Vogelein reminds me, in all the good ways, of small press books like Castle Waiting or Finder. It's imaginative, unusual and beautiful to look at. It also has the negative traits, which means that not enough people are reading it, and folks should really try to remedy that. Irwin's story has the benefit of being short, with the first story arc ending next issue, and having some grayscale painted artwork that is terrific. It also has the benefit of conveying a magical premise without being syrupy sweet, and though it will definitely appeal to those who like "goth" comics, especially Sandman, it's got a universal appeal that's hard to ignore.
After the first two issues, Vogelein has found a new "owner" to wind her everyday and prevent her from essentially dying, but her problems are far from over. Irwin has set the series up so that Vogelein has several nemeses, including a variety of potential dangers from the humans she coexists with and from the darkened fairy who resents her for her retained beauty. 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.
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. "Duskie" is not a nice thing, but his resentment and anger is built on a believable history, and the overprotective nature of Vogelein's latest owner is something that is easy to be sympathetic with, even as the reader can see from the outside that it's wrong.
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's style is unusual, and her copious behind-the-scenes notes and letter columns reveal some interesting facets of her creative process, including the stunning realization that she paints the book in black and white. While the artwork throughout is very good, 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 issue four, or the establishing shots of the past during the flashback in issue three. I also quite enjoyed the reference to the first issue that took place in the third, as we see Vogelein very near her new waking owner.
