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Universal Monsters: Frankenstein
Perfect for fans of UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: DRACULA and THE SILVER COIN – UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN breathes new life into the tale of one of pop culture’s most beloved monsters.
A MODERN-DAY HORROR VISIONARY RESURRECTS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MONSTERS!
Award-winning creator Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin) presents a jaw-dropping new vision of the seminal horror classic. This deluxe hardcover tells the shocking creation story of the unforgettable monster in the original film—one body part at a time.
Dr. Henry Frankenstein begins his unholy quest to create life by robbing the grave of a decorated police officer to find necessary parts. But little does he know that the corpse has a son who is mourning a father – and that this young boy will forever change Frankenstein’s life.
A MODERN-DAY HORROR VISIONARY RESURRECTS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MONSTERS!
Award-winning creator Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin) presents a jaw-dropping new vision of the seminal horror classic. This deluxe hardcover tells the shocking creation story of the unforgettable monster in the original film—one body part at a time.
Dr. Henry Frankenstein begins his unholy quest to create life by robbing the grave of a decorated police officer to find necessary parts. But little does he know that the corpse has a son who is mourning a father – and that this young boy will forever change Frankenstein’s life.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published April 8, 2025
5 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Michael Walsh
96 books6 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Michael Walsh is an Eisner and Shuster nominated Canadian comic-book creator, based out of Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2013 Michael co-created the IMAGE comic book series COMEBACK, soon to be a major motion picture. Since then he has worked primarily with MARVEL COMICS on properties such as Star Wars, Spider-Man, The Avengers, and the X-Men. His publishers also include DARK HORSE, VALIANT, Archie Comics, TITAN, DC Comics, BOOM and IDW.
Michael is currently drawing the Dark Horse x DC Comics crossover event Black Hammer/Justice league.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Michael Walsh is an Eisner and Shuster nominated Canadian comic-book creator, based out of Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2013 Michael co-created the IMAGE comic book series COMEBACK, soon to be a major motion picture. Since then he has worked primarily with MARVEL COMICS on properties such as Star Wars, Spider-Man, The Avengers, and the X-Men. His publishers also include DARK HORSE, VALIANT, Archie Comics, TITAN, DC Comics, BOOM and IDW.
Michael is currently drawing the Dark Horse x DC Comics crossover event Black Hammer/Justice league.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
May 30, 2025
Good story, 3.75 stars.
November 3, 2025
PT Estou a gostar bastante destas adaptações dos Monstros da Universal. Em casos como este, costumo ter algum receio de que seja apenas um money grab, mas, para minha surpresa, esta série tem superado as expectativas. Nota-se uma verdadeira preocupação em criar obras de qualidade.
A única adaptação de Frankenstein que tinha lido até agora foi a de Junji Ito. Esta, no entanto, é bastante diferente — e a própria sinopse já deixa claro que se procura oferecer uma abordagem distinta da história original. O essencial continua lá, mas essa nova perspetiva torna a leitura mais interessante, sobretudo para quem já conhece o clássico.
As ilustrações, embora não estejam ao nível de Drácula, da mesma série, continuam a ser boas e adequadas ao tom da obra. No conjunto, é uma leitura sólida e mais um lançamento consistente dentro desta linha.
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EN I’m really enjoying these adaptations of the Universal Monsters. With projects like this, I usually worry they might just be a money grab, but to my surprise, this series has exceeded my expectations. You can clearly see there’s a genuine effort to create quality works.
The only adaptation of Frankenstein I had read until now was Junji Ito’s. This one, however, is quite different — and even from the synopsis, it’s clear that it aims to offer a distinct take on the original story. The essential elements are still there, but this fresh perspective makes the reading experience more engaging, especially for those already familiar with the classic.
The artwork, while not quite on the same level as Dracula from the same series, is still solid and fits the tone of the book well. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read and another strong entry in this line.
A única adaptação de Frankenstein que tinha lido até agora foi a de Junji Ito. Esta, no entanto, é bastante diferente — e a própria sinopse já deixa claro que se procura oferecer uma abordagem distinta da história original. O essencial continua lá, mas essa nova perspetiva torna a leitura mais interessante, sobretudo para quem já conhece o clássico.
As ilustrações, embora não estejam ao nível de Drácula, da mesma série, continuam a ser boas e adequadas ao tom da obra. No conjunto, é uma leitura sólida e mais um lançamento consistente dentro desta linha.
