Girl Genius XXVII: Hoy! Hennybody else not dead?

[The Glyphstone]

I'm trying to identify everyone on this page. Seeing the circus again makes it really obvious just how much the art style has changed!

Ollie playing Martellus/Storm King. The mechanical hand is a dead giveaway.

Embi in the cat suit, because of course.

Rivet playing Tarvek, I think? Right size and complexion, and "Tarvek's" features appear a bit feminine

I'm guessing Thundering Engine Woman for Agatha, although the complexion doesn't seem quite right (TEW is canonically Italian)

Yeti playing Othar maybe?

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Also interesting that they deliberately changed Zeetha's hair color.

TEW left the circus, we found that out last week. It might be a new character.

[Deliverance]

Considering that Zeetha spent years more time with the circus than Agatha, I am surprised at how she is reacting to the story.

Possibly a combination of "I don't get a heroic role but a silly sidekick role?" and "they got it all wrong, Agatha is my STUDENT, I answer her questions". Or it could be something as simple as disliking the actor playing her.

[Rockphed]

Possibly a combination of "I don't get a heroic role but a silly sidekick role?" and "they got it all wrong, Agatha is my STUDENT, I answer her questions". Or it could be something as simple as disliking the actor playing her.

I gladly accept this explanation.

[HandofShadows]

I wonder what Zeetha will do to get back at them? Did they even know she was there?

And I think we know why Klaus laughed at this kind of stuff. If he didn't he would be killing people.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Well, first, Tweedle's face is priceless! And poor Zeetha. I imagine that Krosp will still not understand Theatre...

I was confused by Agatha's reaction for a second, then it hit me. She was travellling with the circus for months and even played Lucrecia at one point. Of course she knows how these things go, and of course she is going to sit there and find it hilarious.

We may yet get a "Lars" moment, though.

[Fyraltari]

I was confused by Agatha's reaction for a second, then it hit me. She was travellling with the circus for months and even played Lucrecia at one point. Of course she knows how these things go, and of course she is going to sit there and find it hilarious.

So was Zeetha. I feel like Agatha's reaction is more due to her being portrayed as the straight woman while everybody else is a loony.

[Narkis]

Or she might just be more comfortable with making fun of herself.

[Rogar Demonblud]

So she learned something from Klaus?

Also does that count as another hint of Skifander being on Mars?

No, they're portraying Zeetha as completely clueless approaching the "California Blonde" stereotype. Which may help explain why Steelgarter didn't think she'd be any help in finding Skifander, if this is what she's going on.

[Fyraltari]

So she learned something from Klaus?



No, they're portraying Zeetha as completely clueless approaching the "California Blonde" stereotype. Which may help explain why Steelgarter didn't think she'd be any help in finding Skifander, if this is what she's going on.

I mean in the same way that the crowd joked about her being the Baron's daughter back at the gates of Castle Heterodyne.

[lord_khaine]

We may yet get a "Lars" moment, though.

No. Im 99% sure we wont in fact see Lars.
Not in a show where people throw pie at each other.

And also because including his dead does not serve a role.
While likely remaining an extremely painful subject for the circus.

[DeTess]

No. Im 99% sure we wont in fact see Lars.
Not in a show where people throw pie at each other.

Not disputing the rest of your reasons, but it has been shown before that shows tend to be all over the emotional spectrum, with pie-throwing and high dama occurring on their own specific moments. I reckon there is actually a script for a show on Lars' death, and I think it will have a moment of pie-throwing in there, but I also suspect that it's reserved for smaller, more intimate performances.

[SZbNAhL]

Lars was their friend, would they really want to relive his death? Especially considering that it probably wasn't part of any of the rumours they're capitalising on.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Heroic sacrifice is generally a pretty popular way to go in performances, and it really is a part of the whole Big Reveal play, where Agatha not only reveals that she's the latest Heterodyne but she stymies a plot by the Other and fights off Wulfenbach. (and not even on her homeground), showing she's a worthy successor to the Heterodyne Boys.

[sihnfahl]

Heroic sacrifice is generally a pretty popular way to go in performances, and it really is a part of the whole Big Reveal play, where Agatha not only reveals that she's the latest Heterodyne but she stymies a plot by the Other and fights off Wulfenbach. (and not even on her homeground), showing she's a worthy successor to the Heterodyne Boys.

And, let's not forget, it triggered Agatha into Her Big Moment when she DID take down Wulfenbach. Well, accidentally. How was she supposed to know the flying wagon would lock up and land on him?

And slide for a few good meters.

With him under it.

[Rodin]

They also might feel that putting Lars into the play is a way of honoring him. He considered himself the ordinary guy who didn't really deserve to be part of the story (or to have a chance with Agatha). Immortalizing him in a new Heterodyne play is one of the biggest compliments they can give.

[Rockphed]

Not disputing the rest of your reasons, but it has been shown before that shows tend to be all over the emotional spectrum, with pie-throwing and high dama occurring on their own specific moments. I reckon there is actually a script for a show on Lars' death, and I think it will have a moment of pie-throwing in there, but I also suspect that it's reserved for smaller, more intimate performances.

