Vogelein is a revelation, a story that has the same magic and sense of wonder that Neil Gaiman brought to Sandman, Linda Medley brought to Castle Waiting and Carla Speed McNeil brings to Finder. It's imaginative, unusual and beautiful to look at, and Irwin's ideas are fresh and enthralling, from the idea of a clockwork fairy who has passed from guardian to guardian over the years to a fairy who has been darkened by living in the modern world. Vogelein's journey is one of discovery less than distance, as she is forced out into the world she has been hidden away from for about ten years, forced to find a new guardian and discover that the world outside can be cruel... as well as kind.
There's a magical viewpoint going on in Vogelein that I found captivating. While there are certainly dangers about, including not only the "duskie" but also the implied threat of what might happen if a curious but unscrupulous human got a hold of her, Vogelein meets with a fair amount of kindness in her travels. Even Jay or the Duskie, who serve as dangers to Vogelein, have their own good points and their reasons for the way they act. Irwin also populates Vogelein's world with likable, decent characters like her creator, his Romany friend Alexi or Ezrael, who is one of the most likable characters I've come across in any fiction for some time.
Vogelein is an artificial creation, but Irwin's story posits that she has every bit the same amount of emotions and free will as anyone else. She is sweet and gentle, but not naive, and she can be abrasive when she needs to be. She is unfamiliar with the world, but not a victim of it. She is a well-developed character, which is no surprise given that Irwin has a strength in writing characters. It should be said that while Vogelein is very likable, she isn't perfect either; she has a willful streak that won't allow someone to take care of her if she finds them at all overprotective, and while I can't blame her for any of her actions, she does sometimes seem to think before she acts.
In addition to the interesting elements in the modern day, there's plenty to be seen of where Vogelein came from. The examination of her trip with a Romany in the Old World is well-researched and intriguing and fun to read, and it serves as entertainment on its own even as its larger purpose within the story is exposition. In addition, the relationship between Vogelein and her creator is one that is as much father-daughter as anything else, and we're looking at the creator through Vogelein's memories, which means that we see him as strictly kind and very smart. It serves to counterbalance Vogelein's harsh existence that we can see she came from a place of such love.
While I love the concepts and the writing alone, it must be said that the artwork in this book is a big part of the draw. Irwin paints with a sort of ink wash, and the results are impressive. There's plenty of shading and detail to be found, particularly in the faces of the characters, and her character designs, especially for the threatening "duskie" and the lithe and strange Vogelein, are equally impressive. The artwork throughout is very good, and every so often a page or a sequence comes along that is simply gorgeous. Good examples in these two issues include the flight of Duskie alongside bats at the beginning of chapter four, or the establishing shots of the past during the flashback in chapter three. I also quite enjoyed the reference to the first chapter that took place in the third, as we see Vogelein very near her new waking owner.
Irwin has put together a fine book here, as well, not just a fun story. The trade collection is digest sized, which seems an ideal choice, and it includes all of the extra material from the issues. That includes copious behind-the-scenes notes which reveal some interesting facets of her creative process, explanations of certain storytelling moments, photos of her models, pin-ups from other artists, annotations of her research and stories both personal and anecdotal. The story of the real-life "Ezrael" in particular was charming, and showed me where Irwin got the magical view of the world that is so prevalent throughout Vogelein.
