Broken Frontier

Frankenstein takes the fight to the depths of Dead Space.

Jeff Lemire’s Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE is a science fiction and horror fan’s dream come true.  Massive pentagrams, gruesome monsters, blasphemic slaps to the face, and “dead space” all combine to create a setting that is both rich, unique, and a fun world to dive into. 

This second issue picks up in the immediate moments following issue #1’s cliffhanger, with Frankenstein confronting a grotesque old woman brandishing a golden crucifix.  This woman of the cloth has taken on the detestable task of providing local children to be used as sacrifices to ward off the monstrous beings that now lay waste to her town.  In a bold and hilarious sequence, Frankenstein exacts his vengeance on the old hag while delivering the line of the week, “Frankenstein’s vengeance does not discriminate on the basis of age.”

Frankenstein admittedly is not a man of comedy, as he quickly turns the tide and takes his fight to the extra-dimensional monsters ravaging the outside world.  Throughout the following pages, Lemire explores the personalities of Frankenstein’s agents, with some wanting to impress their new leader, while others only wish to unleash hell and kill as many fiends as possible.  Lemire’s character work, despite their archetypal forms, is as top notch as any of his previous works; most notably seen in the exploration of former mother and wife, Nina Mazursky, the team’s underwater creature. 

The tragic death of Nina’s daughter depressingly led to the destruction of her marriage, finally leading the brilliant scientist to turn to her work to cope.  With numerous failed experiments behind her, Mazursky successfully created the SHADE Agents, and altered her own form from beautiful human to water-breathing monster.  Mazursky is only one in an incredibly diverse cast of characters, not only in appearance, but in personality, actions, and thoughts.

Much like issue #1, Alberto Ponticelli’s art embodies both the disgusting and hellish beasts, and the unique team of SHADE operatives.  Ponticelli’s rougher style perfectly channels the horror designs of classic monster films, while also creating some of the most demonic creatures even seen.  The large splash-page capturing Frankenstein and Mazursky in a mid-air plummet towards a massive pentagram energy field to lay siege to extra-dimensional monsters is, hands down, one of the most exciting and gorgeous single images Ponticelli has penciled in the series.

Fans of both horror and science fiction can easily find something to latch onto within Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE.  The combination of horror, science, and unrestrained ideas not only makes Frankenstein unique and fun, but a truly exciting book to read.