Tag: Mary Shelley

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: The Fears Man Still Dreams Of

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is visually stunning, emotionally rich, and anchored by Oscar Isaac’s haunted performance—but is that enough when it’s no longer a Byron/Shelly style tale?

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein posterNow playing on Netflix

Just how good Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is depends on how much of Mary Shelley’s novel this auteur chooses to bring to life on screen. It’s safe to say he’s rearranged a fair bit. Some changes strengthen the story, drawing out its emotional and thematic cues, while others never quite take shape.

Heinrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), the mysterious benefactor who bankrolls Victor’s (Oscar Isaac) experiments, is a notable addition. He isn’t in the novel, and his motives feel not all that fleshed out—yes, the pun’s intentional. His inclusion explains how Victor funds his unholy pursuits and builds The Creature (Jacob Elordi) after being blackballed by his peers for daring to defy death. When this financier’s true identity as an arms dealer and seeker of immortality is revealed, the moment ends before it begins. The hint of Orwellian horror lingers but is never explored, leaving an intriguing idea unfinished.

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Frankenstein Alive, Alive is Back! Just in Time for Two Tales in Cinema and Book

A handsome trade paperback reprint of Frankenstein Alive, Alive pairs Steve Niles’ weary, poetic monster with Bernie Wrightson’s masterful black-and-white art—an ideal Halloween read even without new material.

Frankenstein Alive, Alive Book Cover
Available to purchase on Amazon USA 

Frankenstein Alive, Alive — the trade paperback graphic novel — is a fitting continuation of Mary Shelley’s timeless tale. IDW Publishing‘s version originally in 2018 and this edition feels perfectly timed. With Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein now in theatres and soon heading to streaming, to experience both visions of the creature’s legacy is, quite literally, just what the doctor ordered.

There’s no difference between the earlier and current editions; readers hoping for new material won’t find any. What you get is something easily carried in the backpack—ideal for travellers who’d rather carry something lighter for reading on a train. It’s a rider’s dream: the rhythm of the locomotive echoing the hum of industry, that same mechanical pulse that Shelley once warned might overtake humanity. Frankenstein remains a mirror to our impulse to create and control—and the inevitable rebellion that follows.

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