Frankenstein Underground

A somewhat rare work in the Mignolaverse these days in that it’s written by the man himself without the assistance of a co-writer.  This miniseries shows what happened to Frankenstein’s Monster after we last saw him in “Hellboy:  House of the Living Dead.”  As it turns out, he met an old woman in the jungles of Mexico who told him that he was bound for greater things.  This would include falling into one of seven underground cities that were originally established by the sons of Thoth of Hyperborea to bring light to the outside world.  That is, before their priests were corrupted by the Ogdru Jahad and the cities themselves were either destroyed or sunk into the Earth as a result of their wicked acts.  The one that Frankenstein’s Monster has found himself in is one that has subsequently been colonized by an exploratory group from the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra which found the light of the city, and then its curse.  It’s now up to this hunted, tormented monster to finally stop running and save the spirits of the good people who are bound to this evil place.

While knowledge of the above-mentioned “Hellboy” story isn’t necessary for enjoying this series, longtime followers of the Mignolaverse will likely be surprised at how many other parts of it intersect here.  I’ve already mentioned the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, and the Ogdru Jahad, but we also get insight into the Vril power, the Hollow Earth Theory, and an appearance from the Marquis Adoet De Fabre of all people.  There are also likely a few other things that I didn’t spot in the story, but it’s also a credit to Mignola that the story itself remains pretty straightforward and easy to grasp despite bringing in all of these other elements.  Still, it would’ve made for a more interesting story to see Frankenstein’s Monster take a stronger hand on his own destiny as he spends most of the miniseries being thrust from one event into another by the dictates of the plot.

Having Ben Stenbeck illustrate the story does make for visually captivating tale as he’s great at realizing all of the strange and weird things from this world on the page.  As it is, if you’ve been reading “Hellboy” and “B.P.R.D.” for years, then I can’t see how you wouldn’t find something (many things, more likely) to enjoy about this volume.  While this may be a standalone story, it’s also probably not the best place for newcomers for the Mignolaverse to start given that it feels designed to reward the longtime reader for their close attention to all that has come before.