Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1 – Review

[puyaybusto]

Issue: Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Bernie Wrightson
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 2012
Price: $3.99

“Few works by comic-book artists have earned the universal acclaim and reverence that Bernie Wrightson’s illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein was met with upon its original release in 1983. Nearly 30 years later, Wrightson returns to his passion project with a comic series that picks up at the end of the classic novel, hailed as one of the greatest horror stories of all time. Frequent Wrightson collaborator Steve Niles provides the script for this epic, decades in the making. While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art, showing off the exquisitely detailed brush work of one of the greatest living artists in comics today. Each issue will also include supplemental materials, including interviews, essays and a serialization of the original prose story by Shelley.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Please hold, my eyes are still drooling from these GORE-Geous pages. Wrightson just blew my visual system right out of the back of my head in this first issue of Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1. Every single panel in this book is a masterpiece, as a matter of fact, think of this issue as a $4 art gallery that you are privileged to take come in and enjoy. The black and white is so crisp and clean, and I don’t recall if I said this yet, but it is GORE-Geous! The story by Niles is so poetic that it moved me. Granted I can’t move far unless a strong gush of wind comes my way, but this story really took a look into the soul of the Monster. I will admit, it did take 2 reads for me to fully catch everything, in terms of the order of the events that were happening, but it just meant I got to enjoy the hell out of this twice. The horror elements seem to be more about internal suffering than anything else, and it works. From the artwork to the story, this book is a winner. It will make you want to go get the first round by Wrightson and read it again, and then you will come back and read this again, until it all becomes one vicious cycle that consumes you. Then you will create your own Monster to do your bidding so you can keep enjoying this over and over again. A MUST BUY!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Frankenstein Alive, Alive! you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com/

[Neuralblastoma]

I agree with everything you said. The artwork is darkly beautiful and well worth the $3.99 just for that. However, we also get a very interesting story too. I really liked the Monster's inner monologue.

I haven't read Bernie Wrightson's other Frankenstein work, but will try to find it at a Comiccon I'm going to on Saturday.

Nice review.

[JohnDelaney]

Wow! Great first issue, loving the story and the art perfectly captures the tone. Looking forward to see how he ended up in the circus( great idea). Pick this one up.
Good reading,
Jd

[mudstar]

Grabbed this issue and so glad I did...I even have Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein coming in the mail thanks to this issue. This along with DC's n52 Frankenstein...really loving the character all over again lately. Good times for Frankenstein.

[Oskar Von Strange]

Indeed, two Frankenstein based comics in one week?? Hell yes!!!