Girl Genius #5

This 2006 collected volume from Airship Entertainment brings the beloved gaslamp fantasy of Girl Genius to life with a cover showing two striking young women — one dark-haired, one fair — locked in a tense, dramatic embrace against an ornate, gear-accented backdrop. Subtitled Agatha Heterodyne and the Clockwork Princess, the book promises exactly what the series is known for: adventure, romance, and mad science in equal measure. By Phil and Kaja Foglio, it's a wonderfully stylish entry in this steampunk universe that wears its ambitions — and its gears — proudly on its sleeve.