So much of humanity and today's society is ultimately based on inter-dependence. Family units, the raising of children, buying things from other people; it's very difficult to survive in a vacuum in this day and age. In Vögelein, Jane Irwin takes that concept one step further with a clockwork faerie whose very existence depends on the kindness of others.
Vögelein was created in the 1671 by a master craft smith. Self-aware, this clockwork faerie must have her springs wound by others on a regular basis, or she will wind down entirely. Over the years, she's always had a guardian who will keep her hidden from the rest of the world and, more importantly, alive. When Vögelein's guardian suddenly dies, though, she must find someone new to take care of her‹but the world has changed since she found her last one fifty years ago that it just might not be possible.
Irwin's debut issue of Vögelein is very interesting because, as she notes in the back of the comic, she waited until the project was complete before she started to solicit it. As a result, we're seeing what is quite definitively one-fifth of the work, with everything mapped out and completed. It makes a much tighter, more intriguing story because Irwin is building this as a cohesive whole, not as a meandering serialized saga. Vögelein's story is an interesting one; we're only getting glimpses of her past, but Irwin's managed to tease out enough hints that it makes one want to know more about her creator and the purpose for her existence. Vögelein herself is an interesting character in part because while she seems very waiflike and sheltered, she's also a strong judge of character, recognizing the danger signs around others even when they don't. Fragility does not equal naivety, and Irwin very clearly understood that when writing Vögelein.
The art in Vögelein is really impressive. Irwin chose to paint the book in black and whites, and it comes across looking really sharp. A lot of care has gone into all aspects of the art, from the looks of the characters to things as simple as the paneling in people's homes. Once nice trick that Irwin uses when Vögelein talks to others is using perspective shots to emphasize the difference in height between a person and the foot-tall clockwork creation. Seeing a reaction shot of the young man from Vögelein's perspective makes him look tall and looming, even when it's evident that compared to other people he's anything but. Likewise, the image of Vögelein holding her key as seen from up above makes her look more pathetic and helpless than anything else in the book; it's a nice technique, and Irwin pulls it off very nicely.
Vögelein is a really impressive debut, and knowing that Irwin decided to complete the book before publishing leaves no doubt in my mind that she can more than keep it up. Don't mistake Vögelein for a light and fluffy book, though; this dark modern fantasy is anything but. Vögelein is a five-issue series from Fiery Studios. The first issue is in stores down and also available for reorder. You can find additional information at the Vögelein website.