Announced by Phil on Girl Genius Adventures.[1]
The twelfth volume of Girl Genius begins with Moloch von Zinzer, aided by Fraulein Snaug and a hoard of Dingbots, fixing the machinery that extracts energy from the waters of the Dyne to power Castle Heterodyne. Just after the giant wheels, gears, and shafts start to spin again, the Doom Bell rings out and Moloch and Snaug faint from the shock.
The colors were done by Cheyenne Wright.
The first page of volume XII ✣ on the Girl Genius web site is numbered as page 6 in the print edition. The first page of the printed comic is on an even-numbered page so that the double-page spreads will print correctly. The first page of volume XII begins here: November 07, 2011 ✣ . This volume can be purchased on TopatoCo or through local comic book shops.
Plot Summary[]
The doom bell rings, neutralizing many of the threats within earshot. The Empire’s Jagers enter Mechanicsburg. The minions, led by the now highly competent Moloch, repair the castle’s main generator, but the castle will need years to recharge its energy.
Tarvek and Othar arrive at Castle Wulfenbach. Gil joins them, and orders the attacks on Mechanicsburg to cease, prioritizing defenses against incoming attacks from the Knights of Jove and other Sturmhalten forces. Klaus’s storyteller arrives, and Tarvek is able to deduce that the Baron has been wasped. Tarvek gives Gil his notes on an innoculation formula against slaver wasps. After sending Tarvek (along with Othar and Vole) back to Mechanicsburg, Gil applies the formula to Bang, but she knocks him out before he can take it himself. Klaus returns to Castle Wulfenbach and claims that Gil has been infected.
Tarvek arrives in Mechanicsburg in time to meet the Jager generals (and Krosp) and recover research from the Empire’s Vespiary Squad, whose zepplin was shot down by Wulfenbach’s own troops. Then he gives Agatha a big kiss. The Baron resumes attacks on Mechanicsburg and with the castle lacking a charge things seem bleak. The Knights of Jove make their dramatic entrance, led by Martellus, who plans to become the new storm king (assuming he can get Tarvek out of the way) with Agatha as a puppet. The Baron takes this as a cue to reveal a massive army surrounding Mechanicsburg and starts to methodically destroy the city.
Agatha and her party — Tarvek, Violet, Othar, the Jagers, and the former captive sparks from the Castle and their minions — use tech stolen from the attacking forces to improve her lightning stick. Franz takes her to the roof, where she finds lightning rods that haven’t functioned in years but are quickly repaired. Gil appears, apparently under the Baron-Other’s influence, and demands that she join him and surrender her town. Agatha then fully recharges the castle with an enormous bolt of lightning.
Extras[]
Volume XII has several pages of extras. Preceding the comic is a photograph of the Steamcon Airship Award for Girl Genius. Following it is a drawing of a woman riding a blimpcycle, the Professors' announcement ✣ of the Hugo nominees for Best Graphic Story at LoneStarCon 3, followed by full-page drawings of:
- Zeetha and Higgs on a date
- A merry[2] Zeetha hugging Agatha[3]
- A large clank shielding a small girl from the rain with a small umbrella[3]
- Franz wishing us a happy new year[3]
- Agatha carving a jack-o-lantern face on the moon[3]
See also[]
References
- ↑ Phil Foglio very kindly took the time to reply to an email inquiry about his blog entry linked to above and confirmed that the spelling "Seige" used there was a typo.
- ↑ This image is cropped from the full image that was used a donation wallpaper. In the full image, the reason for Zeetha's merriment seems to be a bottle of "Mad Dawg 161 Proof Rum" that she is holding in her right hand.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 This picture has been also released as donation wallpaper.