Exactly two hundred years ago, in 1818, Mary Shelley wrote a novel called Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. Shelley’s novel was the first Gothic horror /proto-dystopian science fiction story ever written. It’s also, according to the consensus of many literary critics, one of the best horror novels of all time. Shelley’s story, told in the form of a memoir, had elements that would become standard in later comic books, especially after the Silver Age. Among these can be listed: a monster, a mad scientist, science gone awry, the horrible consequences of science without ethical standards…all of these themes later became commonplace in both super-hero and horror comics.
In honor of the two hundredth anniversary of Shelley’s creation of literature’s greatest sci-fi monster, I want to look here at collectible Frankenstein appearances in comic history. If, like me, you love the classic monsters: Dracula, the Mummy, the Werewolf, then it’s hard not to also be a fan of the original sci-fi horror monster of Frankenstein. If you’re seeking out his key comic book appearances, but you’re not sure where these can be found, look no further:
Prize Comics #7 (December 1940) – First Frankenstein’s Monster in Comic Book Form
Legendary horror and crime artist Richard Briefer brought Shelley’s creature to comics for the first time in Prize Comics #7 published in 1940. Prize Comics is probably best known for publishing the super-hero adventures of The Black Owl, but in issue #7 Briefer updated the source material and repackaged the story of Shelley’s monster as “New Adventures of Frankenstein”. Frankenstein, of course, wasn’t the monster in Shelley’s original story but rather the scientist who creates the monster. But these stories are nonetheless notable as officially launching the first ever clearly identifiable horror story in a comic. The most recent sale of this Golden Age classic is from 2014 when a 0.5 grade copy sold for $776.75. The highest graded sale recorded is a 9.2 graded copy which sold for $5,676.25 way back in 2006.
Detective Comics #135 (May 1948) – First Frankenstein’s Monster in DC Comics
Eight years after the Frankenstein stories in Prize Comics, DC decided to feature the creature in their flagship Batman title Detective Comics. In a weird tale called “The True Story of Frankenstein”, Gotham city genius Professor Charles Nichols uses his time travel technique to go back in time to the nineteenth century to learn the true story of Frankenstein. We then get a twist on the Frankenstein mythos wherein we learn that ‘Baron’ Frankenstein didn’t actually create the creature named after him, but merely electrocuted his giant man servant Ivan. This had the consequence of turning Ivan into a mindless brute. When Nichols sends Batman and Robin into the past, Batman undergoes the same fate as Ivan and begins to terrorize the country side. Later, after Ivan’s death and Batman’s recovery, Batman, Robin and Nichols tell the story to a young girl named Mary Shelley. A 9.0 copy of this Golden Age comic recently sold for $430.20 in a Heritage auction.
Superman #143 (February 1961) – First Frankenstein’s Monster in the Silver Age
"Bizarro Meets Frankenstein!" is the title of the story featuring Frankenstein’s first Silver Age appearance in a mainstream DC superhero title. Featuring the Bizzaro family and an interaction with, not the actual Frankenstein creature but instead, an actor playing the role of the monster, this comic is can be found fairly easily but mostly in lower grades (my copy is all tattered). Best returns have been on 9.0s. a 9.4. copy sold a year ago on Heritage for $1,434.00.
The X-Men #40 (January 1968) – First Frankenstein’s Monster in Marvel Comics
It turns out that Professor X is a Mary Shelley Fan. Shelley’s novel was made required reading at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, but Bobby Drake doesn’t do his homework and so fails to realize that the Frankenstein monster the X-Men encounter in this issue can’t be real. In the end, it turns out to indeed be an intelligent android created by an alien race. The actual Frankenstein monster appears here in flashbacks as he would a year later in Silver Surfer #7 (August 1969), also worth seeking out. A 9.0 graded copy of X-Men #40 sells for an average of $150.00. Although I’m fairly confident this is the first Marvel Comics appearance of Frankenstein (excluding Golden Age Atlas appearances), none of the CGC copies acknowledge this on the label instead calling this only “Origin of Cyclops”. Time to contact the 'Certified Grading Company' and complain.
The Monster of Frankenstein #1 (January 1973) – First Modern Frankenstein's Monster Solo Series
Coming off of the success of Ghost Rider, Gary Friedrich paired up with Werewolf by Night artist Mike Ploog to bring Shelley’s original monster into the mainstream Marvel comics universe and into his own series. The Monster of Frankenstein was launched in 1973 and was part of the Bronze Age horror renaissance. The Ploog artwork is probably the best part of this now sought after series, but its faithfulness to the source material also makes it notable. Best returns have been on 8.0s, a 9.6 copy will cost you $650.00.
