Clare, C., & Baek, H. (2012). The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel. Yen Press.
If you locate a clean copy of the infernal devices - clockwork angel - the manga -2012-.pdf, pay attention to three specific artistic achievements:
1. The Rendering of the Dark Sisters' House The manga excels in horror elements. The PDF scans show Baek’s use of heavy blacks (full ink washes) to depict the crumbling, ominous house where Tessa is initially held. The contrast between Tessa’s white skin and the black tentacles of the Dark Sisters’ magic is striking.
2. The Clockwork Angel (The Automaton) The title character—the infernal device itself—is drawn as a terrifying amalgamation of brass gears and human flesh. Baek adds a layer of tragedy to the automaton’s face, making it look confused rather than malevolent. In high-resolution PDFs, you can see the individual gear teeth etched into the panels. Clare, C
3. The Ballroom Scene The scene at the du Mort’s ballroom is the emotional climax of the first volume. Baek uses "screentone" (dot patterns) to simulate the gaslight glow of Victorian chandeliers. The PDF preserves the texture of these tones, which is often lost in JPEG compressed versions.
It is crucial to distinguish Volume 1 (2012) from Volume 2 (2013) and Volume 3 (2014). Search engines often conflate them, but the "2012" date is specific.
Most search results for "the infernal devices - clockwork angel - the manga -2012-.pdf" are looking specifically for the first volume because it contains the introductory lore and the best character design sheets. If you locate a clean copy of the
If you need this for a bibliography or reference, this is the standard format:
Clare, Cassandra, and HyeKyung Baek. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel. Yen Press, 2012.
To understand the PDF, one must first understand the source material. Clockwork Angel (2010) introduces Tessa Gray, a American girl who travels to London to find her brother only to be kidnapped by the sinister Dark Sisters. She is thrust into a world of Nephilim, automatons (the "Infernal Devices" of the title), and a love triangle between the sarcastic Will Herondale and the loyal Jem Carstairs. Most search results for "the infernal devices -
In 2012, the Japanese publisher Kodansha Comics recognized the massive global appeal of Clare’s work. They commissioned artist HyeKyung Baek (known for her delicate, flowing style) to adapt the dense 500-page novel into a graphic novel format. The result was Clockwork Angel: The Manga, Vol. 1.
The manga faithfully follows the plot of Clockwork Angel:
In 1878 Victorian London, 16-year-old Tessa Gray travels from New York to England after her brother Nathaniel’s disappearance. Upon arrival, she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, who force her to discover a hidden ability: she can "change" into any person by touching a personal belonging of theirs.
She is rescued by Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs—two young Shadowhunters (warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons)—and taken to the London Institute. There, Tessa learns that she is not a mundane human but something far more rare: a shape-shifter. She becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving the secretive Magister, a rogue warlock who seeks to use her power for nefarious purposes.
The manga follows Tessa as she navigates her growing romantic tension with the arrogant but brilliant Will and the gentle, ill Jem, while uncovering the truth about her own origins and the sinister clockwork army plaguing London.