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‘Frankenstein Undone #2:’ Comic Book Review

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was about the ambition of science, about playing god, and about how humans are more monsters than the monsters they create. These themes have resided comfortably in fiction ever since, from Blade Runner to just about every zombie story ever written. Mike Mignola’s Hellboy has always been about fitting in, the monsters we have within us, and the internal and external fight against those monsters. Frankenstein Undone is the border between these two worlds, the crossing of these themes, and a conversation between creators and it fits like a glove. #StoriesMatter because they allow us to feed off previous stories and reflect on what matters to us in new stories.

Frankenstein has existed in the Hellboy universe for years now; Mignola and Scott Allie are now showing us how he transplanted from our world, in which there are no real monsters, to a world in which every fairy tale exists, both good and bad. Starting where Shelley’s story ends, in the far reaches of the North Pole, the monster finds himself as part of an expedition to the most northern part of the North Pole where supposedly a great city exists.

The monster carries with him the weight of his guilt from Shelley’s story, wondering if he can be anything more than what he is, more than how he sees himself. Because of that, this feels more like a continuation as opposed to a completely different story, adding rich depth and a truly epic feeling to the story. Ben Stenbeck’s art is also tremendous, and Brennan Wagner’s colors vivid. They bring to life the landscapes of the North Pole in some visually impressive ways. The inside cover design is beautiful, reminding me of Picasso’s blue period. I really love and admire the work being done here.

Creative Team: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie (writers), Ben Stenbeck (art), Brennan Wagner (colors), Clem Robins (letters), Katii O’Brien (editor), Jenny Blenk (assistant editor), Scott Erwert (designer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Click here to purchase.

Phillip Kelly, Fanbase Press Contributor

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