Essential Monster Of Frankenstein Volume 1 Tpb

Rating:
Summary: An odd choice for Essentials, but still enjoyable.
Review: Let me first say that, as a young adult who always loved the Marvel cartoons and movies but never felt comfortable buying comic magazines (especially searching around for old ones), the Marvel Essential books have been like ambrosia for me. Even though they're black-and-white, you buy great Marvel comics for the stories, and owning 25-30 issues of classic Marvel from as far back as 40 years ago for only 15-17 dollars is simply too good. I've been wanting to write a review for a book for a while (as I've gotten many of my Essential volumes from Amazon), so I think I'll start with the book I just finished, the Essential Monster of Frankenstein.

It seemed like an odd choice at first to do an Essential book on; none of the stories are exactly timeless classics of the genre, or even very well known at all. But, like the Tombs of Dracula (which I highly recommend), Frankenstein is compelling because it takes a universally known horror character and gives him an involving, continuing non-episodal storyline. Each issue is a compelling read, beginning with an artful retelling of Mary Shelley's classic tale, to the revived monster's travels in the late 1890's hunting down the last heir to the Frankenstein family name (and a fine brawl with Drac himself), to his emergence in the modern era. These stories involve a run-in with two bumbling mad scientists, a throwdown with the Werewolf by Night (who needs to get an Essential of his own), a fight with some sort of boar-lizard thing (who's name changes every time it's mentioned, I mean is it the Jigsaw Monster or the Nightmare Creature or what?), and an altercation with a woefully inept international crime cartel (the leader's name is Rainbow for the love of Pete!). Finally, the series ends after a stuggle with an army of midget freaks with #18 which promises the tale of Baroness Von Frankenstein next issue. I was a little disappointed until I discovered on-line this morning that there never was a #19, and then I was really disappointed. An enjoyable storyline got prematurely terminated due to poor sales. Oh well. The collection also features a slew of tales from Marvel's Monster Group, rare originally black-and-white tales unrated by the Comics Code Authority. These stories try to fit in with the other series' continuity but it doesn't work so well; it's something that can really lower your opinion on the book if you let it.

Yes, Monster of Frankenstein seems like an odd piece of work to introduce to the modern trade paperback market with an Essential volume, except for the fact that all of the combined material from the seventies fits snuggly into one book. This isn't so strange; Marvel also did that for Ant-Man, Iron Fist, and Supervillian Team-Up. Still, I can easily recommend this for nostalgiac comic or horror fans, or for graphic novels enthusiasts as a whole. For now, I'm desparately waiting for the Essential Iron Man 2 to arrive. See you then, true believers.

Rating:
Summary: Marvel's turn to tell tales of the Frankenstein monster
Review: Once upon a time there was a comic books company named E.C. that published a whole line of comics, including "Tales from the Crypt," "The Vault of Horror," and "The Haunt of Fear." Then Dr. Frederick Wertham, a medical doctor and psychiatrist published his infamous "Seduction of the Innocent" in 1954, which claimed comic books contributed to making children delinquents (and worse). Even Superman was attacked for "arousing fantasies of sadistic joy in seeing others punished while you yourself remain immune." The industry was forced to adopt the Standards of the Comics Code Authority for editorial matter (the "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval on the cover.

General Standards Part B of the Code originally adopted reads as follows: "(1) No comic magazine shall use the word "horror" or "terror" in its title. (2) All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted. (3) All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated. (4) Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly nor so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader. (5) Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited."

So it was that for many years the only place future delinquents could read comic book horror stories were in such black & white magazines published by Warren as "Creepy" and "Eerie." However, in 1971 the Comics Code Authority relaxed its strictures on the horror genre and the following year Marvel comics released "Werewolf by Night," "Ghost Rider," "Man-Thing," and "Tomb of Dracula." Once you get to the King of Vampires can the Frankenstein monster be far behind?

"The Monster of Frankenstein" was not on the same level as "Tomb of Dracula," which is one of the great horror comics of all time, but it does have its moment. Originally written by Gary Friedrich and drawn by Mike Ploog (who made his artistic reputation on "Werewolf by Night" and "Ghost Rider"), the comic book took a different approach from "Tomb of Dracula." Whereas Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan were dealing with the historical and literary figure of Dracula in contemporary times (with a supporting cast that included descendants of the characters in Bram Stoker's gothic novel), Friedrich and Ploog began by adopting Mary Shelley's novel in the first four issues.

