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Back when I started reading Girl Genius, one thing that I realized was that Baron Wulfenbach, the tyrant who has taken control of much of Europe in the wake of the devastation caused by the Other and on various Madboys gone out of control, is not a villain. The last couple of Girl Genius episodes helps confirm this in his care in not labelling Agatha as the Other without proof. But we've also learned that he knows fully well what his son is up to in repairing Punch and Judy (who raised Agatha) despite being holed up in his own lab for the last couple of months... and that he doesn't underestimate his son, or his attachment to Agatha. He's shown considerable poise and intelligence here, and it's a credit to Phil and Kaja Foglio for creating such a three-dimensional (and interesting antagonist as Baron Wulfenbach. Well done!
I had to laugh at today's Thunderstruck. I mean, Sharon's never had much to do with church, so she's not all that thrilled in being in one. So when a churchgoer strikes up conversation... well, she did admit that it was classier than the last church she was in, and the lack of vampires is a plus. And the lady just takes it with aplomb and admits vampires can be a bit of a nuisance. Definitely not the reaction Sharon was anticipating, I think!
And speaking of things that made me laugh... the thought of a chicken card shark (as in, a real feathered chicken, if intelligent) has to take the cake in terms of complete and utter lunacy and uniqueness. Absolutely beautiful!
I'm still puzzled over the entire trial thing in Elvenbaath. Okay, we've a society of elves... and magic is a real part of their world. But when someone goes in and slaughters a bunch of other elves while disguised as someone else, they don't think that it might have been an illusion, and instead blame the person whom was mimicked, even though she was seen in class at the same time by other elves? What gives? I hope Tom Fraser goes into an explanation of this during the trial....
 (From Picatrix. Click on image to see it full-sized.)
It's no surprise that cartoonists often are dissatisfied with their early artwork. Often when a cartoonist starts a new strip, they either don't have a firm grasp on what they want to do for a story, or are still polishing up their artwork. Indeed, some comics have shown a significant evolution of artistic style and skill (Questionable Content being an excellent example of this, as the artistic style continues to evolve and refine itself, almost on a monthly basis at this point).
Early artwork and story can be an issue when a cartoonist develops enough of a fan base that they realize they could create print compilations of their comic. Some comics go into this with an eye toward print compilations early on (such as Alpha Shade). Others decide that they would be better off if they just started anew (though Alpha Shade's artist frequently goes back and touches up the artwork, making sure things remain in continuity, and so on.)
(Panel2Panel itself is here because Glych realized that her little comic (No Stereotypes) had potential as something more, something that should be in print. Red String has been redrawing old chapters so to have the same level of art throughout the series. And these aren't the only comic strips to do this.)
Jamie Haram's decision to redo her comic Picatrix comes from her decision to put out Picatrix graphic novel compilations. While she was unhappy with her artwork, I think part of the decision comes from a need to standardize size of the strips, and work with grayscale from the beginning. Another part comes with the fact she doesn't like her early artwork (which is a shame, her early work isn't bad at all, even if she was still (as she put it) "learning how to draw"). (Examples of "before and after" for the characters in her comic can be found here.)
Another thing that has changed in Picatrix is that it's a touch less whimsical. Oh, there's still humor, but it's been refined somewhat. I'm not sure if it just feels that way because I've read the original bit and the remake, but the subtle differences help make the comic feel more mature.
As with other such remakes, the remake of Picatrix is taking longer to tell the same story that the original story did. This is a good thing, as it helps fill out more of the story. But what's more, Winnie is becoming a more realistic character in the doing. For one thing, we learn that she's got a degree in History, and while she might not quite realize early on what's happened to her, she still shows considerable poise and intelligence in realizing that the marked doors mean something.
The differences in the story may be subtle initially, but as the comic continues, I wouldn't be surprised to see it branch out further, with various characters fleshed out more. The original Picatrix could be considered the rough draft, with this new version a polished version with better dialog, more interesting characters, and ironed-out plot points. And an especially interesting twist is the confrontation of the Demon King and the three Demon Hunters, something that didn't occur (this soon at least) in the original incarnation of the comic.
Winnie has also changed, becoming more caring. Originally she just wanted to go home. She didn't care about the people here. What mattered was returning home to her younger sister (and her dead-end job and stolen car and all that). But now... she actually cares about the people dying of plague. She is willing to go with the Demon King to save people. And if he can help her find a way home? That would be good. Still... she's lost, she's alone, and there are people in need.
It's these little bits that make it worth reading even if you've seen it before. And if you've not, then I suggest starting from the beginning of the remake, and enjoying the artistry of the revised strips. I'm sure there are entire stories that were left untold in the original tale that will be revealed as we continue on.
Robert A. Howard
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