In elementary school, I always borrowed two books from the library. I can still see the cover of those short versions of Universal Monsters and the orange background. I read them over and over; my two favorites were Dracula And Frankenstein. These fun old black and white treasures portrayed by Boris Karloff are forever iconic. I had the great opportunity to preview the Legendary Comics Frankenstein Graphic Novelstarring Boris Karloff, based on Mary Shelley’s story, and my excitement couldn’t have been greater as I reviewed it.
The black and white art, a tribute to the stories that made them icons. The books are a whole other story. Believe it or not, even though I am a writer, I hated reading novels in school. In my senior year, I had to Frankenstein And Dracula Novels; they changed my ideas about storytelling and I finally understood the true magic of reading and that ignited my fire.
Summary
Victor Frankenstein tries to play God. In his concentration, he avoids everyone except the monster, trying with all his might to breathe life back into his creation. One day, during a heavy storm, lightning circles his creation. After thinking he had failed, creation began to move. He had given life a second chance.
The creature couldn’t be angrier that he returned to the world. Now the townspeople are hunting him, and the creature goes on a killing spree, becoming the monster everyone calls him. He just wanted to feel less alone, he sees himself as an abomination. He curses life and is out for revenge any way he can get it.
With Sara Karloff, Boris Karloff’s daughter, as lead consultant, the graphic novel stays true to the original story, which is perfect for this occasion. With that as a basis, the book made a lot more sense, and they nailed it. I enjoyed this graphic novel; I’ve read it twice since this morning. I sink right into the story; it drives me toward the killer monster. There are many emotional moments in its story, and the monster’s dialogue makes me want to hug it and then probably get beat up. Still, I feel a little sorry for it. The monster just wanted peace and was on his way to achieving it, but he still ended up on the wrong side of the townspeople. It’s a bit like how every single person bullied me in school; it gave me something to identify with.
At the end
I liked a lot of factors here. It’s hard to pick a few, but my favorite is how well it was portrayed. You feel connected to all the characters; whether you’re a monster or a human, everyone fits in, and the illustrations are another talking point. The story wasn’t just a tribute to Mary Shelley, but a tribute to generations of some of the greatest icons. Mixed together into one big banger with the face of Boris Karloff and the classic imagery in the original novel? I have to say that the graphic novel won me over on every level. That’s reason enough for me to escape reality.
The book will be in your hands on October 22nd.
