterodyne, man, can't wait to get my hands on the 8th book...

[Andrea]

Everybody - and I mean everybody - is heading for Mechanicsburg. Pink is this season's colour for airships.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exciting adventure, loaded with humour takes place when Agatha Heterodyne sneaks into Mechanicsburg to take control of her ancestral home. She can’t resist stopping for a cup of coffee along the way, or to repair the expresso machine to make it more efficient.

Readers, beware, if there’s one thing more dangerous than a spark, it’s a caffeinated spark. :)

In the meantime, Gilgamesh Wulfenbach has his hands full with trying to protect his father, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach from all kinds of assassination attempts while he’s bedridden. And the truly serious assassins haven’t even showed up yet. Gil does manage to construct a wand amidst all the chaos that makes his father proud and Agatha swoon, convincing the rest of the world that he, Gilgamesh Wulfenbach is not to be taken lightly.

To make matters even more complicated, another woman has shown up, publically proclaiming herself to be Agatha Heterodyne, claiming Castle Heterodyne as her own. In truth, she’s part of another faction that has plans of her own for Agatha’s family estate. Agatha has to hurry or else there might not be much left of Castle Heterodyne once her rival is finished with it. Plus, Castle Heterodyne itself is very much the lair of evil dynasts and mad scientists. It may not be willing to leave much of Agatha, her rival, or anyone else once it’s finished with them. Visitors have a way of meeting extremely unpleasant ends once they go beyond its walls. Avoiding its booby traps is only the first of the obstacles Agatha finds in dealing with her home or its sadistic sense of ‘fun’. And its fun is only just beginning.

As a coffee lover, I appreciated the homage to the beverage in this book. Plus the well-kept secret about Mechanicsburg and its residents. Gil had some of his finest, sparkiest moments in this volume. I found myself cheering him on along with the Baron and Agatha.

For overall plot, character development, and my enjoyment, this gets four stars.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually started out reading the novelization of this--you know, the version without pictures. When I went back to look at the comics, I hated the art. I thought it was cartoony and silly and busy and hard to understand what's going on. But I'd enjoyed the novelization, so I skimmed the first and second volume of the comics, then skipped to volume four. This series had won three Hugo Awards so I figured there had to be something to it. By volume 8 I was sold. I've now read the first thirteen volumes and am officially a die-hard fan. I think the art did get a little better as the volumes progressed, but mostly I think I just got used to it. I can't say I like how much Agatha ran around in her underwear in the first volumes, or that all the women have perfectly globular gravity-defying breasts, but after a while we get a lot of shirtless princes which sort of evens the playing field.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose that on some level I shouldn't be surprised at the concept of a steampunk A.I., but one running an entire 13th century castle? Also, the traps reminded me of a Doctor Who story, oddly, one called The Five Doctors, in which the Tomb of Rassilon has a trap that you can only pass by the proper use of the number pi.
Still, the multi-part battles for control of the castle and of the city were great, but the highlights were things like Agatha's version of the coffee maker, the impostor in pink, and the mess Dupree has to clean up while not being able to speak.
Too bad she didn't have time to get the next generation of coffee maker built, though. While the current version is interesting, it's probably not a good idea...

[Adam Windsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't the biggest fan of volume 6 of this series, but this marks a fine return to form, with lots of comedy and action driving a clear and engaging story.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun in Castle Heterodyne.

[Lightwhisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW; I started to read the Agatha Heterodyne here, from my library and really, what a thrill..good art and an adventure story to keep you hooked to the pages =)

[Ketutar Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Agatha Heterodyne. Even though the art is sort of... er... "interesting". :-D

[Anne Schelhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story, fun characters, fun animation, pleasant and easy read.

[David Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great volume centered mainly around an imposter and a castle.

[Jdetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to fire on all cylinders. I'm not entirely sure there is much going on in this volume....there is a lot of exposition. But I still have found myself enthralled.

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 7: In which Agatha decides to claim her rightful place in Mechanicsburg, but obviously not without running into all sorts of trouble.

