If there’s anything I like more in a comic, it is a story driven by pure character development; no super powers that just happen to fix everything or a mystical force that just shows up and erases things. “Madame Frankenstein” has done the former rather than the latter in every issue so far. This month’s issue, marking the halfway point of the series is no different.
Written by Jamie S. Rich
Illustrated by Megan LevensCarnival sideshows! Burlesque dancers! Speakeasies! It’s time for the monster’s first trip into a public space, and Vincent has chosen a locale where Gail can hide amongst other freaks and denizens of the underworld. Just be careful what happens when another woman gets between the doctor and his creation.
Jamie S. Rich and Megan Levens’ “Madame Frankenstein” is truly a miniseries done right. This has the feel of an ongoing series while still maintainingthat feeling that there’s a stop sign at the end of this. As sad as that may be, this is the kind of story that works in a miniseries format. It’s moody, dark and feels like something out of another decade.
Issue four of “Madame Frankenstein” picks up right from issue three’s ending. Gail is going out into the real world for the first time since her resurrection. Vincent has decided that the best place to expose Gail to the world would be at a carnival that includes burlesque dancers and even a “freakshow”. He brings her here because it’s a place where her bewildered look will never be second guessed; it’s a carnival after all — it’s meant to be a place that astounds the consumer. Things seem to be going well until a twist occurs near the end that will change the direction of this series.
“Madame Frankenstein” is really something quite special. We’ve seen many adaptations of this story but none so unique as this one. Rich and Levens are really playing up on the basics of the story of Frankenstein’s monster and adding their own twists to it, the highlight of this adaptation being the female incarnation of the monster.
Gail is a fascinating character because if she had not gone through this transformation, there would be little to like about her. As we saw in last month’s issue, Gail used to be self-centered and very shallow, and due to her change and what I assume is a total loss of memory, she’s a radically different person. She’s also a victim. Rich and Levens are taking that route with the character which, for me, as someone who had read Shelley’s book multiple times, is a breath of fresh air since many adaptations have wanted to play up the horror aspect. Rich writes the story as a pure character drama with the interactions fueling the story and pushing it forward.
When it comes to Gail, Rich writes her dialogue spot on with a perfect blend of confusion and insecurity but it’s really the art from Levens that sells Gail’s characterization. Levens draws her facial expressions and body language impressively. There’s a ton of expression in every squinty eyed look, every scrunched face and every wide eyed glare. Much of the victim vibe you get from Gail depends on all of this so Levens has her work cut out for her, and she does a fabulous job. Gail at the carnival is a ton of fun to look at; if we took the dialogue out we could easily figure out everything going on in these panels and during the ones during the climax at the end. That’s how good she is.
By this point it’s obvious that Vincent is a terrible person. There are almost no redeeming qualities to him. Rich has included much of Dr. Frankenstein in the Vincent character but added much more to it. Despite the tough ride Vincent has had in life, his actions are still reprehensible. He hits an all new low in this issue as he does something that on the surface is not so terrible, but when you take a minute to think about how deep this action really goes, it makes him even more awful. This then asks the question that all great “Frankenstein” adaptations should: who is really the monster?
Continued belowWhat stands out the most is the pacing of the story. I’ve talked briefly about this already but this deserves a bit more attention. Miniseries are not easy; with an ongoing, there is plenty of time to tell a story. You can go on for 20-30 issues easily. In a miniseries a creative team has a short amount of time to tell their story, thus making pacing vital to the quality of the story. “Madame Frankenstein” has felt like a long series. It doesn’t feel like four issues because of the world building. Every character has been fleshed out and the only thing that feels a little underdeveloped is the subplot involving the fairies that I feel will become more important as we head towards the end of the series.
There’s a distinct tone in “Madame Frankenstein” that also sells this story. Levens does not use color. Not once. The only color is contained on the cover. I think this book is better off for it. This already looks very “old Hollywood”, and the lack of bright colors furthers that. It’s almost like watching the old Universal monster movies. The black and white also sets the right tone and it’s in the details that Levens is able to convey the kind of mood she wants us to feel from the pages. At no point does the fire breather, for example, feel dark or depressing. His expressional face gives us the happier and more whimsical vibe.
“Madame Frankenstein” is a real hidden gem among all the other excellent Image Comics series. It adapts a classic story in a wholly unique way without losing the essence of it. Gail’s journey is coming to and end soon but it’s a great ride getting to this point.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy! This is a seriously great miniseries and you’d be doing everything wrong by not picking it up.
