Get under your blanket and prepare to hunker down with some horror stories!
In Frankenstein, Junji Ito brings to life Mary Shelley’s classic tale: Victor Frankenstein pushes to expand the realm of science, but in the process brings a monster to life. His actions will wreak havoc on his loved ones. Ito rounds out the volume with some short stories that follow Oshikiri, a lonely high school student whose creepy old mansion opens up to other dimensions. Oshikiri frequently finds himself in supernatural situations that will test his relationships and his sanity.
Ito’s portrayal of Frankenstein is gripping from the first page. His detailed artwork captures a stark, frigid Arctic landscape and pulls us into the world of Victor Frankenstein, a desperate man trying to hunt down and destroy his monstrous creation. Ito maintains the momentum by taking the reader through Frankenstein’s ambition, his monstrous process to his monster’s creation, and the fallout. Ito’s art captures the action and emotions well and works well with the story to make it easy to follow what is happening.
Ito continues to deliver quality work with the Oshikiri stories. With its strange occurrences in a so-called normal world, Ito’s ability to transition between the two concepts easily lends a sense of unease and uncertainty. Ito’s art conveys a sense of unease, and the monsters and supernatural figures are properly terrifying. Despite hinting at a bigger narrative, each individual story has a strong arc and ending, which should allow readers to enjoy the experience.
With its strong storytelling and dynamic artwork, Frankenstein will appeal to readers looking for something scary. Viz Media rates this collection for Teen Plus, which is their rating for older teens. Given some moments of intense gore, the reviewer agrees with this assessment.
Frankenstein
By Junji Ito
ISBN: 9781974703760
Viz Media, 2018
Publisher Age Rating: T+ (older teen)
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NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Adult (18+)