--
EN I’m really enjoying these adaptations of the Universal Monsters. With projects like this, I usually worry they might just be a money grab, but to my surprise, this series has exceeded my expectations. You can clearly see there’s a genuine effort to create quality works.
The only adaptation of Frankenstein I had read until now was Junji Ito’s. This one, however, is quite different — and even from the synopsis, it’s clear that it aims to offer a distinct take on the original story. The essential elements are still there, but this fresh perspective makes the reading experience more engaging, especially for those already familiar with the classic.
The artwork, while not quite on the same level as Dracula from the same series, is still solid and fits the tone of the book well. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read and another strong entry in this line.
December 18, 2024
What a great series! As a big Frankenstein guy I really got a kick out of this, it really added a new layer to new original movie. And also gave Elizabeth an actual character, and showed more of Frankenstein (the guy) being more of the monster. It was cool to see the story told through the eyes of a child, a character created for the series who fits in really well. Also the addition of seeing who the parts of the monster came from is neat. Something you don't really see in adaptations.
And the art looks amazing, the lighting and coloring oough. It just looks so good.
However the last issue. I was waiting so long for it and upon finally reading it I was like huh that's it??? It felt way too fast. It kinda brings down the whole series. However since 3/4 of the issues were really good I'd give it more of a 4.5/5 if I could. It's just... idk what was the ending?
My schools comic club got a chance to talk to the creator of the comic so that was cool, really respect his work that went into making so great out of a tie in comic.
And the art looks amazing, the lighting and coloring oough. It just looks so good.
However the last issue. I was waiting so long for it and upon finally reading it I was like huh that's it??? It felt way too fast. It kinda brings down the whole series. However since 3/4 of the issues were really good I'd give it more of a 4.5/5 if I could. It's just... idk what was the ending?
My schools comic club got a chance to talk to the creator of the comic so that was cool, really respect his work that went into making so great out of a tie in comic.
September 21, 2025
"I will hold you in my heart… until the end of time."
The art was amazing, when it came to the monster that was my absolute favorite. The shading, the coloring, and everything about it made me think of the monster from long ago.
The story was really good. It was interesting and kept me glued to these pages.
These Universal Monsters GN’s are fantastic and I can’t wait to read the others.
The art was amazing, when it came to the monster that was my absolute favorite. The shading, the coloring, and everything about it made me think of the monster from long ago.
The story was really good. It was interesting and kept me glued to these pages.
These Universal Monsters GN’s are fantastic and I can’t wait to read the others.
December 24, 2025
Man, the Universal Monsters comics from Image just go from strength to strength...I've never heard of Michael Walsh before, but he is an amazing talent, both as a writer and artist. This "between the scenes" retelling/reworking of Universal's Frankenstein film is both horrific, and amazingly heartfelt. Highly recommended.
May 18, 2025
I enjoyed this take on the classic tale and how it managed combine elements from the novel with the film’s version of the story. Also, I really enjoyed how this showed the parallels between Frankenstein and his creation. Plus, the art in this is really good and has some incredible sections that I kind of want as art on my wall. However, I wish the conclusion was more satisfying and felt more like an actual resolution to the story they were telling.
May 16, 2025
Inspired by the classic Universal movie, not necessarily the novel. This version leans really hard on the Doctor as the true monster. It starts that line of thought by humanizing the people who Frankenstein stole body parts from, something that most Frankenstein retellings see fit to ignore entirely or gloss over. It felt like a fresh approach to me, particularly the chapter that shows the animation of Frankenstein from the perspective of the orphan boy whose father's hands are part of the monster. There are a couple of places where the chronology gets a little confusing, and I wonder if separating the issues might have helped with that.
December 15, 2024
Following
Dracula
and Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives!, the third entry in the Universal Monsters series is an adaptation of the 1931 James Whale directed film, which itself is an adaptation of a play that was a loose adaptation of the acclaimed Mary Shelley novel. Written and drawn by The Silver Coin creator Michael Walsh, this entry in the revived Universal Monsters comic series is the most faithful yet. Walsh main change in the addition of a young boy who serves as the protagonist of the story, and it's through his eyes we witness the growing madness of Dr. Henry Frankenstein who seeks to reanimate a corpse to further the scientific understanding of life itself. The corpse chosen belongs to that of the young boy's father, which adds the emotional stakes for the story.
