Clockwork Watch: The Arrival: 1

London 1899. Steam billows out from every corner of the city while huge Zeppelin airships float in the sky overhead. Enter the world of Clockwork Watch, a place where Victorian values are coupled with anachronistic technology, not least of which are the clockwork servants - the mechanical slaves that keep this society ticking along - this is the world of Steampunk. Technological and social change is in the air - human-clockwork hybridisation is the talk of the town; the unwise employment of science has led to amazement and outcry - the public wants to know whether Science is about to play God. Clockwork Watch: The Arrival is the first of three graphic novels launching an immersive and participatory story told across live events, promenade theatre, online adventures, interactive literature and a feature film.

The story is told through the eyes of Janav, a young boy who accompanies his parents on a trip from India to London. This is a nice plot device to use for the narrative as it asks questions and points out things that a normal comic might miss out. Janav himself is likeable, inquisitive, funny, not afraid to speak his mind and when that fails not afraid to fight if needs be. The relationship between Janav and his father Chan is strained with the mother playing the dutiful wife and caring mother. Chan is an inventor consumed by his work and his desire to change the world . He is a man who is not afraid to use his family or more importantly his son to achieve his goals. By contrast Janav s mother appears to play the dutiful wife but if you look closer you can see that she is far from happy with some of the choices her husband has been making. She also seems set on ensuring that her son follows his own path, one not dictated by her husband. Although this isn t pushed on the reader it shown in the odd turn of phrase, facial expression and heavily hinted at in one scene where Janav receives a gift. At it s heart this Clockwork Watch: The Arrival is about family and all that entails but is also the start of an intriguing adventure. It is clear by the end of the story that things in this world are about to change and little Janav and his family are the catalyst for that change. Jennie Gyllblad s art is classical in nature, elegant in execution and she shows a fabulous eye for colours and how to use them to add depth and emotion to every panel she draws. The scenes are not overly crowded and this made it an easy and visually pleasing read. The other nice touch was the use of real locations including Crystal Palace and some small history lessons thrown in as well. I am new to the whole steampunk culture but really liked this story and I would recommend it to anyone looking to test the waters with the whole genre. The other thing I liked about this book was that my 10-year-old son read it with me and really enjoyed it so the story translates well to both adults and younger audiences which is important to me as I start to see my boys look towards the comics industry for stuff to get their teeth into. Clockwork Watch: The Arrival is an engaging and well crafted graphic novel that left me with numerous theories about what to expect from the remaining two volumes. --Geek Syndicate

Possibly the greatest thing about the steampunk genre and aesthetic is that it pulls you in and almost forces you to interact and create. Exquisite craftsmanship or an outlandish device will catch your eye and often inspire you to put your own distinct spin on an idea. The Clockwork Watch does exactly this and to such a degree that seems insulting to simply be called "immersive". At the core, Clockwork Watch is a story about people and how the hard choices that they make to preserve their way of life. The Arrival starts at the birth of Clockworks, automatons with a spark of artificial life. Their creation is born out of desperation to save the sagging economy of England. In the midst of all that technological wonderment, we find the story of Janav, who is destined to play a bigger role in determining how society treats its newest members. One of the most fascinating aspects of the story is that all of its story elements are grounded in historical fact. The alternative history twist is quite believable and doesn't feel contrived. The only uncomfortable elements are those that are intention such as the sudden and abrupt violence that erupts when Janav is bullied while touring a museum with his own personal clockwork. It foreshadows that there are plenty of societal problems to be addressed and that technological evolution do not replace morality and ethics, only augment them. All in all, The Arrival is a good introduction to the world of Clockwork Watch I eagerly await their next release and I'm more than a bit saddened that I will not be able to join them all on May 6th in London. I strongly suggest that if you are in the area, attend. It promises to be enlightening, entertaining and immersive. --Steampunk Chronicle