Finally. We have hit a period in the story where almost all the main players are together. We've been adding characters by the handful in each volume up to this point, and I feel like everyone is finally in one place for one purpose.

Contrary to what her comrades want from her, Agatha has decided she needs to go to Mechanicsburg and claim her right the Heterodyne Castle. Judy, of Punch and Judy fame, told Agatha on her deathbed Spoiler: She didn't die. Oops! I can't wait to see how Punch and Judy come back... to go to Castle Heterodyne. Apparently, something she needs/wants/is super awesome will be waiting for her here. Also, it's Agatha's birthright. People will constantly be stalking her down to murder her if she doesn't take care of making her claim legitimate.

As to be expected, Agatha's trouble is just beginning when she arrives in Mechanicsburg. Rumors of her existence run rampant through the streets. Baron Wulfenbach is recovering at the local hospital, meaning Gil is nearby. A fake Agatha Heterodyne is trying to claim the castle as her own before our heroine can get in there. The Jagermonsters are watching from a distance, since they can't set foot in Mechanicsburg until Agatha is in control of the castle. And Agatha's Spark-i-ness is going mad. Oh, and did I mention her castle is alive and is slowly killing everyone who steps inside it?

So begins the insanity.

This series feels like it has finally hit its stride for me. We have a wonderful balance of goofy comedy surrounded by a fairly serious plot. We have brilliant and dynamic characters, many of whom keep coming around again and again to keep our plot moving and interesting. I love the coloring-- but I still struggle with some of the drawing. It will never really be my style completely, but I'm finding many concepts easier and easier to ignore. Also, the cast keeps continually growing, but I don't find it distracting since so many characters seem to come and go like the wind.

I can't wait to read the rest.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 7th TP book in the Girl Genius series. This continues to be a super fun and laugh-out-loud series filled with fantasy, steampunk goodness, and a little romance.

Agatha has finally arrived in Mechanicsburg and is hoping to finally enter the mechanical fortress that was home to the Heterodyne’s for many years. Of course things get complicated when another girl claiming to be Agatha shows up. And then of course there is the fact that the Heterodyne fortress is always trying to kill people. Oh, yeah and Baron Wulfenbach is convalescing in Mechanicsburg too…

This graphic novel is filled with the crazy bright illustrations that fit the insane story so well. When I first started reading this series I wasn’t a huge fan of the illustration style, but I have to say I have grown kind of fond of it over the last few books...it just fits the story so perfectly.

Agatha continues to do amazing mechanical things (like making super efficient coffee makers). And now she has found a whole city of people who live to serve the Heterodynes...it makes for an explosive combination.

Krosp the emperor of cats is still there along with the rest of our favorite characters. I loved the Heterodyne castle and all of its oddities; this was just awesome fun.

I love that a synopsis of “the story thus far” is included in the beginning of the graphic novel as well.

I can’t recommend this series enough it is just so much fun. There is a lot of action, wonderful steampunk elements, fantasy elements, general shenanigans, wonderful characters, and a tiny bit of romance as well. This is just a spectacular graphic novel series. Highly recommended to graphic novel fans especially those who like humor and steampunk elements.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

An installment in the continuing story. With spoilers ahead for the earlier ones. This one continues the process begun in the last, of really raising the stakes.

In the opening, we have a day in the life of Mechanicsburg, and the Circus accepts Wooster's offer of a refuge in England. Agatha detaches herself. Not only did her mother -- er, Lilith/Judy, the foster mother -- tell her to go to Mechanicsburg, she knows that she needs it to do anything. Meanwhile, the Baron is in the hospital there.

When you read her arrival, be sure to check out the signs advertising things. A good knowledge of webcomics will help -- interpret them.

