Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera #1 (Image Comics, 2/25/26): Writer Tyler Boss and artist Martin Simmonds plunge readers into a brutal reimagining where prima donna Biancarolli meets a gruesome end during Faust, thrusting chorus girl Christine Daaé into the spotlight amid ghost whispers. This kinetic opener blends classic lore with raw murder mystery, but its uneven execution leaves casual readers cold; Verdict: Worth reading for horror fans only.
Credits:
- Writer: Tyler Boss
- Artist: Martin Simmonds
- Colorist: Martin Simmonds
- Letterer: Becca Carey
- Cover Artist: Martin Simmonds (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: February 25, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera #1:
First Impressions:
Stepping into this issue feels like stumbling backstage at a cursed theater, where the glamour cracks open to reveal sharp violence right from the first act. The art hits with shadowy menace that grips you, yet the script’s heavy setup lingers a touch too long before the blood flows. Solid start for Universal Monsters fans, but it demands patience amid the familiar beats.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
The issue opens at Le Palais Garnier on Faust night, with posters plastered on walls and crowds gathering outside the grand opera house. Biancarolli, the red-haired diva, primps in her dressing room, inhaling deeply while her inner monologue brags on Paris’s adoration for her. She struts backstage, exchanging good-luck quips with colleagues like Megan and Gigi, then hunts for missing leading man Anatole down a dark staircase, spotting a masked shadow before the chaos erupts.
On stage, disaster strikes as Biancarolli screams, yanked upward by green light and maniacal laughter in a splash of pandemonium, her shoe left dangling from the curtain as the audience panics. Inspector Dubert arrives to question the shell-shocked crew, from the precise Maestro Villeneuve who notes the chorus’s ghost jitters, to locked-room claims and vague Italian mutterings. No quick accident here, just raw murder hanging in the air.
Flash to Christine Daaé’s dressing room, where Dubert, revealed as Raoul from her Bergheim village past, recalls her father’s violin and her singing amid plague shadows, but lets her off easy after her folksy grief. A chilling note warns Christine to leave Paris or lose tomorrow’s sun, signed by Pleyel Sons Publishing. The scene shifts to her shaky rehearsal under Villeneuve’s baton, where she flubs notes and earns a harsh office summons.
Villeneuve lectures Christine on greatness’s mad dedication, contrasting her with a driven violinist felled by sickness, pushing her to choose normalcy or obsession. Cut to Dubert probing a closed publisher’s house from street workers, learning Maurice Pleyel got his larynx crushed a week prior by impossible hands. Biancarolli’s asphyxiation timing seals the opera’s grim encore, priming more throat-ripping terror ahead.
How is the story in Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera #1?
Tyler Boss crafts pacing that surges from mundane prep to sudden slaughter, keeping tension taut without filler breaths. Dialogue snaps with authentic backstage banter, like Biancarolli’s snippy greetings, though Villeneuve’s monologue veers into heavy exposition that slows the mentor beat. Structure builds smartly from incident to investigation, layering ghost lore organically into witness chatter.
Thematic depth emerges in fleeting art versus eternal legacy, echoed in Villeneuve’s speech and Christine’s crossroads, but it risks preaching over showing in spots. Boss nails the mystery hook with that eerie note, yet some lines like Anatole’s pet names feel a tad rote amid the rising dread. Overall, the script drives forward with crisp authority.
How is the art in Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera #1?
Martin Simmonds delivers clarity through stark shadows and dynamic splash pages, where Biancarolli’s stage yank explodes in green chaos that guides the eye effortlessly. Composition shines in layered backstage depths, pulling readers from lit halls into lurking stairwells with precise panel flow. Character acting pops via Biancarolli’s smug mirror stare and Christine’s downcast flubs, conveying inner turmoil silently.
Color theory leans moody with crimson accents on cloths and blood hints, amplifying the opera’s gilded rot against inky blacks. Tonality shifts masterfully from warm dressing glows to cold chandelier chills, syncing visuals to the creeping menace. Layouts breathe tension, like the dangling shoe framing panic, though finer facial nuances occasionally blur in frenzy.
Characters
Christine gains quick relatability through her shy understudy nerves and village flashbacks, her motivations rooted in loss and quiet ambition that feel consistently human. Biancarolli struts as a believable terror, her vanity fueling the inciting murder without caricature. Dubert slash Raoul hints at layered past ties, consistent in his probing warmth, though staff like Anatole stay surface-level for now.
Originality & Concept Execution
Boss and Simmonds refresh the Phantom premise with immediate double murders and a grounded inspector’s lens, delivering the “ghost haunting opera” vow through visceral hangs over songs. The village callback adds personal stakes to the classic lore dump, succeeding in blending Universal horror with mystery grit. Execution falters slightly in predictable backstage tropes, but the larynx-crush innovation amps the promised throat terror sharply.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Thoughts:
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Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera #1 earns a spot in your pull list if Universal Monsters’ bloody twists hook you, blending familiar haunts with fresh inspector grit that promises throat-shredding escalation. Casual browsers might find the setup echoes too loudly amid the promising gore, but dedicated horror hounds get solid value in Simmonds’ visuals and Boss’s taut kills.
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