The adaptation is the best part of "The Monster of Frankenstein, Volume 1" collection, very close to Mary Shelley's novel, especially in comparison to any of the Universal or Hammer movies you have ever seen. However, once you get past those first four issues the stories do seem a lot like those Hammer movies (e.g., #6 "--In Search of the Last Frankenstein"). The big difference is that this Frankenstein monster (remember, the Frankenstein of Shelley's title is the doctor as "the Modern Prometheus" and not his creation) talks and he talks a lot. Granted, this is faithful to Shelley's conception, but the more the monster talks the stranger it gets (and the word balloons for the creature's thought are really weird to me).

The monster does have an encounter with Dracula way back when (#7-9), drawn by John Buscema, and then we get back to the Last Frankenstein bit (#10-11). But at that point the comic book undergoes a radical change. Doug Moench becomes the writer, with Val Mayerik the primary artist with a revolving door policy on the inkers (I like Vinnie Colletta and Mayerik inking his own work the best with Jack Abel at the other end of the spectrum). More importantly, the monster falls into a glacier, gets frozen in ice, and (presto) the monster now walks among us in the present day.

At this point I really lost interest in the comic book. There was an effort to lessen the monster's vocabulary but the abrupt shift to the present really set the character adrift. When Bill Mantlo took over the scripting chores things did improve (e.g., #18 "The Lady of the House") and what we get in the issues of "Monsters Unleashed!" are the best of these stories, written by Moench, but more in keeping with what Mantlo put together (having a supporting cast of recurring characters was helpful). Ironically, to bring things full circle we are back to black & white magazines and not four-color comic books.

Ultimately, "The Monster of Frankenstein, Volume 1" is of more interest to those familiar with the Frankenstein myth more than to fans of horror comic books. This is primarily because of the extension of Mary Shelley's original vision of the monster created by Frankenstein. All of the Frankenstein movies have been primarily concerned with telling the original story in a slightly different way. Making the creature a leading character turns out to be extremely problematic, but that only makes the attempt more interesting. With "Monster of Frankenstein" #1-5, "Frankenstein Monster" #6-18, "Giant-Size Werewolf" #2, "Monsters Unleashed" #2 & #4-10, and "Legion of Monsters" 31 (with the Neal Adams cover), this is pretty much the complete Marvel Frankenstein.


Rating:
Summary: Great collection of 70's horror comics
Review: The 70's horror craze in comics didn't last long, but if you were a kid then, it was great. Gary Frederick and Mike Ploog did an excellent job of adapting Mary Shelley's novel and providing a sequel to launch an ongoing series. Unfortunately, the series suffered from a lack of supporting characters and was never as successful as others like Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night. Still, this book contains the entire series, as well as the b&w magazine stories the were published simultaneously.

Rating:
Summary: Nice Collection of a Lesser Seventies Title
Review: This edition of the Essential Monster of Frankenstein is probably directly inspired by the success of the Tomb of Dracula series. It is an unusual choice as this series of comics barely made a mark of any kind in its own day but, for that reason, this is one of the more oddly enjoyable of the Essentials. As an older reader of comic books the Essentials have a strong nostalgic value but this particular one does not as I did not read a single issue as it was originally published and I feel like I am coming at it fresh. It is quite inconsistent in tone (a marked departure from Tomb of Dracula and a strong reason for the succes of one and the invisibility of the other). The art begins very strong with Mike Ploog but gets much weaker under John Buscema (a stronger artist with super-heroes rather than monsters) and Val Mayerik (although his work in the magazine stories at the end is much stronger than his comics work). The stories themselves wander through the centuries and only pick up a momentum and a supporting cast in the final issues of the comic book. The character and intelligence of the monster himself varies widely and the inconsistenices, in general, are often quite glaring. But, despite its flaws, this is a brave choice for an Essentials volume and an interesing look back on the monster comics craze that swept Marvel. Where else, outside of a old Universal movie, could one have such fun seeing the Monster battle Dracula and the Werewolf (By Night).