This issue takes a bit of a detour from our regular story. Instead of Christopher Chaos and his friends, we’re given The Perfectly Monstrous Life of Adam Frankenstein. A couple of issues ago, Adam mentioned that when Mary Shelley attempted to share his story with the world, the powers-that-be stopped her and replaced it with lies and fiction. Now, finally, Adam is taking the opportunity to set the record straight.

The story starts out as a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through the eyes of the monster, Adam; however, the bulk of this issue is his relating of Victor Frankenstein’s first-person account of his part of the story. Some of it is similar to what you’ve heard, and some of it is quite different.

You’ll get a lot more out of this issue if you’ve read the original book. Writer Tate Brombal does very well at mimicking Shelley’s dark, macabre style and even uses some of the same turns of phrase. Likewise, the sudden interruption of Adam’s tale to relate Victor’s is a brilliant reversal of the original book, which has Victor give an account of how the creature told him of his own adventures.

Even if you haven’t read the original book, though, there’s a lot to like about this issue. As I said, this isn’t Mary Shelley’s story. It’s Adam’s story, and it stands perfectly well on its own. It’s a beautifully crafted sci-fi/horror tale with a touch of tragic romance thrown in, as well.

This is just the first half of the story, though. The Perfectly Monstrous Life of Adam Frankenstein promises to resume in the next issue, after which we’ll presumably get back to Christopher Chaos and his friends. And while I’m certainly enjoying the main story, I could honestly read a whole spinoff series of Adam Frankenstein’s adventures, told in Shelley’s style. I can’t wait to see what dark twists arise in the exciting conclusion.

Creative Team: Tate Brombal (script), Soo Lee (art), Patricio Delpeche (colors), Aditya Bidikar (letters), James Tynion IV (idea)
Publisher: Dark Horse
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