Joe Frankenstein #1
Written by Graham Nolan & Chuck Dixon
Art by Graham Nolan
Colors by Gregory Wright
Letters by Chris Mowry
Editor: Tom Waltz
Cover art by Graham Nolan & Gregory Wright
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 25, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99

Joe Frankenstein #1 tells the story of a young man with a hidden family past that he knows nothing about and the trouble that it causes when it catches up with him. I’m sure that from the title of the comic book, you might be able to guess just what that history is, but how it ties into the main character’s life is the really great part!

Writers Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon are a legendary team. They created some of the most memorable Batman stories for DC back in the 1990s and beyond. To see them working together again is a real treat. Granted, this book is about as far away from Batman as you can get, but that doesn’t negate the fact that these two creators work GREAT together.

As they move from the world of superheroes, into the world of action/adventure with a slight horror bend, they make this comic just as good as you’d expect it to be. Probably even better. We’re introduced to main character Joe Pratt, and quite quickly things start to unravel for Joe, and a family “defender” that he never knew existed, comes to his rescue. From first page to last, this book doesn’t stop. Dixon and Nolan give us about ten panels to catch our breath and other than that, we’re off and running and flying by the seat of our pants. This comic book truly is a roller coaster ride.

It’s great to see artist Graham Nolan back in action. Over the years, he’s never lost a step. There’s some great page layouts, as Nolan excels at drawing fast-paced action, while not making the action confusing or hard to follow. His monsters look fantastic! They have a great Universal Monster feel to them, yet they’re completely updated for today. Fantastic art from a fantastic artist.

I can’t encourage you enough to give this book a try. Joe Frankenstein #1 has it all: horror, suspense, monsters, action, drama, and some decent comedy. If you’ve never had the treat of reading a book by this creative team, you don’t know what you’re missing. Give this one a try!