Each issue is titled after a specific body part that Frankenstein needs: the hands, the brain, the heart and the eyes, all leading towards the tragedy that unfolds for everyone in a small village near the Bavarian Alps. Those who have seen the movie will see numerous references and homages paid, which makes this a pretty fun read for fans of the film. The new protagonist is not the most meaningful change to the story, since for significant chunks of the narrative, he simply observes and does not participate in the way the story unfolds. One could consider the use of a young child as the protagonist, who also happens to be related to Frankenstein's monster, to be a cheap appeal to emotion. It really is just that, but that doesn't mean it also isn't effective. The tragedy of Frankenstein's monster is heightened when you can see a true loved one being affected by the blatant disregard towards humanity Henry Frankenstein shows in his pursuit of scientific achievement.
Walsh's artwork is great, and the colors by Toni Marie Griffin are inspired. Griffin often uses monochromatic compositions that craft a moody, ethereal tone to the story, but she never settles for a single color palette. Bouncing between subdued purples, inky reds and shocking greens, there is plenty of variety and they're all used appropriately for each scene. Frankenstein is a great looking book and a fun adaptation of a classic monster film.
Each issue is titled after a specific body part that Frankenstein needs: the hands, the brain, the heart and the eyes, all leading towards the tragedy that unfolds for everyone in a small village near the Bavarian Alps. Those who have seen the movie will see numerous references and homages paid, which makes this a pretty fun read for fans of the film. The new protagonist is not the most meaningful change to the story, since for significant chunks of the narrative, he simply observes and does not participate in the way the story unfolds. One could consider the use of a young child as the protagonist, who also happens to be related to Frankenstein's monster, to be a cheap appeal to emotion. It really is just that, but that doesn't mean it also isn't effective. The tragedy of Frankenstein's monster is heightened when you can see a true loved one being affected by the blatant disregard towards humanity Henry Frankenstein shows in his pursuit of scientific achievement.
Walsh's artwork is great, and the colors by Toni Marie Griffin are inspired. Griffin often uses monochromatic compositions that craft a moody, ethereal tone to the story, but she never settles for a single color palette. Bouncing between subdued purples, inky reds and shocking greens, there is plenty of variety and they're all used appropriately for each scene. Frankenstein is a great looking book and a fun adaptation of a classic monster film.
June 7, 2025
All the adaptations/re-workings of classic movie monster stories from the Universal Studios catalog have been exceptional. FRANKENSTEIN is the title that stays the closest to the original film. Some of the panels look like still from that classic black-and-white movie and evoked favorable memories.
Michael Walsh is the writer/artist, and there's a definite benefit to that. He is able to illustrate the panels exactly as he visualized them in his mind. His art is exceptional, and the choice of colors and backgrounds really take the presentation to the next level.
While the plot, conflict and resolution mirror what happens in the movie, Walsh puts a unique spin on the proceedings by telling the story through the eyes and point-of-view of a new character, a young boy who has a front row seat to every incident.
The story opens with the boy visiting the cemetery where his father is buried, only to discover grave robbers digging up bodies for mad scientist Victor Frankenstein's experiments. The Frankenstein monster ends up having his father's hands grafted to his body.
The young boy sees it all unfold, deems Victor Frankenstein and evil man, and plots revenge. Naturally he bonds with the monster, who is portrayed here as misunderstood and sympathetic.
Walsh depicts several scenes straight out of the movie, which anyone familiar with the film will recognize. I love the panel with the operating platform being raised to the sky to capture some lightening during an electrical storm. There's a famous scene in the movie where the monster befriends a young girl playing beside a lake. It's heartwarming, but a later scene shows a grieving father walking out of the water with his drowned daughter in his arms. Walsh is able to take liberties with this that the film wouldn't dare back then, and shows the monster hurling the little girl into the lake.
Fans of the movie will remember how it ended, and the conclusion is faithful to how that unfolded. The rare exception is some final words from Victor Frankenstein, who realizes it is he who is the real monster. Recommended.
Michael Walsh is the writer/artist, and there's a definite benefit to that. He is able to illustrate the panels exactly as he visualized them in his mind. His art is exceptional, and the choice of colors and backgrounds really take the presentation to the next level.
While the plot, conflict and resolution mirror what happens in the movie, Walsh puts a unique spin on the proceedings by telling the story through the eyes and point-of-view of a new character, a young boy who has a front row seat to every incident.
The story opens with the boy visiting the cemetery where his father is buried, only to discover grave robbers digging up bodies for mad scientist Victor Frankenstein's experiments. The Frankenstein monster ends up having his father's hands grafted to his body.
The young boy sees it all unfold, deems Victor Frankenstein and evil man, and plots revenge. Naturally he bonds with the monster, who is portrayed here as misunderstood and sympathetic.
