PROMETHEUS IN CHAINS #2, from Red 5 Comics on 7/12/23, follows Dr. Frankenstein’s descent into obsession to bring his dearly departed wife back to life. Will he prevail when his genius is needed by other famous scientists?
The Details
- Written by: Rich Davis
- Art by: Jordan DiRenzo
- Colors by: Alex Zief
- Letters by: Dave Lentz
- Cover art by: Les Lindon Garner
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.95
- Release date: July 12th, 2023
Is It Good?
Now we’re cooking with Uranium-235. We liked Rich Davis’s first issue that brought the Bride of Frankenstein story into the 20th Century in a modern tale about a scientist’s obsession to resurrect his wife. The story largely worked, but several elements felt too familiar to keep the story fresh. In PROMETHEUS IN CHAINS #2, Rich Davis adds a few twists to the world around Victor Frankenstein to give this series an intriguing boost.
When last we left Victor Frankenstein, readers got a front-row seat to a brilliant scientist’s heartache and grief. Victor decided to put his brilliance to use by assembling body parts to house the mind of his deceased wife and giving the new “body” life through his expert knowledge of power sources. Now, Victor’s experiments yield results, but his withdrawal from other work and projects catches the attention of a cabal of scientists.
That’s right. Victor’s escape from Nazi Germany isn’t an isolated incident. He falls in with a group of scientists, including Oppenheimer and Einstein, who rely on Victor’s genius to build a special machine. That twist makes all the difference because Victor’s obsession puts him at odds with competing, powerful forces who may look unfavorably on Victor’s neglect. Rich Davis’s script adds a fictional history layer that brims with exciting potential
As a bonus, much of this issue shows the horrors Victor and Elizabeth witnessed on their flight from Nazi Germany, giving Victor’s obsession added depth when he becomes disillusioned with God and the supposed goodness of humanity. In one issue, Davis greatly expands Victor’s personality and the complexity of his outlook, making for a thought-provoking issue.
How’s the art? Jordan DiRenzo uses this issue to experiment with fractured-looking panel layouts to mimic the brokenness of Victor’s mind when he begins remembering things he’d rather forget. The broken panels communicate the fracturing of Victor’s mind, but to DiRenzo’s credit, the panel transitions flow intuitively, so the panels are unusually captivating, which is a unique plus.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our PROMETHEUS IN CHAINS #1 review to find out how Elizabeth died.
We begin with Victor Frankenstein drinking himself into a stupor as he recalls wedded bliss with his wife Elizabeth when they lived in Germany. Elizabeth, however, is Jewish, and Victor made frantic plans to get them out of the country. Witnessing the abuse and murder of Jews on their travels forces Victor to question his faith in God and humanity.
Now, Henry Clerval persistently calls on Victor out of concern for his well-being. Victor refuses to let Henry in. Later, Henry reports to a council of scientists on his progress with Victor. The scientists urge Henry to keep an eye on Victor because he’s needed for an important invention.
We conclude the issue with determination, breakthroughs, and horrific realizations.
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Final Thoughts
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PROMETHEUS IN CHAINS #2 kicks the series up several notches on the interest meter by adding solid world-building and fictional history elements to place Victor Frankenstein at the center of a larger historical development. Rich Davis’s writing creates a complex personality for the mad scientist, and DiRenzo’s experimental panel layouts create tons of visual interest.
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