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Published by: IDW Publishing
Released on: Apr. 2, 2014
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Damien Worm
Cover: Damien Worm
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Kindle edition
Frankenstein's Monster finds himself in the city after being found washed up on shore by a man who reveals his name to be Dr. John Moore (friends call him “Jackâ€). The creature is scared of all the noise, the people, and the fear he creates simply by being seen by the people he encounters. Even a skanky street walker won't give him some sugar. Moore can easily see what the monster is going though and offers him some comfort.
Fascinated by the patchwork of a man in front of him, and knowing full well who he the monster is and who created him, Dr. Moore offers the monster some company, but only if Moore can examine him. You see, “Jack†Moore is of course Jack the Ripper, and he loves nothing more than to dissect bodies and exam death, and sees the sad and lonely monster as someone he can exploit to his own gain. But the monster has a bad feeling about the good doctor and his intentions, and will not let his guard down. As he puts it, he is “no man's fool†and will kill Moore if the insane doctor betrays him.
At only three issues, the meeting between Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein's monster is a fleeting one. Their paths cross briefly, and their acquaintance will probably end with violence. The focus here isn't Jack as the psychotic homicidal maniac was (at least not yet), so don't come looking for any re-hashing of the countless stories that have been written about the lunatic. This is more the monster's tale, at least after two issues.
Steve Niles' story continues to be engaging and different, and his portrayal of the creature is one of sadness, to great effect. The monster has always been a pathetic creature, at least when written the way Mary Shelley wrote him, and Niles captures that with expertise. Damien Worm's art is every bit as dark and eerie as the first issue, and he paints a great gothic setting. And he creates visually stunning single-panel pages. One more issue to go on this one, and there's no sense even trying to guess how things will end. We'll just wait for the last issue and most probably enjoy the heck out it.