Walsh depicts several scenes straight out of the movie, which anyone familiar with the film will recognize. I love the panel with the operating platform being raised to the sky to capture some lightening during an electrical storm. There's a famous scene in the movie where the monster befriends a young girl playing beside a lake. It's heartwarming, but a later scene shows a grieving father walking out of the water with his drowned daughter in his arms. Walsh is able to take liberties with this that the film wouldn't dare back then, and shows the monster hurling the little girl into the lake.
Fans of the movie will remember how it ended, and the conclusion is faithful to how that unfolded. The rare exception is some final words from Victor Frankenstein, who realizes it is he who is the real monster. Recommended.
April 21, 2025
Absolutely brilliant. Loved this so much. For once, the dramatic quotations from industry legends on the front and back are not hyperbole. The art is insanely good, and the conceit of involving the orphan in the narrative turns out to be the complete opposite of jumping the shark. Highly recommended.
May 14, 2025
The third book in the "Universal Monsters" series that revisits the classic horror movies.
Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives! was a direct sequel to "The Creature From the Black Lagoon", while Dracula was more of a re-telling of the story that really highlighted the "otherness" of Dracula while taking some liberties with the film.
This is closer to "Dracula" in that it's also a re-telling of the 1931 movie "Frankenstein", while adding some additional characters to give the story a different point of view. I like that we are given a more direct look at where each of the body parts came from and how they affected the Creature's personality. I also like that it makes Doctor Frankenstein into the villain, whereas in the film he's more of a conflicted anti-hero.
While I liked the story, it was really the art that stood out for me, it's a great mix of a more traditional "comic-book" art mixed with horror that works perfectly for the story.
Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives! was a direct sequel to "The Creature From the Black Lagoon", while Dracula was more of a re-telling of the story that really highlighted the "otherness" of Dracula while taking some liberties with the film.
This is closer to "Dracula" in that it's also a re-telling of the 1931 movie "Frankenstein", while adding some additional characters to give the story a different point of view. I like that we are given a more direct look at where each of the body parts came from and how they affected the Creature's personality. I also like that it makes Doctor Frankenstein into the villain, whereas in the film he's more of a conflicted anti-hero.
While I liked the story, it was really the art that stood out for me, it's a great mix of a more traditional "comic-book" art mixed with horror that works perfectly for the story.
May 8, 2025
Well, it's certainly a Frankenstein book. The big lug is brough to life, bullied, and beaten over the course of the volume. Mostly, we follow the figures around Frankenstein; in particular, a young orphan whose father's grave has been robbed for use in ol' Frank.
Some odd storytelling gaps and time jumps make for disjointed reading - characters are seemingly killed, then reappear in later scenes. Perhaps my lack of familiarity with the original novel/film hurt my appreciation of this adaptation. The artwork is the real star of the show here, well worth a perusal.
Some odd storytelling gaps and time jumps make for disjointed reading - characters are seemingly killed, then reappear in later scenes. Perhaps my lack of familiarity with the original novel/film hurt my appreciation of this adaptation. The artwork is the real star of the show here, well worth a perusal.
January 1, 2025
Read digital issues. The artwork is good and the story is a nice mix of the original story with some new elements and characters. But it was confusing at times regarding the chronology of events and, ultimately, nothing to write home about. Surprising, as I'd heard good things about it.
October 19, 2025
Maybe I'm biased becasue I like Frankenstein, but I thought this was the best Universal Monsters adaptation of the three that are out. Michael Walsh's Art fits the story so well, and the colors by Toni Marie Griffen are stunning. The new framing of the Frankenstein story around the pieces of the monster, and a young boy who's father is part of it is so smart.
December 19, 2025
A fairly faithful adaptation of the classic 1931 Universal talkie, told largely from the point of view of new characters.
It's a great story, and wonderfully illustrated, but it lumbers awkwardly. Individual moments and panels are evocative, but it's often unclear who the characters are and the transitions and narrative would be confusing if I weren't familiar with the film. It's a clunky implementation.
It's a great story, and wonderfully illustrated, but it lumbers awkwardly. Individual moments and panels are evocative, but it's often unclear who the characters are and the transitions and narrative would be confusing if I weren't familiar with the film. It's a clunky implementation.
July 13, 2025
An amazing graphic novel that really dives deep into the 1931 Frankenstein film to offer a unique perspective.
April 30, 2025
Excellent. Maybe the best of the new Universal Monster line.
