Frankenstein: New World—The Sea of Forever #1: Same Old Evil

Frankenstein: New World—The Sea of Forever #1 is the first part of a four-issue miniseries taking place after 2022’s Frankenstein: New World. Like its predecessor, it is written by Mike Mignola and longtime collaborators Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski with art by Peter Bergting, colors by Michelle Madsen, and lettered by Clem Robins. There are few comic book worlds like the one that Mignola started with Hellboy in the early 1990s. Building off of Hellboy, the universe expanded in various directions from so many wonderful creatives while retaining a distinct visual style and literary tone. Since then, readers have seen thousands of years of history, with many stories taking place much before or after Hellboy was alive. For Frankenstein: New World—The Sea of Forever #1, readers follow the titular character and Lilja continues their journey through the New World, long after the destruction of all civilization in B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth.

Mignola, Golden, and Sniegoski all share a writing credit, so it is unknown who contributed what, but like many other Hellboy-related books, there is a consistency in storytelling that is highly satisfying for readers. One thing that is impressive about this universe is the trust Mignola puts in his collaborators. Like the writing, the visuals are interesting and feel connected to a larger world, despite this being a very different version of the world readers are used to. Peter Bergting’s pencils along with Michelle Madsen’s colors create a world with traces of familiarity, making the reader feel just as out of place as Frankenstein and Lilja. While Madsen’s colors are beautiful and comforting, but leave plenty of room for horror elements. With The Sea of Forever, Mignola and company are bringing vampires into the mix. Bergting and Madsen deliver some terrifying art to remind readers that some things never change.