I think this time around, I'll actually ditch the format in favor of something more brief and straightforward. This is gonna be difficult, though, because I'm such a fan of the graphic novels this book is based on. I'm afraid that will provide a more biased review than I'd like, but I'll try to be as objective as I can.
Right, then.
So as mentioned in my earlier notation, Professors Foglio and Foglio have begun to branch out from just graphic novels and began an endeavour of making text novels based upon them as well, for myriad reasons (at least, that I can imagine): to draw in new readers that might be hesitant to read comics, to write in extra bits that they may not have been able to work into the comic for flow or time reasons, or it was something they thought of later, and because text novels are kickin' rad. (That is, in fact, a technical term.)
Agatha H and the Airship City is the first of these, covering Girl Genius volumes 1-3. For the most part, it's what you'd expect if you're familiar with the parent series--the dialogue is transferred nearly verbatim, and the visuals are instead accounts of actions and expressions and settings and so forth. However, the extra leeway and space provided by text has also allowed them to slip in some additional bits not found in the books that will be a treat to preexisting fans--a special (revealing!) prologue the first among them, as well as a few small additional subplots and extra flavour bits regarding characters. Thus, the experience of the novels does indeed differ from their comics kin, and provides additional buying incentive. Think of it as sort of Girl Genius: Director's Cut.
My main concern with Agatha H, really, lies in the attracting-new-readers bit. Firstly, Girl Genius is a series that's always had a lot of humor in it. That's great, and I don't want to see that diminished. It's a key part of how that universe feels. But the humor doesn't feel like it carries over as well to pure text, and I feel like newcomers may find it a bit jarring at first. That's due mostly to the medium shift--in a comic, the art style can have a big part in dictating the tone, and Girl Genius is cartoony enough that the wackier moments don't feel out of place. With novels, on the other hand, unless given explicit impressions by the cover (or familiarity with an author or series), a reader will automatically assume a more serious-toned story. I think Agatha H, for new readers, could have benefited from a drier wit at first, and eased into the sillier things, rather than just dropping the army of flying badgers on them. I could be wrong, just an impression.
Secondly, the Jagermonster accents. The Jagers are an important part of the Girl Genius universe, and appear to be even more important here in Agatha H. They also talk with a thick, very distinct sort of Germanic accent that gives them a lot of character as a species, which is usually spelled phonetically ("vot" for "what" and so forth). I never minded this in the comics, probably because comics are a more visual medium, but I think the Jager accent's phonetic spelling should have been toned down for the novel--when instead it appears to have even been increased. As a general writing rule, phonetic spelling for thick accents should be used sparingly in a text-only work. A little goes a long way, and a new reader could get tired having to continually read aloud every time a Jager is speaking. (That said? It was nothing less than glorious hearing Mr. Foglio read aloud in his own impression of the Jagergenerals' voices.)
Apart from those two issues, however, I find little fault with the Girl Genius story's transition to text. I eagerly await the next novel to see what new things will be learned, and do hope it will encourage even further readership of this fun, fun mad science tale. At this point, if I were recommending the series to a friend, I would still hand them the graphic novels first, even if they were opposed to comics, but we'll see if my opinion changes over the course of the novels' appearances.
In any event, Foglio and Foglio, I recognize the large effort this is, and commend you for it. Please do keep going!
[Holden Out.]
Right, then.
So as mentioned in my earlier notation, Professors Foglio and Foglio have begun to branch out from just graphic novels and began an endeavour of making text novels based upon them as well, for myriad reasons (at least, that I can imagine): to draw in new readers that might be hesitant to read comics, to write in extra bits that they may not have been able to work into the comic for flow or time reasons, or it was something they thought of later, and because text novels are kickin' rad. (That is, in fact, a technical term.)
Agatha H and the Airship City is the first of these, covering Girl Genius volumes 1-3. For the most part, it's what you'd expect if you're familiar with the parent series--the dialogue is transferred nearly verbatim, and the visuals are instead accounts of actions and expressions and settings and so forth. However, the extra leeway and space provided by text has also allowed them to slip in some additional bits not found in the books that will be a treat to preexisting fans--a special (revealing!) prologue the first among them, as well as a few small additional subplots and extra flavour bits regarding characters. Thus, the experience of the novels does indeed differ from their comics kin, and provides additional buying incentive. Think of it as sort of Girl Genius: Director's Cut.
My main concern with Agatha H, really, lies in the attracting-new-readers bit. Firstly, Girl Genius is a series that's always had a lot of humor in it. That's great, and I don't want to see that diminished. It's a key part of how that universe feels. But the humor doesn't feel like it carries over as well to pure text, and I feel like newcomers may find it a bit jarring at first. That's due mostly to the medium shift--in a comic, the art style can have a big part in dictating the tone, and Girl Genius is cartoony enough that the wackier moments don't feel out of place. With novels, on the other hand, unless given explicit impressions by the cover (or familiarity with an author or series), a reader will automatically assume a more serious-toned story. I think Agatha H, for new readers, could have benefited from a drier wit at first, and eased into the sillier things, rather than just dropping the army of flying badgers on them. I could be wrong, just an impression.
Secondly, the Jagermonster accents. The Jagers are an important part of the Girl Genius universe, and appear to be even more important here in Agatha H. They also talk with a thick, very distinct sort of Germanic accent that gives them a lot of character as a species, which is usually spelled phonetically ("vot" for "what" and so forth). I never minded this in the comics, probably because comics are a more visual medium, but I think the Jager accent's phonetic spelling should have been toned down for the novel--when instead it appears to have even been increased. As a general writing rule, phonetic spelling for thick accents should be used sparingly in a text-only work. A little goes a long way, and a new reader could get tired having to continually read aloud every time a Jager is speaking. (That said? It was nothing less than glorious hearing Mr. Foglio read aloud in his own impression of the Jagergenerals' voices.)
Apart from those two issues, however, I find little fault with the Girl Genius story's transition to text. I eagerly await the next novel to see what new things will be learned, and do hope it will encourage even further readership of this fun, fun mad science tale. At this point, if I were recommending the series to a friend, I would still hand them the graphic novels first, even if they were opposed to comics, but we'll see if my opinion changes over the course of the novels' appearances.
In any event, Foglio and Foglio, I recognize the large effort this is, and commend you for it. Please do keep going!
[Holden Out.]
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