So, a little while back Brian Bendis showed off the cover for an upcoming Mike Mignola title, “Not Hellboy, not Hellby in Hell… something else!” In case you missed it, it looks something like this:
And now, thanks to an announcement on MTV, we know what this cover is for: “Frankenstein Underground”, a new story spinning out from the pages of Hellboy. The five-issue miniseries will be written by and feature covers by Mike Mignola with interior art by Ben Stenbeck. You may remember the Frankenstein Monster’s first appearance in “Hellboy: House of the Living Dead” in 2011. A mad scientist forced the him to fight Hellboy, and afterwards the pair went drinking.
“Frankenstein Underground” spins out of that story, picking up in the 1950s after his encounter with Hellboy. Mignola’s been dropping occasional hints about this story ever since “House of the Living Dead” first came out. In an interview with io9 in 2011 he even went as far as to say he was plotting stories about the Frankenstein Monster. And make no mistake, this is the Frankenstein Monster, not a Frankenstein-like monster, so expect nods to Mary Shelley’s novel as well as Boris Karloff’s take on the character (after all, “Bride of Frankenstein” is Mignola’s favourite monster movie).
So, why’s the Frankenstein Monster, who’s only appeared in a one-shot previously, getting his own title? Well, apparently his journey is going to be exploring the larger themes and mysteries of the Mignolaverse. Considering he’s a corpse that was brought to life by a bolt of lightning, I’d expect Vril to play some part in the proceedings, and Mignola has mentioned everyone’s favourite secret society, the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, will also play a role, as well as a character previously seen in “B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine” … What really excites me though is the potential to explore the Victorian era of Hellboy’s world. Even though this story is set in the 1950s, Mignola mentioned a Victorian era expedition going undergound. Already, my mind is going wild with a “Journey to the Center to the Earth” style adventure. And the Victorian bit is one of the reasons Ben Stenbeck was chosen as the artist for the title.
Anyway, that’s enough yammering from me. For the full press release from Dark Horse, please see below.
Dark Horse Press Release
In 2015 Dark Horse Comics will publish “Frankenstein Underground,” a new five-issue miniseries written by best-selling comic book creator Mike Mignola, with covers by Mignola and interior art by acclaimed artist Ben Stenbeck (Baltimore). The miniseries follows the Frankenstein monster, who is alone, abandoned, and wandering underground, where he discovers both other monsters and the dark secrets to the universe. The miniseries will be the second appearance of the Frankenstein monster within the mythology and continuity of Hellboy, B.P.R.D., and the other Mignolaverse titles; the character first appeared in the graphic novel “House of the Living Dead” by Mignola and Richard Corben.
“It’s intimidating as hell to take on an icon like the Frankenstein monster,” said Mignola. “I’m trying to do something that’s true to the origin Mary Shelley created for the creature but also captures a bit of the feel that Boris Karloff brought to the role in the classic Universal films. At the same time I’m throwing the monster into an entirely new environment, so I think the result will be something new. It’s an odd one, but ultimately will add an important new wrinkle to the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. world.”
Mignola is no stranger to Frankenstein’s monster. He’s long been fascinated by Shelley’s novel and the iconic Universal Studios films that it spawned. In 1991, he drew scenes from classic Universal Studios horror films for Topps trading cards and recently drew a Bride of Frankenstein Mondo print.
“This version of the Frankenstein monster has the same thirst for knowledge readers will remember from Mary Shelley’s novel,” said Scott Allie, Dark Horse Comics’ editor in chief. “The monster takes the reader through some of the biggest mysteries of the Mignolaverse, shedding new light on important stuff we’ve only touched on before.”