June 12, 2025
Hmm, this wasn't quite as good as I was hoping.
A little while ago, I read "Universal Monsters: Dracula" and really enjoyed that, so I had high hopes for this too.
The story of Frankenstein is quite a sad one, I've always thought. Amongst the horror of Frankenstein creating his 'monster' from previously deceased body parts, the story is deeply sad due to Frankenstein's rejection of the thing that he has created. Personally, I didn't get this from this particular interpretation. And, I may be stupid, but why is the creator Henry Frankenstein and not Victor Frankenstein?
The reason that I have awarded only two stars is because this story just didn't seem to come together (no pun intended, for a tale in which a being is made up of various different parts) the way that I had hoped it would. The story seemed to be a little confused, in the sense that people came to Henry, to try and reason with him and stop him from his experiment, for them to go away, and then to come back to him again. This meant that the tale really came across as a superficial telling of Frankenstein's story. There was also little examination of his creation. For the original, the creation is named Adam, but here there is no name given, and no real sense of what was happening for him.
In the end, this tale fell a little flat for me; I didn't really sense any kind of horror either, and this was a real shame. As a lover of the original Frankenstein tale, I would suggest you looking elsewhere for a new interpretation on it.
A little while ago, I read "Universal Monsters: Dracula" and really enjoyed that, so I had high hopes for this too.
The story of Frankenstein is quite a sad one, I've always thought. Amongst the horror of Frankenstein creating his 'monster' from previously deceased body parts, the story is deeply sad due to Frankenstein's rejection of the thing that he has created. Personally, I didn't get this from this particular interpretation. And, I may be stupid, but why is the creator Henry Frankenstein and not Victor Frankenstein?
The reason that I have awarded only two stars is because this story just didn't seem to come together (no pun intended, for a tale in which a being is made up of various different parts) the way that I had hoped it would. The story seemed to be a little confused, in the sense that people came to Henry, to try and reason with him and stop him from his experiment, for them to go away, and then to come back to him again. This meant that the tale really came across as a superficial telling of Frankenstein's story. There was also little examination of his creation. For the original, the creation is named Adam, but here there is no name given, and no real sense of what was happening for him.
In the end, this tale fell a little flat for me; I didn't really sense any kind of horror either, and this was a real shame. As a lover of the original Frankenstein tale, I would suggest you looking elsewhere for a new interpretation on it.
October 25, 2025
Just finished this and really loved it. Walsh delivers a dark, emotional take on the classic story that feels both familiar and new. His art is incredible — moody, cinematic, and full of texture. You can almost feel the chill in the air as the story unfolds.
This version leans hard into the tragedy of Frankenstein and his creation — more about guilt, grief, and consequence than simple horror. The monster feels genuinely human, and the ending hits harder because of it. This Frankenstein isn’t about jump scares — it’s about obsession, guilt, and the need to create meaning in the face of loss. The creature is both terrifying and heartbreakingly human, a mirror for the doctor’s arrogance and loneliness.
It’s a beautiful and haunting read — Walsh captures what makes the old Universal movies timeless while giving it his own modern edge. ★★★★½
This version leans hard into the tragedy of Frankenstein and his creation — more about guilt, grief, and consequence than simple horror. The monster feels genuinely human, and the ending hits harder because of it. This Frankenstein isn’t about jump scares — it’s about obsession, guilt, and the need to create meaning in the face of loss. The creature is both terrifying and heartbreakingly human, a mirror for the doctor’s arrogance and loneliness.
It’s a beautiful and haunting read — Walsh captures what makes the old Universal movies timeless while giving it his own modern edge. ★★★★½
January 23, 2025
Thought this one was the best of the three so far. Art and colour really matched the Frankenstein story. Didn't feel rushed or too distant from the original story either.
October 26, 2025
While it is hard to capture the depth of the story in only 4 issues, I enjoyed this adaptation overall. Particularly, there are several tweaks that give it a fresh feel: the POV of a child, a primary focus on the action *around* the monster, and a timeline that is spliced together (Frankensteined, if you will).
September 8, 2025
Con las sensibilidades modernas, la disección de cada elemento del monstruo y un homenaje visual y literaria impactante, Michael Walsh construye una de las versiones definitivas de la obra de Mary Shelley.
October 10, 2025
This was a quick, entertaining read. The artwork really suits this story well. It's not my favorite of the Universal Monster series but I really enjoyed it and would recommend...will definitely read this again in the future.