Once there -- we have a mad medley of plot. Involving more assassins than you can shake a stick at, Gil's new invention, another girl Agatha's age who claims to be the Heterodyne heir and whose airship is pink, a coffee shop and discovering why Lilith did not approve of stimulants (such as coffee) for young ladies, a visit to the crypt, an explanation of why most people expect a boy heir, an attack on the city, tales of the mad castle in the center of town, which has been under repair for over a decade, and a foolish attempt to arrest Agatha. All concluding with Agatha's doing the only logical thing, even if it raises the stakes again.

[Psychophant · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many years I have followed Girl Genius Webcomic as one of my daily rituals. I have been following the Foglio's quirky humour and idiosyncratic drawings.

What I really like of the series is the depth of scope and worldbuilding, with many details becoming obvious much later than when they appear. As such the recently appeared novels are the perfect complement, as you can finally be inside the head of Agatha, overcoming one of the limitations of comic: wordcount. So instead of being sparse with words, they can let out freely.

The series takes place in an alternate Europa, one where some kind of magical technology, the Spark, has made it diverge wildly from our own. The series follows the adventures, with some sadness and romance but mostly with good humour, of Agatha, the Girl Genius, and a huge supporting cast. I would call it Steam Fantasy instead of Steampunk, but it is better than most stories with than label.

I supported the kickstarter campaign, so I got the first 12 books. I suspect they are only scratching the surface so far...

I will recycle the review for the others, because they are really part of a continuum, and all are at a high level. If you do not believe me, just try it, it is free: www.girlgeniusonline.com

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to have to start reading this series online because the books just aren't published fast enough! There's sword fights and big explosions and love and treachery and dynasties and circus folk. The only reason this series doesn't get 5 stars is because it's not particularly thought-provoking (but I think it could be). Still, there's something to be said for well-made fluff.

The Girl Genius series makes a small nod at the steampunk genre but focuses mainly on the stuff of epic fantasy. The art is top-notch, the writing is witty, and the combination of those two culminated in my favorite scene from this volume:

Agatha (the girl genius) has just fixed a coffee connoisseur's espresso machine--and this guy, he's such a coffee snob that he wrote the book on how to be a coffee snob. Anyways, you see him taking a tentative sip of the cup of coffee on the last panel of the page. On the next page, you see him soaring over a verdant valley with sunshine beaming everywhere. Hearing is a sense that books don't usually touch for me, but that panel evoked the noise "aaaaaaaaah!" (a chorus of angels) in my head.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've tossed this in my re-read pile because I've technically already read the story as it's published on the Web.

That said, I've noticed a lot more details in the story while reading the print edition than the online pages. The Foglios are always good for putting tons of detail in the background of their illustrations. This volume is especially full of sly nods to other web comics in the advertising on the walls of Mechanicsburg. However, I've been finding more little hooks in the writing - I'd forgotten Klaus's warning to Gil about Zeetha the first time around.

I'm almost tempted to complain about the plethora of new characters being introduced, but I'm not having too much trouble telling them apart. Instead, my appetite has been peaked for more story and back-story. The Foglio's Europa feels amazingly deep and I want to dive into it and keep digging.

As a final aside, I feel like the whole coffeehouse scene was at least a bit written as gift for Kaja and Phil's favorite baristas.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the battle at Sturmhalten, wild and crazy rumors abound about Agatha and her friends. Ardsley Wooster, her British Majesty’s spy, has come to collect Agatha and offer amnesty and sanctuary to Master Payne’s Circus. But Agatha will have none of it and has gone on to Mechanicsburg. Enter Dr. Sun (Baron Wulfenbach’s long-suffering medic), the apparently indestructible Axel Higgs (Airman Third Class), a fake Heterodyne heir in a pink airship (!), former Seneschal Carson Von Mekkan and his lazy grandson Vanamonde and the motley prisoners of the heavily damaged Castle Heterodyne, an edifice with its own defense mechanisms, split personalities and a truly warped brand of humor.

The Foglios know what makes a ripping fine story, complete with engaging twists, funny sight gags, strong senses of characters, brilliant one-liners and spot-on illustrations. Sepia tones for flashbacks and brilliant color for current storylines keep the reader from getting (too) perplexed. (The story itself takes care of that.) Enjoy and don’t forget to try the coffee!

