Manga Classics: Frankenstein
by M. Chandler (Story Adaptation), Linus Liu (Art by), Daria Rhodes (Lettering), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (From the original novel by)
4 out of 5 stars

Dr. Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the idea of infusing life into a created being, but when he succeeds, he is horrified at what he has done and runs from his creation, leaving it to fend for itself. Frankenstein’s monster roams the country, searching for his creator and finding only hatred and fear in everyone he meets. He vows to get revenge on the man who made him, and goes on a killing spree.

I thought the artwork did a wonderful job of showing the gothic melodrama and darkness of the story. There are many scenes that use shadows to show the tension in the characters. The art makes their intense emotions explode onto the page.

Dr. Frankenstein is a wild character. He is a genius, and his mind goes skittering in all different directions. Like many highly intelligent people, he can be ridiculously stupid and obtuse about certain things. He is a chaotic person, and he just doesn’t know how to handle the responsibility of what he has done.
I loved the way that the side characters are developed, and how their influence on young Frankenstein is explored.

The monster is also highly intelligent, but he uses his intelligence for evil. He thinks he is justified in murdering and getting revenge, since he has also been wronged. At first I sympathize with him, but when he starts murdering people, I end up hating him. It’s really incredible character development to see the way he descends into violence.

I have read many of the other Manga Classics, and really loved them. So I came into this with high expectations, and I was not disappointed! It can be difficult to organize a classic into a graphic medium, but the story flows along wonderfully with most of the original dialogue from the original book. I really enjoyed revisiting this classic in graphic novel form!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.