February 16, 2025
"Universal Monsters: Frankenstein" offers a new perspective on this classic story, crafting a new character to follow as we literally see the stories of the people this monster is made up of. I thought it was a very unique way at opening each issue, then continuing with the traditional story that we all know. I thought the artwork was very fitting for the story, with the use of color really being the standout within all of the issues. "Frankenstein" is a story that I have come to adore over the years, and this version of the classic film really was something special. It may not be as strong as "Universal Monsters: Dracula" was, but it's a close second. I really hope they continue adapting these stories into comics, since they've all been surprisingly impressive.
March 31, 2025
The Universal Monster series as a whole has been great. Taking classic monster stories and allowing some of the best creators in comics to tweak them for the modern era? YES PLEASE
Frankenstein was a delight, Micheal Walsh outdid himself with the art in this one. The choice of color palette was gorgeous and fit the tone of the book to a T. In some ways I do still wish issues were broken up by the covers BUT because of the placement of certain scenes and the wonderful use of palette variety it’s great and lack of cover splits are a nitpick. If you love the look of a 50’s horror movie poster then you’ll love how that’s what most of this book looks like. The story has enough to freshen up the source material but maintains the rhythm of the old school films. Check this out!
Frankenstein was a delight, Micheal Walsh outdid himself with the art in this one. The choice of color palette was gorgeous and fit the tone of the book to a T. In some ways I do still wish issues were broken up by the covers BUT because of the placement of certain scenes and the wonderful use of palette variety it’s great and lack of cover splits are a nitpick. If you love the look of a 50’s horror movie poster then you’ll love how that’s what most of this book looks like. The story has enough to freshen up the source material but maintains the rhythm of the old school films. Check this out!
October 3, 2025
I like that this doesn’t try to reinvent the mythology from the original Universal film, but shows things from the alternate perspective of an outsider to the main characters.
It still remains utterly tragic on everyone’s account. Also really well illustrated.
It still remains utterly tragic on everyone’s account. Also really well illustrated.
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October 27, 2025so far, this universal monster sticks most closely to the original, at least from what I've read so far. the art is good but not groundbreaking, the story would have been better if it took more risks, but it's still a pretty good comic.
July 16, 2025
This is probably the best of these Universal Monster comics so far, although I’m not sure how much that’s saying given my experience with the Gillman and Dracula volumes. As with the Dracula volume, this one is a part adaptation of part expansion on the original 1931 Frankenstein film.
Unlike the Dracula comic, though, which I don’t remember having any particular throughline, this comic does have something to help stitch it together. The story follows a young boy and explores stories of the people whose bodies were turned into the creature. Each of the four issues covers a part of the film and also reveals the origin of some part of Frankenstein’s patchwork creation. The first chapter introduces a young boy named Paul visiting at his father’s grave, lamenting his treatment in the orphanage his father’s death has condemned him to. Things quickly get worse when he witnesses Henry Frankenstein (as an adaptation of the film, the comic sticks with the weird name swap) and Fritz digging up his father’s body, proclaiming that the hands are perfect for their creation.
This leads to Paul following Frankenstein and Fritz back to their lab and bearing witness to the creation of the monster and all that follows. As this story unfolds, the reader gets to see that the monster’s brain comes from a murderer who was badly burned, thus explaining something that didn’t need to be explained - the monster’s fear of fire. The heart comes from a man who also loved Frankenstein’s fiancée, helping to inspire the monster to not slay Elizabeth in this version of the tale, while the eyes come from a hanged man. Though that last point is one where the artwork betrayed at least me, because I can’t quite tell if the hanged man is supposed to also be the burned criminal or if their sharing an eye color is coincidental, in which case it’s not clear why the last chapter is titled The Eyes of a Monster.
Paul, in the meantime, gets to see basically the same events as the original Boris Karloff movie play out. He does at one point try to kill Fritz and he is sympathetic to the monster throughout, mostly because it is a living remnant of his father. And this comic slips in a nice scene with Paul and Elizabeth interacting that brings in some of Elizabeth’s backstory from the original novel. Plus it shows that Frankenstein’s motivations for his experiments come from the death of his mother, while weirdly making his dad a much worse person than he was in the film.
