''Doc Frankenstein'' is an
American comic book series created by
Geof Darrow and
Steve Skroce, written by the
Wachowskis (Lilly and Lana, better known for their work on ''
The Matrix series''), drawn by Skroce, and published by
Burlyman Entertainment. The first issue was published in November 2004 and after six issues, the last of which was released in December 2007, the comic entered a long hiatus. An oversized deluxe
hardcover trade paperback Trade paperback may refer to:
* Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book
* Trade paperback (comics)
In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...
was released in November 2019, that completed the story.
Plot summary
The comic tells the story of
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...
's
monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
, who survived the events of
Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...
's
1818 novel and adopted his creator's name as his own (and earned doctoral degrees). Doc Frankenstein has since been involved in world history (
flashbacks show him as a
gunslinger
Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the te ...
in the
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, a
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, a supporter of the teaching of
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
in 1925's
Scopes Trial, and a supporter of ''
Roe v. Wade'' in 1972). However, the extremely
liberal viewpoints he espouses have made him a target of
fundamentalist
Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...
s, who have sought to kill him over the years without success.
Release schedule
The first issue was published in November 2004 and the sixth and last is
cover date
The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unu ...
d December 2007. After that the comic entered a long hiatus as the creative team behind it was busy
working on films.
In 2014, Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce said there would be a release of ''Doc Frankenstein'' that will
collect the story in two parts in 2014 and 2015 respectively, with the second part including the final seventh and eighth issues.
The second part was later delayed to 2016, but that did not materialize either. In November 2019, an oversized deluxe
hardcover edition was released that collected the first six issues and added 64 pages that completed the story. Lana Wachowski has written an introduction for the new edition.
Skroce promised that if they decide to do a second series of the comic, they will stick to the schedule.
Awards
''Doc Frankenstein'' was nominated for the 2005 "Best New Series"
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
.
2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
the Comic Book Awards Almanac
Notes
References
*
*
External links
at Burlyman Entertainment
{{Frankenstein
Comics characters introduced in 2004
Comics characters with superhuman strength
Fictional scientists in comics
Fictional undead
Comics based on Frankenstein
Male characters in comics