“Smalltown Girl – A Werewolf By Night Tale.” Written by Mike Carey. Art by Greg Land; Jay Leisten; Justin Ponsor; & Rus Wooton.
“To Be a Monster – A Monster of Frankenstein.” By Skottie Young.
Cover Art by Greg Land
SUMMARY:
In Spring 2007, Marvel Comics released a quartet of adults-only Legion of Monsters one-shots. In this instance, Marvel’s old Werewolf by Night title is rebooted as a paranormal horror-romance. The other 14-page story depicts Frankenstein’s Monster in a tale that could have occurred ‘off-screen’ in Mary Shelley’s novel.
In rural Salvage, Alabama, young blonde Rhona is the last surviving werewolf in her doomed family hunted to near-extinction. Sensing some heavily-armed local vigilantes, Rhona is befriended by a mysterious biker guy at a local pub. The unnamed brown-haired biker (possibly Jack Russell) baits the belligerent bartender re: the topic of werewolves. Having bullied Rhona since childhood, dim-witted Cal Escher and his four cronies forcibly provoke a confrontation. Bloody mayhem ensues, as Rhona gains a new perspective on her cursed existence.
Seen in an eerie haze, the second story contemplates what a monster really is. Two visiting members of the clergy argue with a deserted village’s priest re: a pro-active solution to finally end a local predator’s threat. It’s come time for an ominous creature having sought sanctuary within the church to repay its debt.
Despite the overruled priest’s protests, Frankenstein’s Monster sets off for an elaborate manor in proximity to the decrepit village. A journal there confirms years ago the wicked McCauley began pursuing the same ghoulish interests as Dr. Frankenstein himself. Only the fiendishly intense scientist now masquerades as a priest to abduct fresh subjects for his grisly experiments. Against McCauley’s mutated creations, the Monster presents a shocking twist finale.
REVIEW:
Populated by dim-witted caricatures, writer Mike Carey’s superficial Southern Gothic romance is at best a middling read. He imbues Rhona’s God-fearing voice with a conscience transcending her werewolf alter-ego. Yet, her macho rescuer is pure cliché, even for this genre. Re: the predictable claws-and-fangs gore, the cover’s ‘parental advisory’ label is justifiable. This story’s best asset is Greg Land’s glossy, painting-like artwork making this vapid werewolf romance far more like a live-action horror film.
In contrast, Skottie Young’s gloomy Frankenstein tale is a psychologically-driven tome. Thematically, it contemplates whether a scary monster is the man, or is it the idea behind the fear? Dispelling this Monster as an Incredible Hulk wanna-be, the tale’s second-to-last page reveals the creature’s ambiguity. Distorted ethics further apply to the clergymen, as they have evidently been aware of McCauley’s chilling inhumanity for some time.
Beyond the notion that evil is a matter of man’s choice (as is destroying evil), it’s left to readers to ponder why the clergymen didn’t intervene sooner. Young’s grotesque artwork depicts a few grisly images, but a little goes a long way. This bleak tale isn’t extraordinary or even particularly original, but Young intelligently mines Shelley’s original work. Still, the religious overtones may prove unsettling to some readers.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
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