For me, there were two irresistible selling points for the self-published one-shot comic Frankenstein Texas. Firstly is the high-concept premise, a weird western sequel to Mary Shelley’s original 1818 Frankenstein novel, following the further misadventures of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation into the year 1834 as they cross the Atlantic and attempt to make a new life in the fledgling days of the Wild West. Secondly is the artist on the project, David Hitchcock, whose atmospheric and gothic pencil art I have been a massive fan of for many years; most recently with his masterful work on The Signal Man.
Writer Dan Whitehead crafts a tight plot over the 56 page duration. Characters and developments will be familiar to fans of classic western movies. What works best though, is what Whitehead has chosen not to include here; namely the high camp of James Whale’s classic Universal Studios Frankenstein movies, and the outrageous sci-fi of the creatures’ more recent appearances in Marvel and DC comics. Instead, this version of the creature is grounded, relatable, and in keeping with the bare-bones setting of the American frontier.
Hitchcock’s art is fantastic as usual, even more so since he is operating slightly outside his wheelhouse here. Hitchcock is more at home with gothic cityscapes and creeping horrors in the shadows, so in a way, in these sun-soaked open plains he’s as much of a fish-out-of-water as his monstrous anti-hero. Strong storytelling and some classic character designs compliment Whitehead’s cinematic tone perfectly. Seeds are sown for yet more gunslinging horror to follow, and if it’s as expertly put together as this, then we should be in for a real treat!