You mean like this pie? Only 14 pages after Lars dies? Throwing pies is an integral part of the Circus of Adventure.

[Grim Portent]

I'm honestly half expecting that the circus got Lars brought back to life at some point, maybe with complications. We never saw him get buried, he'd be a good character for throwing in some additional emotional drama with the main cast and Maxim did mention they could try it even though it sometimes doesn't work.

[Squire Doodad]

I'm honestly half expecting that the circus got Lars brought back to life at some point, maybe with complications. We never saw him get buried, he'd be a good character for throwing in some additional emotional drama with the main cast and Maxim did mention they could try it even though it sometimes doesn't work.

From a narrative standpoint he'd just be dead weight given that there's already a love triangle/omnihedron between Gil, Tarvek and Agatha. It'd just be senseless drama if he comes in as a potential romantic character, but on the flip side having him appear as a character but not a love interest might open some interesting doors.

If he comes up, he's probably dead. If he doesn't come up, it's probably because it's a touchy subject still.

50/50 of him being in the play

[Gez]

I'm honestly half expecting that the circus got Lars brought back to life at some point, maybe with complications. We never saw him get buried, he'd be a good character for throwing in some additional emotional drama with the main cast and Maxim did mention they could try it even though it sometimes doesn't work.

This page does a solid job to establish his death as final, irreversible, and definitive.
He gets a whole page of Maxim eulogizing him and giving him his hat.


And yeah Agatha has enough wannabe suitors already. There's Gil and Tarvek, of course, but there's also Rakethorn (on orders of Her Majesty) and Martellus (for political motives).

[DeTess]

The way I understand the whole 'bringing someone back' thing is that it's only really possible if you have the equipment in place and can do it quickly. Agatha actually laments that she doesn't have the equipment or time to do it shortly after his death suggesting that she could have if she wasn't currently under siege. If there was no time limit on zapping him back then I'd have expected Agatha to actually take some time to do so just as they left, or alternatively to have his corpse brought along to mechanisburg so she could fix him once she had the castle again.

A counterpoint could be the baron bringing Agatha's corpse-double back, but this seems to both be a specialty of the baron, and the baron wasn't particularly interested in bringing the actual person back, instead just doing a body reconstruction.

[Grim Portent]

My understanding was that the longer someone is left dead the less of their actual personality and memories will be there when reanimated. The very fact that Maxim mentioned that they could try to bring Lars back is part of what makes me think he might have been, saying something is possible but probably won't work is often used to set up the exact thing working in a story at some point.

[sihnfahl]

You mean like this pie? Only 14 pages after Lars dies? Throwing pies is an integral part of the Circus of Adventure.

But it's not part of a play. It's a calming pie to try to get her out of the madness place.

On the other hand, if they ever integrated that part into the story, then pies a-plenty, I guess?

[Squire Doodad]

But it's not part of a play. It's a calming pie to try to get her out of the madness place.

On the other hand, if they ever integrated that part into the story, then pies a-plenty, I guess?

I am of the assumption that this man is the only true mad genius in this entire work. Everyone else is being helped along by something else, or aren't nearly insane enough to be worthy.

[runeghost]

So she learned something from Klaus?



No, they're portraying Zeetha as completely clueless approaching the "California Blonde" stereotype. Which may help explain why Steelgarter didn't think she'd be any help in finding Skifander, if this is what she's going on.

I think this has to at least count as the Foglios lampshading the fan theory that Skifander=Mars.

[Grif]

Ah there it is. After twenty years, the inevitable title name drop.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Ah there it is. After twenty years, the inevitable title name drop.

Be fair. They set up the line six years ago.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Where did Agatha put that professora's contact details again?

[tomaO2]

Title Drop. Christ, this took a long time. This has gotta be the longest time ever to get to a title drop.

Was this always how they envisioned it or did they just just decide to go along with the radio play as a way to fit this in cause it just doesn't work normally?

Radio plays are hilarious though. Been too long since I've seen one.

[Willie the Duck]

Was this always how they envisioned it or did they just just decide to go along with the radio play as a way to fit this in cause it just doesn't work normally?

I cannot believe that they intended it to come out this way, this far along (whether they thought the comic would go on this long being a side concern). If for no other reason that 'Girl' Genius being something of a legacy title (yes, in strip the whole thing has taken just a few years, but no one in-universe could mistake Agatha for a girl either). I deeply suspect that they just realized that it would be a great thing to do with this.

[Fyraltari]

I mean in-universe Agatha is still biologically a teenager.

Actually come to think of it it seems like so far we've pretty much just glossed over the fact that after the time skip Gil is now significantly older than Agatha and Tarvek. there's usually a pretty big emotional maturity gap between 19 and 25 (though I guess with sparks and nobility all bets are off).

Dude spent a lot of time with the ghost of his father short-circuiting his ability to make decisions. It may have stunted his mental growth somewhat.

Wait, they're nineteen at the star of this? I thought they were all in their mid-twenties.