Customer Reviews

Dick Briefer's Frankenstein (Library of Horror Comics Master)

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This is an outstanding collection / overview of Briefer's Frankenstein comics, from the early horror angle to the comedic take then back to horror again. The reproduction is appropriate and the die-cut cover is awesome. Well worth the money.

The books compiled by Craig Yoe are beautiful. You don't need to be a Frankenstein fan to appreciate the care given to this book. But if you are interested in this kooky, and sometimes creepy interpretation of The Monster, then there is no better way to experience Dick Briefer's wonderful work.

The packaging really is wonderful, and as the previous reviewer noted, the reproduction is appropriate. I don't really have quibbles with what's here. It's great, BUT - I do wish that there was a book that compiled all of the humorous stories in one or two volumes. The amount here gives a good taste, but is not as immersive as I would like.

And, as long as I'm wishing, I would like all the later horror-driven stories to be collected in a one or two volume set with the deluxe treatment. I have the cheap black and white book available through Amazon, but would pay for something more durable (this would not need to be in color unlike the humorous stories). Some day...

It's been said before that Yoe Books has set the standard for deluxe reprints of vintage comic books, but it bears repeating. In Dick Briefer's Frankenstein all the Yoe trademarks are there: excellent reproduction from the original printed pages, high-quality paper and deluxe hardcover binding, and a beautifully designed package. As usual, there's a nice historical essay, this time comprising 16 pages of facts and observations about the comic book and its creator with lots of impossibly rare art. In addition, there's a nifty die-cut cover that lets the monsters eyes show through and gives a nice surprise when you open it. I don't see how it could have been done better.

The comics themselves are particularly fascinating because they show the evolution of the character from story to story, year to year. Starting in 1940 when the American comic book was still in its infancy, the earliest story is a crudely drawn, fairly straight retelling of the Mary Shelley tale. By 1941 the art has improved markedly, but it's still in the gothic horror genre. The next one is drawn a little differently yet. Briefer's style changes with virtually every story. It's as if he was trying not to use the same style twice!

By 1945 the comic undergoes a complete metamorphosis, changing from straight horror to comedy-horror. At this point the character of Frankenstein's monster has more in common with Herman Munster than with the comics from just a couple years earlier. Briefer uses a much looser line and the stories are charming and silly. In 1952's story we see another transformation back to horror, but this time with carefully rendered scenes of violence and mayhem as was the trend in the 1950s. Watching the evolution of Dick Briefer's Frankenstein between these covers is a microcosm of the history of comics, from the Golden Age into the era of pre-code horror and crime comics that almost ended the industry. (If the series had continued into the Sixties I can imagine the Frankenstein monster in a mask and a cape.)

If you like comics, horror, Frankenstein, or all of the above, this book is highly recommended.

This is a first class presentation of the pinacle of a great career. The nostalgia flowed from this book like Tupelo.