Universal Monsters: Frankenstein #1: You’re Not My Dad!

Universal Monsters: Frankenstein #1 is the third installment in Image and Skybound’s new Universal Monster line, following Dracula and The Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives!, a series of books that have redefined their original stories by using the lives of other characters within the world to recontextualize the source material. This series is no different, with the book focusing on a young boy whose father’s deceased body was used for the hands of Frankenstein’s monster. What ensues is a delightfully unique look into the classic horror tale from the amazing mind and art of Michael Walsh.

Walsh’s take on the classic Frankenstein story hits all of the classic tropes right off the bat, quickly showing that this is a story that is going to build upon all that has come before to define something new. From the classic line “It’s alive” to the characters identifying that Dr. Frankenstein himself is actually the true monster, this book knocks out all of those beats immediately. It is actually quite astounding how Walsh is able to capture all of those elements in such a  concise manner, with the young boy acting as the audience’s eyes and ears through everything. This places the boy in a unique perspective as not only the Doctor’s newest victim, but also one of the few characters that knows what he is really up to.

The boy himself is very interesting, as even the previews for the series identify him as someone who will change Frankenstein’s life forever. There probably is some other Frankenstein media out there that delves into the life of a victim’s family member, but this kind of the take on the book feels very unique. The book goes on to show the boy meeting the monster for the first time, quickly identifying him as a victim in the Doctor’s twisted escapade to become a God. This boy’s unique perspective on the world definitely gives this universe a flair that elevates everything that has come before.

Walsh’s art is not to be trifled with, depicting this world in all its grit and glory, but also humanizing all of the crazier elements that make this universe larger than life. Walsh also has an excellent double page splash that celebrates one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history, the birth of Frankenstein’s Monster. This book just feels so classic in its depiction, while also drawing upon horror elements that are able to be explored in 2024 that may not have been seen when Frankenstein originally came out.