[Robu-sensei · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Volume 7 of the "Gaslamp Fantasy" Girl Genius, our heroine finally reaches her ultimate destination, Mechanicsburg, and discovers that her journey home is actually far from complete. Although the pace of this installment is considerably slower than in the apocalyptic battle that immediately precedes it, what the story lacks in action it more than makes up for in complexity and in off-the-wall humor. The Foglios are in tip-top form in Vol. 7, introducing several new main characters, including the ultimate straight man, Unflappable Airman Higgs. Most importantly, we meet Castle Heterodyne itself (partially).

Also in this volume are a delightful mini-story, "Personal Trainer", and a super-kawaii Chibi Agatha.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 7 of the hard copy of the Girl Genius webcomic sees Agatha Heterodyne recovering her mind from the Other (aka her mother) and making her way to her family's town of Mechanicsburg to claim her seat and her castle. However, she's not the first into the castle, as a fake Heterodyne gets in before her, with malicious intent.

It's been a while since I've read one of these graphic novels and they're awfully good fun. Following the story is so much easier this way, rather than getting three pages a week. The art is still awesome (and I loved the shout-outs to other webcomics on a lovely two-page spread near the start) and suits the steampunk subject beautifully.

[Lesley Arrowsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I first found out about Girl Genius, and saw the Foglios in the flesh, at LonCon, and thought Agatha's adventures looked like fun. I've read the novel for the beginning of the story, and yesterday I went down to Cardiff, discovered the shop Comic Guru, and bought Vol. 7 which they'd forgotten about and put in the stock room, and only recently uncovered to put out in the shop.
Fortunately, the story is clear enough that I could jump straight in (while thinking I must go back to find out more about the Circus) and follow what was happening in Mechanicsburg. I started reading it on the bus home, and finished it in bed last night.
I love the scenes in the coffee shop!
I'll be hunting for the rest of the series.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love this series! Agatha is my kind of gal. The illustrations are, as always, wonderfully detailed and fun to look at with unexpected little touches. As the story progresses I find myself having a hard time putting the book down. In fact, I read this in one sitting this morning with my coffee which is appropriate considering some of the story actually takes place in a coffee shop. Thank goodness I had already picked up book 8 so I can continue my adventures with Agatha and her friends. On a side note, Captain Dupree needs a series all her own I think. I can only imagine how those stories would go.

[Korynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

By this point you need to have been reading from the beginning otherwise you won't understand the importance of what Agatha's doing or who Gil is. Anycase, a tremendous volume without the constant reversals of the previous two volumes. There is a charming sequence in which Agatha makes coffee to impress the locals and a magnificent scene in which Gil defends Mechanicsburg from a brutal takeover by war clanks. Overall the humor is sustained and the plot is as twisty and intriguing as ever. Really, why aren't you reading this? It's free online as www.girlgenius.net!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some series get worse as they go on... others get better. I think this is my absolute favorite volume. Even though I've read it several times before, I still found myself almost in tears from laughing so hard.

Update, 4/6/21:

I'm running out of good things to say about these graphic novels. This volume is fabulous. It has what I am pretty sure is my favorite moment in the whole series: Agatha in a coffee shop.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Vel I guess ve keednapping you a leetle beet."
A great volume in a series that, I think, has faltered very little. There's a fair amount of set up for volume 8 in this run, but it didn't feel draggy. Everything seemed necessary and exciting and pertinent.
A real review will replace this snippet at some point, but the flu has got me down, and thinking critically isn't really within my grasp right now.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published online as a Web comic (where it can be found at www.girlgeniusonline.com), this series follows the exploits of a young woman, Agatha, who discovers she is the lost heir to a long-feared dynasty. Instead of a terribly serious version of this tale, the author/artist stick to humor over horrors. Still friends and enemies die, leaving their mark on Agatha as she grows to understand who she is and what she can do.