Title: Frankenstein Underground
Author: Mike Mignola
Date of First Publication: December 8, 2015
Place of Publication: Dark Horse Books
Type: Graphic Novel
Characters: The Creature
Themes: BYRONIC HERO; POSTHUMAN; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER
Critical Summary: Mignola’s graphic novel incorporates some of Mary Shelley’s original work Frankenstein to ultimately create his own rendition of the Creature in a completely different universe. After being chased from his place of origin, he was captured in France in 1863 by soldiers, and later imprisoned in Austria in 1911, becoming a circus freak for the amusement of the masses. The creature was later exchanged and transported to Mexico in 1955 to be used fighting in Mexican boxing. After he escapes, he works his way through the Hellboy universe, eventually running into Hellboy himself.
Mignola’s Creature is one that is rooted in Shelley’s early portion of her novel—naive, childish, confused, concerned, and relatively unaware of himself. Mignola describes him as having the simple charm of a child—one who does not mean to cause harm, but that can prove utterly destructive when he can’t effectively communicate with others. Since the Creature has suffered abuse at the hands of different offenders, the reader is getting a version that’s quieter and sobered by what humanity is capable of.
Shelley’s themes run through the graphic novel, though Mignola takes liberties with the character, the time period, and the environment in which the Creature is a part of. In this universe, he is not alone in being a creation of myth and wonder—the universe allows him some flexibility about his existence because he co-exists with several other monsters and lab-created creatures. This works well with the theme of the Sympathetic Monster in that the Creature can find some sort of community and justification for the way that he is.
Another interesting facet of Mignola’s rendition of the creature is that while he is focused on the question of his own existence, he has also reached a state that resembles acceptance or peace. This allows him to move forward from the “Last Man” category and enter and be accepted into a world where he is not the only creature that’s been brought into the world “unnaturally.” Though he still has a posthuman experience, now he can move and maneuver in a world that’s literally filled with possibilities of his future.
Administrative Notes: Annette Morrison, CSUF