In a month that has already seen the release of the fantastic Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown, Mike Mignola and Dark Horse release yet another new series set in the Hellboy universe, this time starring Frankenstein. Frankenstein: New World – The Sea of Forever is a new series set after the cataclysmic events at the end of the Hellboy series.
I have to admit to being a recently returned Hellboy fan who hasn’t yet reached the end of that epic. What I can gather from this issue and fellow fans is that the story of Hellboy ended with a world-shattering cataclysm that has led to this “New World.” Modern society as we know it is gone, replaced by a wasteland of mutated animals. Our main characters are Frankenstein and Lilja, a child whom Frankenstein revived from death in a previous volume of Frankenstein: New World. It is clear that there is a close bond between them, as they travel toward a destination still unknown to the reader.
Mignola and fellow writers Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski convey that, perhaps, the destination of the pair isn’t so important to the core of the story being told. These characters are simply trying to survive in a narrative that evokes many of the best apocalyptic road stories of the past, such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us video game. We are given a peek at a potential antagonist for our heroes in the creature known only as Murk. Murk is a re-imagined/evolved vampire who is hunting Frankenstein and Lilja, though he isn’t sure why. Peter Bergting’s artwork really stands out in the character design of Murk and the other denizens of the “New World.” Each creature feels new and unique while also very much a part of the Hellboy universe and Mignola’s aesthetic. In Frankenstein’s design, we see the usual stitching and scars that a reader would come to expect in Frankenstein’s monster, but instead of a hulking (Pun intended.), massive green giant, Bergting presents a pale, monk-like warrior father figure.
Frankenstein: A New World – The Sea of Forever is the beginning of another epic entry in the Hellboy universe. This focus towards the future of the franchise allows Mignola, Golden, and Sniegoski to put a new spin on established lore and favorite monsters. This creates a narrative space where even the most knowledgeable Hellboy fan won’t be able to predict what will come next. Don’t let the fact that this is a new chapter in an expansive comic book universe deter you from checking it out. A reader can thoroughly enjoy this issue without any prior knowledge of Hellboy or the B.P.R.D.
A compelling start to a new chapter that should excite longtime fans while earning many new ones.
Creative Team: Mike Mignola (writer), Christopher Golden (weriter), Thomas Sniegoski (writer), Peter Bergting (artist), Michelle Madsen (colorist), Clem Robbins (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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