The problem, though, is that Paul can’t actually do anything to influence the story. While he at various points threatens to kill both Fritz and Henry, both are left to their fates as shown in the film version. And I also can’t help but feel that this comic should’ve been longer. The four issue miniseries format worked fine for Dracula, as that film tells a complete story with sequels that focus on spawn of the Count, and was a way of keeping the Gillman story mercifully short once it got stupid. But the Universal Frankenstein film is really just a first part of a duology, with a lot of important stuff happening in Bride. Particularly, I think this story would’ve been greatly enhanced by progressing to the point in this continuity where the monster has a voice and showing his interactions with Paul then. And it would be interesting to see where the parts of the Bride of Frankenstein originate from.
Then again, maybe there will be a sequel to follow up on this. I kinda doubt it, but it’s not impossible. I did look and it seems like there’s a volume coming out next year about the Invisible Man. I’m actually curious to read that since I have much less of an attachment to that property than many of the other monsters and so I’m more willing to go with the flow on whatever they do. But for Frankenstein, I feel what I felt with Dracula: the comics using the actor license are the way to go for these classic monsters.
Unlike the Dracula comic, though, which I don’t remember having any particular throughline, this comic does have something to help stitch it together. The story follows a young boy and explores stories of the people whose bodies were turned into the creature. Each of the four issues covers a part of the film and also reveals the origin of some part of Frankenstein’s patchwork creation. The first chapter introduces a young boy named Paul visiting at his father’s grave, lamenting his treatment in the orphanage his father’s death has condemned him to. Things quickly get worse when he witnesses Henry Frankenstein (as an adaptation of the film, the comic sticks with the weird name swap) and Fritz digging up his father’s body, proclaiming that the hands are perfect for their creation.
This leads to Paul following Frankenstein and Fritz back to their lab and bearing witness to the creation of the monster and all that follows. As this story unfolds, the reader gets to see that the monster’s brain comes from a murderer who was badly burned, thus explaining something that didn’t need to be explained - the monster’s fear of fire. The heart comes from a man who also loved Frankenstein’s fiancée, helping to inspire the monster to not slay Elizabeth in this version of the tale, while the eyes come from a hanged man. Though that last point is one where the artwork betrayed at least me, because I can’t quite tell if the hanged man is supposed to also be the burned criminal or if their sharing an eye color is coincidental, in which case it’s not clear why the last chapter is titled The Eyes of a Monster.
Paul, in the meantime, gets to see basically the same events as the original Boris Karloff movie play out. He does at one point try to kill Fritz and he is sympathetic to the monster throughout, mostly because it is a living remnant of his father. And this comic slips in a nice scene with Paul and Elizabeth interacting that brings in some of Elizabeth’s backstory from the original novel. Plus it shows that Frankenstein’s motivations for his experiments come from the death of his mother, while weirdly making his dad a much worse person than he was in the film.
The problem, though, is that Paul can’t actually do anything to influence the story. While he at various points threatens to kill both Fritz and Henry, both are left to their fates as shown in the film version. And I also can’t help but feel that this comic should’ve been longer. The four issue miniseries format worked fine for Dracula, as that film tells a complete story with sequels that focus on spawn of the Count, and was a way of keeping the Gillman story mercifully short once it got stupid. But the Universal Frankenstein film is really just a first part of a duology, with a lot of important stuff happening in Bride. Particularly, I think this story would’ve been greatly enhanced by progressing to the point in this continuity where the monster has a voice and showing his interactions with Paul then. And it would be interesting to see where the parts of the Bride of Frankenstein originate from.
Then again, maybe there will be a sequel to follow up on this. I kinda doubt it, but it’s not impossible. I did look and it seems like there’s a volume coming out next year about the Invisible Man. I’m actually curious to read that since I have much less of an attachment to that property than many of the other monsters and so I’m more willing to go with the flow on whatever they do. But for Frankenstein, I feel what I felt with Dracula: the comics using the actor license are the way to go for these classic monsters.
October 20, 2025
10/14/2025 I think I would've liked it more if I'd understood the ending. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
10/20/2025 Hunh, I think I would have liked this better if I'd known going into it that it was based on the classic movie and not the novel. I know, I know, the "Universal Monsters" bit should have given it away but the Universal bit is in relatively small text on the cover there. I guess I just default hard to literary versions unless explicitly told otherwise, especially since the movie version is, in my memory, less dominant than the book.
This comic book retelling does bring fresh insight to the movie's story, however, as it examines what makes a monster from a slightly more literal angle than its predecessors. The book begins with a boy grieving not only the loss of his father, but also the circumstances that that loss has plunged him into. Having run away from the home where he's been placed, Paul is by his father's grave in the rainy night when he hears voices. He quickly hides but manages to see that two men, Henry Frankenstein and Fritz, are digging up and stealing his father's corpse.
