Vögelein

Vögelein is a most unusual creature: she is a faerie, a tiny, beautiful person with functioning wings, yet she was constructed by a human and is made of clockwork. She thinks, talks, and experiences emotions - and as the story opens, she is frightened.

Vögelein's mechanism runs down periodically, and she needs to be wound, or she will stop working - and even if she is wound up again, she will lose memories. And as those she loves most are dead and gone, that is a horrifying thought to her: losing her memories means losing her identity. The man who has been winding her - she can't do it herself, because the key fits into her back - has died. It isn't an easy thing, finding a trustworthy human to do the one thing that keeps her from being independent. To make matters even more complicated, Vögelein runs afoul of a nasty faerie - who hates her for being what he once was, before the metal and pollution of humans warped him into a different sort of being altogether.

This is a charming story with a dark underbelly, an urban fairytale with substance and a sense of wonder. Vögelein is an admirable heroine, trying to find her place in the world, strong yet vulnerable. This story should appeal to fans of Charles de Lint, and while my library shelves it in the YA section, adult fans of graphic novels are sure to enjoy its compelling story and evocative artwork as well.

For more information about this graphic novel and its sequel (Vögelein: Old Ghosts), check out the Vögelein website. This is my first book read for this year's Graphic Novels Challenge, and I feel I'm off to a great start!

Vögelein: Clockwork Faerie by Jane Irwin and Jeff Berndt (Fiery Studios, 2004)

Also reviewed at:

Biblio File: "Lovely. I especially liked Midhir, and how much our modern world has corrupted him. The line, "even the iron doesn't hurt me the way it once did" broke my heart."
Comics Worth Reading: "The beautifully moody, painted greyscale art is well-suited to the subject matter. There’s a lack of typical comic tricks, like sound effects or motion lines. The influences here are clearly books like Sandman and Watchmen: thoughtful, artistic comics with literary antecedents."