Graphic Novel Review – Girl Genius Omnibus Volume 1 by Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk/Graphic Novel
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0765331328
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Girl Genius Omnibus series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

I had been wanting to read the Girl Genius graphic novels for a long time. When I ran into this Ominbus at Half Price Books I was super excited. This was a highly amusing and entertaining read. It has a complex story, wonderful characters, a fantastic world, and is a hilarious read.

Agatha Clay lives in a world where inventors are king and help to keep the peace. The best inventors possess the Spark which enables them to create powerful and creative inventions. However, Agatha’s inventions always fail. Then her locket gets stolen by a soldier on the street and Agatha start developing some interesting abilities. It ends up Agatha might have the Spark after all and this makes her interesting to Baron Klaus Wulfenbach and his son Gil. Baron Wulfenbach is trying to maintain order in the city.

This book was so much fun to read. I love the characters, the world, and the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of the illustration style (it’s a bit cartoony for me), but it does fit this quirky and manic story very well. The colors are bright and fun. All of the characters are also illustrated in a way that makes them all look kind of manly, this bothered me a bit but I prefer it over strangely proportioned female bodies, so I guess it’s okay.

The world is complex and just spectacular, I really enjoyed the blend of steampunk and magic. The characters are hilarious, complex, and fun to read about. There is a lot going on in this story and so many things I am curious to learn more about. How will Agatha use her Spark? Will Gil figure out how to actually talk to women? Will the lost Heterodyne family ever be found? Is Baron Wulfenbach evil or is he just trying to keep his city safe?

Overall I really really enjoyed this graphic novel. I laughed so many times reading this and enjoyed the characters so much. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. Highly recommended for fans who are looking for an over-the-top, laugh-out-lot steampunk graphic novels series. It was a lot of fun to read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge