Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #3

Frankenstein and his Creature Commandos have survived the assault in Gotham City but it wasn’t without casualties. Now the team, along with the Bride of Frankenstein, must race to a secret lab in Romania if they have any hopes of saving their dying comrade. But the journey will not be easy as General Sam Lane has activated the J.A.K.E. 2.0, the ultimate GI Robot and it will stop at nothing to achieve its mission: TO DESTROY ALL MONSTERS!

    I loved this miniseries. It was really a fun read and it just felt right. It captures the spirit of the old Weird War Tales and War That Time Forgot adventures (from Star-Spangled War Stories) of the Golden and Silver Age of Comics really well. I enjoyed it so much that the short-lived New 52 series Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is now on my wish list.

   There was one little problem with this story and it comes down to the smallest of nitpicks. In issue #2 of Project Superman, I mentioned that Gen. Lane disappeared. So, when does he come back? DC issued a suggested reading list and Project Superman #3 is down on the list as one of the last things I am supposed to read if I want to read the entire Flashpoint storyline in order (which I am attempting.) So, is having Sam Lane appear in this story a spoiler of things to come in PS #3 or does this story take place before Lane disappears?

   Right now, that’s a mystery that’s unclear but hopefully will be cleared up in the few remaining tie-ins I have left to read.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

  

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2

     

  Frankenstein and his Creature Commandos have finally made it to their creator's secret laboratory in Gotham City. The group hope to find some answers as to a cure for some of their comrades. But the Creatures will need to act fast as Miranda Shrieve, granddaughter of the group's original CO during World War II, is on their tale and she's coming complete with an armament of garlic bombs, electric shock gimzos, and silver bullets. Find out what's Shrieve's beef with these living monsters and how will the Creatures of the Unknown survive her onslaught?

    Oh, did I mention that she's accompanied by J.A.K.E., the GI Robot???

    I really love this tie-in series. I've been such a fan of DC's horror titles of the 70s and 80s. The Creature Commandos were such an integral part of Weird War Tales and I'm glad to see a version (any version) of this group get some much due kudos, respect, and a second chance.

    Jeff Lemire has really become known as the go-to DC 'dark lord' with his creepy tales starring the Hellblazer, Deadman, and others and he's not disappointed me with this series. This is eerie fun and very much Worth Consuming!

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
 
 

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1

  During World War II, the Allied Forces had a secret weapon- the Creature Commandos! The Unit was comprised of a genetically altered vampire, wolf man, and a mer-creature, and was co-lead by the human Lt. Shrieve and Frankenstein's Monster! After taking out Hitler, the team thinks that they will either be cured of their various aliments, sent on missions against the mounting Soviet threat or allowed to leave in peace. But Uncle Sam has other ideas and forces the monsters of the Creature Commandos into suspended animation.
    Jump ahead 65 years. The Commandos have been all but forgot, still residing in their cryogenic tombs. But during the Army's attack on Booster Gold, something causes Frankenstein's chamber to break and he frees his comrades. Decades without medical treatment has caused the wolf man and the vampire soldiers to regress into more savage states.
   Without immediate help, they will forever be stuck in their most primal monster forms, and so Frankenstein leads the group to Gotham City in hopes of finding the secret lab of the doctor who treated them during the war for their afflictions. But their trek will not be easy as the military wants their Creature Commandos back and have hired the best monster hunter on the planet to recapture them- Miranda Shrieve, the granddaughter of the monster's unit leader: Lt. Shrieve!
    As a DC enthusiast, I've been particularly a fan of the company's vintage horror and war lines. Weird War Tales combined the best of both lines with strange stories that brought new meaning to the words 'the horrors of war.' Towards the end of WWT's run was a running series based on the Creature Commandos!
    With Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown entering the Flashpoint, I was extremely excited. But when I first learned of this title in 2010, I was an little befuddled as to why would Frankenstein be selected to the series of Flashpoint tie-ins. But I had forgotten about Frank being a member of the Creature Commandos! So, it actually makes perfect sense and I am thrilled to see where this miniseries goes next. Plus, tying in events from Booster Gold #44-45 was a stroke of genius that advances the storyline quite well.
   
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.