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Wednesday Comics Review: Fearsome Four and Frankenstein

Two comics, both event crossovers, both issue ones, both out today, both starring Frankenstein's Creature. Or just Frankenstein as they're calling him these days.

Flashpoint: Frankenstein And The Creatures Of The Unknown is by Jeff Lemire and Ibraim Roberson, and Lemire is tagged to write the ongoing Frankenstein: Agent Of SHADE series from September. So maybe we'll get an inkling as to how that series will go here?

We start in 1942, with Frankenstein being revived from the ice, and responding to his world in the same way he did in Seven Soldiers, "Was something left undone?" and a quick segue into fighting the baddies. Nazi baddies. And we see a much earlier change in the world that led to Flashpoint than anything we've seen so far, a USA army creating super soldiers to fight the war, in the the process creating monsters , vampires, werewolves and merwomen rather than the Super-Aryan Captain America of Marvel Comics. The Creature Commandos rewritten as to reflect the world they are about to create.

And naturally they take down Hitler before being taken down by their own government then whipped across to the present Flashpoint day. The speed of the book makes this more of a Hellboy-lite, this kind of monster action would have taken three issues in Mike Mignola's style, so this feels a little rushed in comparison. But there are some interesting repeated images of Frankenstein using his sword and the reaction of Lt Shrieve, and Frankenstein makes a great brooding moral compass, and the two times zones with an aching gap in between gives this new world an even deeper sense of history.

The book is intrinsically about fear and prejudice, the Hammer Horror cast making this even more blatant that the X-Men movie in the cinemas this week. But it's not the only Frankenstein book about fear this week. And I may have mentioned earlier.

So what's the difference between Marvel's Frankenstein and DC's Frankenstein? Well Marvel's has more hair. And he's here… for no apparent reason. Seriously, Howard The Duck and She Hulk getting together to stop Man Thing makes some kind of sense, Nighthawk basically just turns up cos he's doing stuff in Manhattan anyway, but Frankenstein just kind of… is. And trying to find Man Thing, they encounter, well, people , who are all a bit het up about, well, whatever is going on in Fear Itself. The news and stuff. It's not really made clear. Michael Kaulta's art is all very pleased, with a bouncy lightness and some noodly detail, but when things go a bit mad towards the end, we get some rather appropriate Simon Bisley art. He's been restraining himself a bit of late on Hellblazer, these pages give him the chance to let loose a bit and draw some really odd looking Man Things and Nighthawks, even returning Howard to his classical look for a few panels. And it works. A relatively mediocre comic book that doesn't live up to the cast list promised, saved by some superb final renditions.

But seriously two fear-based Frankenstein comics in one week? Someone should really co-ordinate their plans a little better.

Comics courtesy of Orbital Comics in London. Currently hosting the Slovenian Comix gallery Stripburger with events running until the 12th of June. And watch for a signing with Klaus Janson at 5pm on the 16th June. And a Kirby-inspired galery right now as well!

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