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geekwayne's review against another edition
2.0
'The Heart of the Beast' is a reprint of a Vertigo story from the 90s. The story takes place in the late 1980s, so maybe it could be forgiven for feeling a bit dated at this point.
Sandra meets handsome Victor at an art exhibition. She is an actor working as a bartender at the show and invites him to her play. He agrees and they hit it off, but there is something strange about Victor. He seems to be hiding secrets. One is that he works for a group of art forgers. Another is he works for a plastic surgeon and is always getting calls that take him away from Sandra. He seems so nice, but there is something unknown and dangerous about him.
Scattered throughout the book are journal entries and letters that will clue you in to the mystery. I caught on quite a bit before it was revealed. There are some panels that are photographs, then blend into the beautiful painted panels of the book. The graphic novel ends with a couple essays by the creators. It's okay, but it's hardly what I call a classic or maybe even worth a reprint.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Sandra meets handsome Victor at an art exhibition. She is an actor working as a bartender at the show and invites him to her play. He agrees and they hit it off, but there is something strange about Victor. He seems to be hiding secrets. One is that he works for a group of art forgers. Another is he works for a plastic surgeon and is always getting calls that take him away from Sandra. He seems so nice, but there is something unknown and dangerous about him.
Scattered throughout the book are journal entries and letters that will clue you in to the mystery. I caught on quite a bit before it was revealed. There are some panels that are photographs, then blend into the beautiful painted panels of the book. The graphic novel ends with a couple essays by the creators. It's okay, but it's hardly what I call a classic or maybe even worth a reprint.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
urthwild_darknessbeckons's review
2.0
This graphic novel was originally published in 1998 by Vertigo and is to be re-released in hardcover on 05th August 2014.
Sandra meets Victor (Frankenstein), whilst bar-tending at an art exhibition and immediately invites him to her off Broadway show, she is also a part time actress. It is inevitable that Sandra is going to fall head over heels for the mysterious stranger.
There is no horror here at all and I struggled to find a story. I found Sandra's character too insipid and Victor was barely a character at all.
The art style reminded me of the photo stories that were quite popular in teen magazines in the 80's, and that extremely popular a-ha video, you know the one, photos mixed with paint & charcoal drawings, mixed media.
I did not like the art at all in this graphic novel, and I am not certain that I would have liked it sixteen* years ago either, on the whole it just wasn't for me, on top of which I found the story to be tedious and melodramatic. If this novel was critically acclaimed several decades ago, I am not certain that it has withstood the passage of time.
* The edition published by Vertigo in 1998 is the only other edition I could find, I assume as 2014 is the 20th anniversary that there is another.
I received an ARC from the publishers for an honest review.
Urthwild
Sandra meets Victor (Frankenstein), whilst bar-tending at an art exhibition and immediately invites him to her off Broadway show, she is also a part time actress. It is inevitable that Sandra is going to fall head over heels for the mysterious stranger.
There is no horror here at all and I struggled to find a story. I found Sandra's character too insipid and Victor was barely a character at all.
The art style reminded me of the photo stories that were quite popular in teen magazines in the 80's, and that extremely popular a-ha video, you know the one, photos mixed with paint & charcoal drawings, mixed media.
I did not like the art at all in this graphic novel, and I am not certain that I would have liked it sixteen* years ago either, on the whole it just wasn't for me, on top of which I found the story to be tedious and melodramatic. If this novel was critically acclaimed several decades ago, I am not certain that it has withstood the passage of time.
* The edition published by Vertigo in 1998 is the only other edition I could find, I assume as 2014 is the 20th anniversary that there is another.
I received an ARC from the publishers for an honest review.
Urthwild
abomine's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was completely on board for a dark and romantic sequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein set in 80s NYC, but this was the comic book equivalent of being at an art gallery and just trying to look at pretty paintings while roped into a stuffy conversation with the most pretentious hipster on earth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma and Toxic relationship
melaniebopp's review
3.0
Pulling heavily from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, The Heart of the Beast puts Victor, the Frankenstein monster, in the middle of the New York City art world. There he meets Sandra, a some-time actress and frequent waitress and bartender. There are things, though, going on in Victor's past and present that put the both of them at risk, and Sandra is going in blind.
Okay, I had some trouble with this one. I really liked the art - the combination of the letters/journal entries and the images was in depth and powerful. Originally published in the 90s, the hairstyles and clothes are noticeably dated, but it adds a sense of nostalgia to an already nostalgic story. I do, however, have a lot of issues with the story as it is presented. The relationship the story revolves around is definitely unhealthy, if nothing else than because Victor himself is unhealthy. Sandra remains in the relationship long after she should have left, because she loved him. If nothing else, this continues to prove that love isn't enough. She's just lucky she wasn't physically hurt.
Okay, I had some trouble with this one. I really liked the art - the combination of the letters/journal entries and the images was in depth and powerful. Originally published in the 90s, the hairstyles and clothes are noticeably dated, but it adds a sense of nostalgia to an already nostalgic story. I do, however, have a lot of issues with the story as it is presented. The relationship the story revolves around is definitely unhealthy, if nothing else than because Victor himself is unhealthy. Sandra remains in the relationship long after she should have left, because she loved him. If nothing else, this continues to prove that love isn't enough. She's just lucky she wasn't physically hurt.
hobbes199's review
2.0
Sometimes, things of the past should stay in the past and this 20th Anniversary edition of a graphic novel set against the obnoxious art world of NYC is one of them.
A homage to Frankenstein, this rambles all over the place, utilising portraiture, photographs and script, while harping on about the value of art and the value of life. It's all very earnest, but ultimately empty and dull.
To be filed in the 90's vault along with Vanilla Ice.
Received as a digital review copy from NetGalley
A homage to Frankenstein, this rambles all over the place, utilising portraiture, photographs and script, while harping on about the value of art and the value of life. It's all very earnest, but ultimately empty and dull.
To be filed in the 90's vault along with Vanilla Ice.
Received as a digital review copy from NetGalley
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