8 -- EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN
Your read that right. Edison's Frankenstein. Yeah, this is probably the least expected title for a list like this. It's a comic book based on the silent film from 1910 based on Mary Shelley's horror novel. That right there makes it a little bit
strange. Now, I'll admit right now
I'm a big fan of the silent movie era. I actually have a small
collection of silent movies on DVD, although Edison's Frankenstein is
not in it. Yet. The movie itself has an interesting story behind it.
Yes, the Edison in the title is Thomas Edison. But fear not, this comic
book is not just visuals taken from the movie and a reprinting of the
title cards that they show to explain what's going on. The writer of
the comic has taken Edison's story (which is quite different from the
original movie) and expanded on it, taking this adaptation of Edison's
adaptation to a whole new level.I'll also admit that I believe the horror genre, if done correctly, creates some excellent symbols for Christianity. It's not easy, but it CAN be very powerful, and Chris Yambar skillfully does so with this comic book. Filled with powerful artwork almost puts to shame classic Bernie Wrightson (one of the most popular horror artists from comic history), this comic book is a moody, creepy look at one man's struggle to play God. The story itself has engaging characters and a strong plotline -- one which differs quite a bit from the classic novel, yet retains many of the same ideas. Somehow, through it all, Chris Yambar takes this story and extracts from it a moving message of forgiveness and redemption. (I say "extracts" because Yambar contends that all the elements he presents in his adaptation were already there, he just adapted them into another format.)
Those who are familiar with Christian comics from the past will recognize Chris Yambar's name. He's an artist/writer who has been around for a long time. His work is thought provoking and humorous, but Edison's Frankenstein is a different sort of tale for him . . . although not the last one.
The team of Chris Yambar, Thomas Edison, and Mary Shelley is a strange one, but the end result is one of the most powerful horror comics I've ever read.
Edison's Frankenstein is available from Community Comics on our ordering page.
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