Avigon

Rating:
Summary: Avigon
Review: Avigon, although somewhat brief, was an incredible book that really provoked your thoughts. You are drawn into the world of Avigon, a beautiful "clockwork" that has feelings, thoughts, and emotions, although no one acknowledges them. In this cleverly woven story, you meet Master Clockworker Pulsifer, who considers herself a god and knows that although her Clockworks leave, they will always return. There is Lord Shrift, the sour man who wishes to see Pulsifer put in her place, and Kazrael, a clockworker who has an extreme desire to replace Pulsifer. You meet the Sphynx, a peaceful clockwork who saw the horrors of the outside world but still thought it was worth it. Avigon ventures out into the world, sick of fighting, although she is the strongest clockwork ever made. She goes to the library to learn all she can about herself, and meets Lukan Roth, a Philosophy Major at the university. While a romance between the two begins, it is abruptly stopped when Avigon inquires whether he believes a Clockwork could be considered human. His answer is no, and Avigon flees back to the world she came from...

The book is extremely moving. If you liked the movie A.I. or the Little Mermaid, this is a halfway point between them. Although the story lines are similar, this graphic novelette deals with some advanced concepts that some people just won't enjoy. ....

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story
Review: This graphic novel tells a haunting, beautiful story. The look of the book, done entirely in black and white, is stylised and reminds me of the works of Tim Burton, such as *The Nightmare Before Christmas*. The writing and art are both elegant and deceptively simple. It is a science fiction story, with robots and futuristic settings. It has elements of Gothic fiction, with its dark towering castles and eccentric characters. It is also a fairy tale, using an exotic setting to tell a human story.

Now, this book is not perfect. Finicky readers may quibble about plot points, and there are some spelling errors, which I myself only noticed on the tenth read. But so what? It still broke my heart, in the best possible way. If you are a fan of wonder tales, gothic horror, anime, or comic books that are just a little different from the norm, this book deserves a spot on your shelf.