Hey bookworm friends. It’s the last week of August which means that Summer of Horror is coming to a close 😔. I didn’t get to do as much as I would have liked for it but I am managing to sneak in today with some Mini Reviews! I read 3 Universal Monsters graphic novels in the last couple months and I’m excited to share my thoughts on them. There are a few different monsters in the Universal Monsters collection on Hoopla but I read Dracula, Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives!, and The Invisible Man. The graphic novels are all short, around 120 pages or less, so my reviews won’t be extremely in-depth, just enough to give you an idea of what they’re like and my impressions.
3 Universal Monsters Graphic Novels
Universal Monsters: Dracula
by James Tynion IV with Martin Simmonds
Published by Image Comics
Genre: Gothic Horror/ Fantasy
Format Read: Ebook
Cover Artist: Martin Simmonds
Tropes & Themes
Vampires │Madness│ Religion vs. Science │ Sexuality
Content Warnings:
Blood, Death, Animal Death, Confinement, Gore, Sexism
Review
I don’t think this graphic novel is a good introduction to Dracula; it skips parts and moves through the plot points very quickly. However, I think it’s fun for someone who wants to revisit the story in a visual medium and it is worth it for that because the art truly carries this book. The style is so unique and rich in texture, it’s what I’m calling ‘splatter and lace’. Because there is literally a lot of use of paint splatter and lace textures throughout the book. So much gore and drama!
The full-page spreads are stunning and the use of panels is also incredibly creative. For example there’s a page with Van Helsing where the panels make a cross shape. The way the character of Renfield is represented on the page is so creepy that his scenes make my skin crawl but I also can’t look away. The artist certainly excels at creating atmosphere and every detail is so purposeful. If I would have rated the book on the art alone it would have been 5 stars.
Universal Monsters: Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives!
by Dan Watters & Ram V with Matthew Roberts
Published by Image Comics
Genre: Horror / Sci-Fi
Format Read: Ebook
Cover Artist: Matthew Roberts
Tropes & Themes
Nature vs. Humanity │The Monster Within │Revenge
Content Warnings
Murder, Self-harm, Gun violence, Body Horror, Death
Review
I’ve never seen the Creature from the Black Lagoon movie so I was utterly unfamiliar with this story. This book serves as an alternate sequel to the movie. I liked the main character Kate, a reporter who survived a vicious attack by a serial killer and she suffers from PTSD as a result. She is following leads to find her attacker and get revenge on him. Her search ends up getting her entangled with the creature in the Amazon. Kate has a certain magnetism to her and I found myself getting invested and rooting for her. And I ultimately liked the twists the story takes despite being a very obvious “the human was the monster all along.” I thought there were enough unique details and enough subtlety and regret to make it land well for me even though it can sometimes be an overused trope.
I was not really a fan of this art style, it was more real-world gritty. And because a lot of it takes place in the jungle and a lagoon, there’s a lot of dark greens and muddy colours which, after a while, starts to feel kind of same same-y. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cool art moments but overall it didn’t inspire as much excitement as the first book.
Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man
by James Tynion IV with DaNi
Published by Image Comics
Genre: Horror / Sci-Fi
Format Read: Ebook
Cover Artist: DaNi
Tropes & Themes
Identity │Power & Ambition │Quest for Knowledge │Science│Invisibility
Content Warnings
Animal Cruelty, Animal Death, Body Horror, Violence
Review
I was not familiar with H. G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, I only knew the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’s version 😂. As it turns out, I wish I could un-meet Jack Griffin, because I detested him entirely. The Universal Monsters graphic novels is a collection about monsters so it’s not surprising that the theme of ‘humans as monsters’ is back again, except this time it didn’t do anything to make the story stand out. It was predictable I didn’t even feel any amount of empathy for the invisible man.
He was self-absorbed and without a shred of morality or scruples. He also loved to pretend he was a victim because he didn’t have enough money to pay for his scientific experiments. “Oh poor me I have a patron and he expects a bit of transparency from me”. I’m sure that when this story first came out, it was more ground-breaking but a semi-cool concept is not enough to make this one-note character or loose plot intriguing.
The art style was also fine but not aligned with my preferences. It is very film noir and too scratchy and erratic. The graphic novel managed to convince me never to pick up the original tale, and I’m just glad it saved me that time.
Sorry, I don’t have a picture of this one. My Hoopla borrow expired and I used up all my borrows for the month! 😱
ICYMI, here are my other posts for Summer of Horror this year:
📺Horror Movies & TV Shows I Want to Watch
💀 Top 10 ‘Dead’ Books for Summer of Horror
Let’s chat in the comments!
Which of these monsters would you want for a roommate? Or, have you met these universal monsters in their original stories? 🧛🏼
I don’t read graphic novels very often but I do love hearing about these monster stories! I’m mostly drawn to the Dracula graphic novel, since I love the artwork you’ve shown. Thanks for sharing😁
I think there are 5 of these right now and I believe a 6th one about the Wolf Man that’s in the process of coming out (as in only a couple of the issues are out so far). Yes the Dracula one honestly has such an exquisite art style I’m so impressed. Glad you liked it too! 😀
Ive read Dracula but have no more familiarity with the middle title than knowing its name. The last I’ve also seen League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the new movie but never read the book. In its defence if the latter movie is anything to go by he’s not meant to be a nice character. At all. But I’m still sorry that none of these worked better for you. The artwork of the first one is definitely stunning and I can see why it was your favourite design wise. The Black Lagoon one kind of makes me think of comic book styles. But I could be way off base as I’ve never read one, just seen bits and pieces around.
Yeah it was the same for me, I’ve only read the original story for Dracula. Ohh the new movie as in The Invisible Man from 2020 or a different one? My husband did say that 2020 one was good but I haven’t seen it myself. Yes he’s very much not meant to be liked which I don’t mind that bit, it’s just the bit that he’s a boring one-dimensional character on top of that (the gall!)😅. Based on what he told me of the movie, it focuses on a woman who thinks she’s being gaslit and stalked by her ex which sounds like a way more interesting angle to tell the story from. Rather than this story which just focuses on the inner monologue of a sociopath who just wants to become invisible and then is unhappy when he finally achieves that 🙄. I need my villains to be a bit more juicy than that you know?
I honestly can’t stop thinking about the art from the Dracula one so it was a success on that front and I am hoping to read the rest of these because at the very least it’s a quick way to get acquainted with famous horror characters in general. I agree with you about The Black Lagoon one, it feels very classic comic book style to me as well!
Oh I’d love to check out the artwork in Universal Monsters: Dracula.
Lol on unmeet Jack Griffin. He’s a horrible character, but I enjoyed reading that story.
I do highly recommend you to check out the art on that one if you can find a copy! Ahaha yeah it’s too bad there’s no going back from that lol. But I am glad that you liked the story better than I did, I’m sure the OG story probably has more depth than this short graphic adaptation.
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