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The Bride of Frankenstein's story begins with a shock – literally and figuratively. She wakes up disoriented to find two men hovering over her, and then a monstrous figure emerges to the darkness. Her abject horror sets off a chain of events involving an explosive fire in the laboratory and the Bride hurtling through the air into the river below the castle. And that's just the beginning of the story.  

Confused and frightened, the Bride soon faces more terrible threats, developing an instant wariness about her surroundings and the beings she encounters. But when a clue about her identity is presented, she finds a purpose for her existence. 

What a great first issue. Kelly Thompson recreated the confusion that the Bride felt when she was brought to life, then seamlessly expanded it. She wrote about real dangers in the world, especially for a woman who is exposed to it for the first time. This could have been written in a heavy-handed way, but Thompson avoids that by presenting her precarious situation without making it seem hopeless. 

Mattia De Iulis was equal to the task of bringing the classic tale to life with art that evoked the gothic beauty of the Universal movie. The Bride is often surrounded by darkness, creating a sense of isolation and fear. That darkness is countered by bright pops of color that mirror her emotions, from the colors of a fiery explosion to the warm glow of a safe place to find shelter. The detail is incredible on the characters' faces and clothing, and their surroundings. 

Thompson and De Iulis are a great team who make you feel what the Bride was experiencing – the strangeness, the threats, and fear. But, they also show her innate power. I'm looking forward to issue two. 

–Amanda Sheriff