Its only fitting that I finally sat down to read the first issue of this series from Dalton K. Shannon and Wells Thompson given that there’s currently a Kickstarter happening for all 5 issues. This issue itself was on Kickstarter way back in 2022 that got successfully funded. Growing up, I’ve heard of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein that I’ve yet to read and for years I thought that was the name of the monster he created until I finally learned otherwise thanks to Social Media while also seeing takes of the figure here and there in one form of media or another. Shannon and Thompson’s take on the Beast is just the latest but with something of a twist given that the Beast, aka Frank, slept for about 500 years and awoke to a changed post-apocalyptic world he just didn’t recognize whatsoever. One you would think he’d fit right in with given how ugly it is like he sees himself but sadly, that’s just not the case. And from the little I know, the Beast is generally seen as a sympathetic character who keeps getting shunned just because of how he looks and that was never asked to be created.
So while Frank here is the same to a certain degree, I couldn’t find it in me to feel any sympathy for him. Something that was likely the intention of Shannon and Thompson.
As we see in the pages of this first issue that somewhat doubles as an origin while also being in the present, ol’ Frank will just as likely rip your arm off if you ask him to pay for that night’s drinks. While I would’ve loved to have seen Frank during the time he walked the Earth again and causing all forms of chaotic bloodshed and war, the fact Shannon and Thompson chose to set the story some decades after that was a nice touch. Decades where ol’ Frank was exiled to the stars and no doubt his rage and hate grew even more because of that and now that he’s back on Earth, things are gonna be damned unpleasant. And I have to say that the fact he spent 3 decades in Space is rich with story telling potential that I hope is explored, either in the following issues or in its own series.
This, and reading in full on the events of everything that led up to his getting thrown off the Earth are things I would definitely enjoy getting a chance to read.
I’m also liking that Mary Landro and Dahlia Maha don’t hold back on the blood and gore in these pages, showcasing just how brutal Frank can be, even when its only implied. Or even just an unnecessary action on his part as we later see with a family he gets out of a bind after his initial fall from the stars. I could easily see that coming back to haunt him later on given the way he handled things and it would be justified for that matter too. Frank’s an uncaring monster of a man who’s been rejected far too many times and seemingly can’t get out of the cycle of violence he’s been in for a very long time. I’m curious about a symbol he sees on one of the family members and I imagine it has to do with his ending up kicked off the planet. Making me look forward to whenever I get a chance to read the next 4 issues to see where Shannon and Thompson intend to take things.
I’m also liking how Shannon and Thompson are making use of other Universal Monsters in this post-apocalyptic world of theirs, which folks get to see through out the series and that’s another reason I look forward to reading this series as a whole whenever I get a chance!
Frankenstein The Unconquered’s 5 issues is currently at 5,202 dollars of its 10,000 dollar goal with 18 days to go on Kickstarter! So with your help and your possible love of Universal’s Monsters, this can be a success story to add to your collection!
Frankenstein The Unconquered #1
Four Color Comics
Writers: Dalton K. Shannon and Wells Thompson
Artist: Mary Landro
Colorist: Dahlia Maha
Letterer: Nathan Kempf
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: 500 years in the future, the arctic thaws and the Beast awakens to a bombed out post-apocalypse as hideous and hostile as he is. Seeing an opportunity to reinvent himself and live the peaceful life he always wanted, the Beast attempts to settle down and live simply with villagers who are unafraid of his ghastly appearance. But when soldiers come to collect their due, violence is the only answer the Beast can come up with, and his dream of living simply is ripped away.
Having followed his war path to its bloody conclusion, the Beast was exiled to the stars, his legacy tarnished, his family flayed before his eyes. For thirty years, the world has known an uneasy peace, but the Beast never stopped fighting for control and now, on the dawn of the 200th year, the sky explodes and the Beast, bathed in the cosmic blood of stars and comets, has returned. God help anyone who stands in his way.
Chapter One follows Frankenstein’s Monster as he returns to Earth from cosmic exile and begins his journey for revenge against those who crossed him. In flashback we see what happened when he first rose from the ice and how he attempted, however briefly, to live a life of peace. Rage and carnage is abound in this anti-origin story for the ages.
