Tag: Mike Mignola

Frankenstein Underground 3 (May 2015)

Frankenstein Underground #3

This issue brings the Creature to an underground city, which he–in a delirious state–thinks is Hell. This delirious state also leads to some fight scenes, which Stenbeck rushes through. There’s some better action later on in the comic, but on a grand scale. Stenbeck can’t seem to handle the one on one fight scene, which is too bad.

Mignola’s story stalls out pretty soon after the Creature finds out there are reasoning men living in the underworld too. Then there’s a lengthy expository monologue from the lead reasoning man. Mignola enjoys the pseudo-history lesson and his enthusiasm makes it interesting to read. But it doesn’t really take the comic anywhere.

And the comic goes out on what should be a rather significant cliffhanger but it’s not because Mignola rushed through areas where he should have been foreshadowing better.

It’s okay, but it’s losing ground way too fast.

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Mignola; artist, Ben Stenbeck; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Clem Robins; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

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Frankenstein Underground 2 (April 2015)

Frankenstein Underground #2

Besides the art–I mean, who doesn’t want to see Frankenstein’s monster fight a dinosaur–there’s not much going for this issue of Frankenstein Underground.

The villains do villainous things for a page, but not too villainous. Just plotting villainous and kind of evil. Then they’re gone and the story jumps to the monster going into an inner Earth, full of dinosaurs and cavemen.

And giant squids. Because it’s not just Edgar Rice Burroughs, it’s got some Jules Verne going for it too.

It’s kind of okay, Stenbeck’s art makes it work out. Like I said, the Frankenstein Monster versus monsters. I think that idea was even a Toho movie. And Stenbeck’s art is classy.

Notice how much I repeating myself? It’s because Mignola didn’t write enough story for a fourth of a comic book, forget about a full length one.

This issue is a pretty waste of one’s time.

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Mignola; artist, Ben Stenbeck; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Clem Robins; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

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Frankenstein Underground 1 (March 2015)

Frankenstein Underground #1

With the first issue of Frankenstein Underground, writer Mike Mignola signals something special about the comic. He gets how to write the Creature. He understands how he needs the Creature to function in the story. For comics, it might not be a huge development, but for the Frankenstein Monster as a iconic figure? Well, his icon’s always getting tarnished.

The art, from Ben Stenbeck, helps a lot. There’s an enthusiasm in the quirks of Mignola’s script–whether the flashbacks or the setting–and it comes across to the reader. Underground feels special, even in the scenes with the plotting villain, just because he’s plotting against the Creature.

There are occasional–subtle–nods to other Frankenstein adaptations, but Mignola’s setup for his Creature’s story is an excellent one. The issue ends on an “end of act one” cliffhanger so what he and Stenbeck come up with next remains to be seen.

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Mignola; artist, Ben Stenbeck; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Clem Robins; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

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Swamp Thing Annual 5 (June 1989)

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Neil Gaiman sure does think he’s an inventive writer. The third person narration of the annual’s feature is exceptionally annoying but damn if Gaiman doesn’t write good dialogue. He tries too hard to show he’s familiar with Swamp Thing characters and situations, but when he’s got Chester sitting down and talking, it works. And Gaiman’s aloof, drunken secret agent guy is hilarious.

Gaiman’s writing doesn’t actually matter very much, however. The artwork from Richard Piers Rayner, Mike Hoffman and Kim DeMulder is so lovely, Gaiman could write just about anything. He’s inexplicably got Firestorm showing up for a scene and, while there’s a funny punchline to it, he must have just wanted him there because Rayner draws him so beautifully. The art is simply breathtaking.

There’s a backup with Floronic Man–Mike Mignola illustrates. It’s annoyingly over-written too and not as pretty as the feature, but it’s not bad.

CREDITS

Brothers; writer, Neil Gaiman; pencillers, Richard Piers Rayner and Mike Hoffman; inker, Kim DeMulder. Shaggy God Stories; writer, Gaiman; artist, Mike Mignola. Colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, Tim Harkins; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

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