Universal Monsters: Invisible Man #1

by James Tynion IV, Brad Simpson (Artist), DaNi (Cover Art)

MINISERIES PREMIEREJAMES TYNION IV & DANI RESSURECT A HORROR ICON! Jack Griffin has always been invisible to the people around him—at least in his own mind. But when an experimental breakthrough presents a path to make his dreams of invisibility a reality, no one—not even the woman he loves—will stand in his way.   Witness Griffin's legendary descent into madness as his humanity fades away and the monster inside is revealed, leaving only...THE INVISIBLE MAN!   The horror dream team of JAMES TYNION IV (SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN, EXQUISITE CORPSES) and DANI (The Low, Low Woods) reveal their vision for one of the most horrific monsters in cinematic history!

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels

Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2025

About the author

Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

Reviews

[Merna Mousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

بداية مبشرة ومثيرة جدا للإهتمام
الرسومات ممتازة والأجواء رائعة، متحمسة لإكمالها
أخيرا .. جزيل الشكر لموقع عرب كوميكس لجهودهم في ترجمة العمل باللغة العربية

تقييمي للعدد الأول 4

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 (rounding up with love for the artistic team), placeholder for the TPB volume that i hope they will release in the future instead of logging each single issue

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tynion AND DANi?! What a beautiful duo for a fantastic first issue. But someone correct me if I am wrong, the very first scene is directly pulled from the original movie, right? I feel totally out of my element having failed to see that movie, but I definitely need to now as I loved the horror of this book. Jack Griffin is a deeply unsettling character, he is has not fallen on tragic times or a mythological creature…but just as human as anyone else, his own nature eating everything away from him to leave him in a state he has always preferred…unseen. This issue dives deep into the origins of such a figure, how he started as an assistant in the lab of one Doctor Cranley, while courting his daughter Flora. Jack was tasked with the acquisition of chemicals for their food preservation experimentation, but he would also add on more notorious toxic substances for his one tests. One such is called Monocaine, derived from a rare flower in India with a side effect draining the pigment from one’s skin. He wanted to see it in action for himself, so he put it in a lab mouse and delighted at a small dose turning it white. Another lab assistant, Kemp, was always perceiving and looking over Jack’s shoulder to get him back to work…Jack despised him. So Jack would work at night away from Kemp’s prying eyes, but it became clear to him that his white mouse is smelter than the rest. Out performing them in mazes night after night. So Jack gave the creature more, and soon enough it only became perceivable by its hair…and then it was completely gone. Jack had to put soot on the thing to properly see it. If he took his eyes off it, the creature would try and make a run for it. In time it may become aware enough to outsmart him. Jack could feel he was on the cusp of something great, and utterly enjoyed letting it consume him.

But he would still have to go out to the dinners his boss would put on to share his good fortune with his protégés, putting on a performance for his daughter by asking them questions about the world and then dismissing anything that didn’t go with his view. Jack didn’t speak up, he enjoyed slipping into the background where he mastered his own thoughts as he envisioned himself back at the lab with his strange pet. Jack left with Flora as she mentioned her father had become fond of Kemp and is worried Jack shows no ambition. It used to be the case that her father hated men just looking to climb the ladder, but she wants her father to see the drive inside of Jack she sees. That’s one thing about Flora Jack likes, he doesn’t believe she truly sees anyone. She just makes decisions and that was that. She would never ask him what he thought of things. I love this notion that everything Jack has purposely surrounded himself with that he enjoys goes into the idea of staying unseen. It’s so perfectly on the nose but strangely feels so natural. He even claims to be on a life of science as it requires duty towards observation. But his observation has veered away from Flora, as he spends in any free time back in the lab.

That night when Jack returned to check on his mouse he heard panicked screeching and squeaking, his first fear was a stray cat getting in…but when he rushed to the enclosure he found his pet mouse had slaughtered the others. In Jack’s mind this became a sign of greater intelligence, that his rodent knew it was smarter than the lessers it was surrounded by and knew they could not perceive it unto it got to a point it was so angry with their simplicity that it had to make its dominance known and kill them. Jack understands this desire, his mind is filled with fantasies of being so inconceivable to the others at that dinner that he is able to slaughter Kemp and Cranley without them even knowing. The next day Jack met with Doctor Cranley, fully utilizing the knowledge that you can find power in kindness, to ask for an extension on the chemical budget for his private experiments as he had found something he wishes to pursue. The Doctor is happy to see Jack showing interest and desire in something a permits the budget. But from Jack’s perspective he only thinks Cranley is allowing this to see him fail, only further fueling his desires to kill the ones around him. When Jack receives the further shipment of Monocaine, Kemp only supposes he is making some kind of poison based on the pile of dead mice in the trash. But now Jack has everything he needs to push his experiments up through the animal kingdom until he gets to himself.

[Pedro Plasencia Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con sumo respeto a la obra original de H. G. Wells y a la interpretación cinematográfica de Claude Rains, el prolífico guionista Tynion IV aborda esta revisión planteando la misma investigación y la misma psicopatía de este personaje literario tan interesante. Las variaciones del argumento son mínimas y casi podría considerarse como un borrador o como un texto descartado, pero ciertamente muy próximo al material que todos conocemos. Quizás en el cómic se invierte más tiempo en los experimentos, los cuales van volviéndose cada vez más crueles mientras nuestro querido científico loco se va volviendo más ansioso. El sujeto de pruebas final elegido en esta ocasión es la guinda del pastel y es lo que le da el toque de distinción y de terror a esta propuesta. Lo único que he echado en falta es un cierre apropiado, pero conociendo bien la trama y las referencias al producto de la Universal uno puede terminar la historia en su cabeza.

ENGLISH
With the utmost respect for H.G. Wells' original work and Claude Rains' cinematic interpretation, the prolific screenwriter Tynion IV tackles this adaptation, presenting the same research and the same psychopathy of this fascinating literary character. The plot variations are minimal and could almost be considered a draft or a discarded version, but it's certainly very close to the material we all know. Perhaps the comic spends more time on the experiments, which become increasingly cruel as our beloved mad scientist grows more anxious. The final test subject chosen this time is the icing on the cake and what gives this adaptation its distinctive and terrifying edge. The only thing I missed was a proper ending, but knowing the plot and the references to the Universal film, one can finish the story in their head.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet.

This is the best of the Monsters line so far, in my opinion. The others were ok. This one is going well. Can't wait to read more!

[romthebat_07 · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS SO GOOD
The art style and the psychology of the characters oh my god
I've never been interested in this monster, but this comic hooked me from the start

[Egghead · Rating 5 out of 5]

comic sets up all
the pieces that will fall apart
i must read them all!

[Brooke Denning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first ever comic book and it was based off my favorite classic monster. And they did not disappoint me! Cannot wait to read the others.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK - nothing particular special from Tynion

[Pirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to see my favourite Universal Monster finally getting some love!

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1 - An invisible man can rule the world. "I suppose it began with the Monocaine."

[Rachael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there was going to be a big twist, but then there wasn't. Whomp. Still a fun engaging and suspenseful story. The art is passable and sometimes enticingly gruesome.