Paul stows away in their wagon, and is brought to the tower where Henry is intent on bringing life to a creature cobbled together from human parts. Much of the rest of the story is told through Paul's eyes, barring the flashbacks that seem disorienting at first but make perfect sense once you figure out how they're all connected. Those aside, the book stays faithful to the original cut of the movie, at least until the end. While I do think the book's final scene is a better closer than the film's wedding toast, I didn't understand who the guy talking to Paul is supposed to be: if you've read the book and know who, please do share in the comments!
What makes my confusion especially odd is the fact that Michael Walsh's art is pretty distinct throughout when it comes to the characters. He captures the old timey feeling of the early 20th century well, with plenty of inspiration from the 1931 movie. In fact, the structure of this riff on the source material is pretty great, with the only weakness being a lack of background on the eyes portion, and especially in how that relates to Maria.
Toni-Marie Griffin uses an interesting palette technique with her colors, focusing primarily on one color for each scene/setting, then using variations of that shade till a transition to another scene. It works beautifully to set the atmosphere and direction but is somewhat undercut by the way the book's chapters are laid out, with no indicator between where one issue ends and another begins. You can definitely tell that this was originally created as single issues, with little to no thought as to compilation in a trade. Which is not at all a criticism of the original run! I have the greatest respect for artists who work with and to their media. I just think that the editors made a mistake in not separating each issue here by its cover, as that would really cut down on the confusion between what happens in flashbacks and what happens in the book's present day. Those covers are, at least, included in the extras section in the back, which also boasts a sketchbook and character studies.
Overall, this is a solid reimagining of the movie, and one that definitely refreshed my memory of it. Classics come in all forms, after all (plus, it's faster for me to read than to watch, lol.)
Universal Monsters: Frankenstein by Michael Walsh & Toni-Marie Griffin was published April 8 2025 by Image Comics and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
10/20/2025 Hunh, I think I would have liked this better if I'd known going into it that it was based on the classic movie and not the novel. I know, I know, the "Universal Monsters" bit should have given it away but the Universal bit is in relatively small text on the cover there. I guess I just default hard to literary versions unless explicitly told otherwise, especially since the movie version is, in my memory, less dominant than the book.
This comic book retelling does bring fresh insight to the movie's story, however, as it examines what makes a monster from a slightly more literal angle than its predecessors. The book begins with a boy grieving not only the loss of his father, but also the circumstances that that loss has plunged him into. Having run away from the home where he's been placed, Paul is by his father's grave in the rainy night when he hears voices. He quickly hides but manages to see that two men, Henry Frankenstein and Fritz, are digging up and stealing his father's corpse.
Paul stows away in their wagon, and is brought to the tower where Henry is intent on bringing life to a creature cobbled together from human parts. Much of the rest of the story is told through Paul's eyes, barring the flashbacks that seem disorienting at first but make perfect sense once you figure out how they're all connected. Those aside, the book stays faithful to the original cut of the movie, at least until the end. While I do think the book's final scene is a better closer than the film's wedding toast, I didn't understand who the guy talking to Paul is supposed to be: if you've read the book and know who, please do share in the comments!
What makes my confusion especially odd is the fact that Michael Walsh's art is pretty distinct throughout when it comes to the characters. He captures the old timey feeling of the early 20th century well, with plenty of inspiration from the 1931 movie. In fact, the structure of this riff on the source material is pretty great, with the only weakness being a lack of background on the eyes portion, and especially in how that relates to Maria.
Toni-Marie Griffin uses an interesting palette technique with her colors, focusing primarily on one color for each scene/setting, then using variations of that shade till a transition to another scene. It works beautifully to set the atmosphere and direction but is somewhat undercut by the way the book's chapters are laid out, with no indicator between where one issue ends and another begins. You can definitely tell that this was originally created as single issues, with little to no thought as to compilation in a trade. Which is not at all a criticism of the original run! I have the greatest respect for artists who work with and to their media. I just think that the editors made a mistake in not separating each issue here by its cover, as that would really cut down on the confusion between what happens in flashbacks and what happens in the book's present day. Those covers are, at least, included in the extras section in the back, which also boasts a sketchbook and character studies.
Overall, this is a solid reimagining of the movie, and one that definitely refreshed my memory of it. Classics come in all forms, after all (plus, it's faster for me to read than to watch, lol.)
Universal Monsters: Frankenstein by Michael Walsh & Toni-Marie Griffin was published April 8 2025 by Image Comics and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
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