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kingpockets's review against another edition
4.0
So intriguing! The only thing that kept me from 5 stars is there plot had to squeeeeeze to fit into a single volume. I'm not sure what constraints the author/creative team had, but this story can hold so much more depth. That said, LaValle created beautiful, rich characters, a gripping background and novel technology in a short span. I appreciate the retelling of Frankenstein. I also appreciate this story as an ode to black women, and mother's of black boys specifically.
somasis's review against another edition
4.0
I'm absolutely astounded by how much LaValle packs into this oneshot volume. It's excellent and the third of LaValle's work that I have really enjoyed.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
If Mary Shelley comes back and reads Victor LaValle’s Destroyer, his continuation, of her novel Frankenstein, she might be at first confused (I mean, would she have seen a comic book before) but I think she would enjoy it.
Mary Shelley’s novel is largely a work that is cautious about science but also about the fears of becoming a mother as well as the fear of rejection by a parent. Frankenstein, as any reader knows, is not the creation, but the doctor, the person a reader could argue is a the true monster. LaValle draws upon that. Destroyer can refer to three of the characters in the story, but the story is really Josephine’s – not that of her creation or of the Monster
It is Josephine’s anger, an anger that society tells her she is not allowed to have or else she is no more than a stereotype. It isn’t just what happened to her son that fueled that anger, though it is a driving force behind it; but it is also the years of the racism, sexism, minor that society has subjected her to over the years. She is what society made her. And towards the end of the story, when she justifies her actions, it is impossible not to see her point.
But LaValle addresses the larger issues of science distrust, though considering our modern distrust of the government, of Big Brother, that also pays a part. And the Monster, well, the Monster comes back, and he too is what society has made him. LaValle plays with the demonization of the other. And it is Josephine who becomes both Destroyer and Creator.
Mary Shelley’s novel is largely a work that is cautious about science but also about the fears of becoming a mother as well as the fear of rejection by a parent. Frankenstein, as any reader knows, is not the creation, but the doctor, the person a reader could argue is a the true monster. LaValle draws upon that. Destroyer can refer to three of the characters in the story, but the story is really Josephine’s – not that of her creation or of the Monster
It is Josephine’s anger, an anger that society tells her she is not allowed to have or else she is no more than a stereotype. It isn’t just what happened to her son that fueled that anger, though it is a driving force behind it; but it is also the years of the racism, sexism, minor that society has subjected her to over the years. She is what society made her. And towards the end of the story, when she justifies her actions, it is impossible not to see her point.
But LaValle addresses the larger issues of science distrust, though considering our modern distrust of the government, of Big Brother, that also pays a part. And the Monster, well, the Monster comes back, and he too is what society has made him. LaValle plays with the demonization of the other. And it is Josephine who becomes both Destroyer and Creator.
geniusscientist's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the art a lot, and the protagonists (the little family, that is). I'm not a superhero guy, as you know, but I liked Akai a lot, he was my favorite. I hope that there are more of these!
novelnotions's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who loved the book "Frankenstein" and has started exploring graphic novels, I really enjoyed this!
Dr. Baker is a descendant of the Frankenstein family and an adept scientist. After losing her teenage son to a policy tragedy she has retreated from her work and society. Until the Destroyer begins trying to complete it's one goal - to eliminate humanity from the planet. Is Dr. Baker an ally, or does she have her own agenda?
Dr. Baker is a descendant of the Frankenstein family and an adept scientist. After losing her teenage son to a policy tragedy she has retreated from her work and society. Until the Destroyer begins trying to complete it's one goal - to eliminate humanity from the planet. Is Dr. Baker an ally, or does she have her own agenda?
md11's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shauninmpls's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting modern adaptation of Frankenstein to include questions about race, state violence, vigilante violence, parenting, etc. Looking forward to continuing the series.
auriaurica's review against another edition
2.0
It's hard to find the horror comics I typically want to read. The horror is often secondary to drama, scifi, or action. When I find books like this listed with the work of horror icons like Kazuo Umezu, Junji Ito, or Joe Hill, I'm pretty confused. This isn't at all scary, but it is influenced by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I thought the action resulted in muddying the messages of the book and impacted the theming negatively, but it was fine overall.
LaValle's dialogue is mostly fun to read, but it does meander in a couple issues where I found myself reading pages of a conversation and finally asking myself "So?" The setup actually sounds pretty interesting: "When the last descendant of the Frankenstein family loses her only son to a police shooting, she turns to science for her own justice… putting her on a crash course with her family's original monster and his quest to eliminate humanity." Unfortunately, apart from the foundation, the plot didn't really engage me. A Black woman loses her son to a police shooting and brings him back like Frankenstein's monster. That sounds like it could really go places, but he just ends up fighting the original monster and a robot and... I just didn't care about anything that happened when the history of the characters was revealed (I read the comic without knowing anything about it initially). There was a moment where I got a "not all cops" vibe from LaValle, and I didn't care for that, either... but then he gets the cop ripped in half a few pages later, so I'm not sure what to think. Nothing really revelatory from the story, despite it showing lots of potential.
I really liked Dan Mora's character designs for the mother and son. That Bride of Frankenstein look is inspired. Unfortunately, Dan Mora doesn't do the interior art itself.
Smith's art is largely good enough at its core, but his paneling had me confused several times at what was happening. Nothing really interesting to add about this. Lafuente's coloring is actually really cool for a number of the nanomachine effects and elevated action scenes that I otherwise found to be pretty static.
It was an okay comic—hardly a horror comic beyond its 19th century influences.
LaValle's dialogue is mostly fun to read, but it does meander in a couple issues where I found myself reading pages of a conversation and finally asking myself "So?" The setup actually sounds pretty interesting: "When the last descendant of the Frankenstein family loses her only son to a police shooting, she turns to science for her own justice… putting her on a crash course with her family's original monster and his quest to eliminate humanity." Unfortunately, apart from the foundation, the plot didn't really engage me. A Black woman loses her son to a police shooting and brings him back like Frankenstein's monster. That sounds like it could really go places, but he just ends up fighting the original monster and a robot and... I just didn't care about anything that happened when the history of the characters was revealed (I read the comic without knowing anything about it initially). There was a moment where I got a "not all cops" vibe from LaValle, and I didn't care for that, either... but then he gets the cop ripped in half a few pages later, so I'm not sure what to think. Nothing really revelatory from the story, despite it showing lots of potential.
I really liked Dan Mora's character designs for the mother and son. That Bride of Frankenstein look is inspired. Unfortunately, Dan Mora doesn't do the interior art itself.
Smith's art is largely good enough at its core, but his paneling had me confused several times at what was happening. Nothing really interesting to add about this. Lafuente's coloring is actually really cool for a number of the nanomachine effects and elevated action scenes that I otherwise found to be pretty static.
It was an okay comic—hardly a horror comic beyond its 19th century influences.
devannm's review against another edition
5.0
I would have ultimately loved for this series to be a little bit longer but it's very good and the ending gives a good amount of closure. This story is yet another great example of what LaValle is so good at - taking classic SFF elements and merging them with current social issues and the art is absolutely gorgeous. I hope he does more comics in the future.