KIRKUS -- Aboard a North Pole expedition ship, a gauntVictor Frankenstein recounts the events that led him to the Arctic in thisadaptation of the original 1818 version of Mary Shelley's classic. As a youth,Frankenstein had an interest in natural philosophy, which led him to pursuescientific studies at the University of Ingolstadt. His mastery of thecurriculum progressed swiftly, and his thirst for knowledge turned toward thearcane-specifically, to the origin of life, which Frankenstein discovered afternights of grisly research and a moment of electrifying inspiration. He appliedhis discovery to the construction of a massive being, and on one fatefulevening, he brought the being to life. What follows is a struggle betweencreator and creation, each presented as villain and victim and alike inwretchedness. Illustrator Liu vividly depicts Frankenstein's and the creature'semotions, capturing the force of their rage and horror. Frankenstein's eyes areespecially expressive, giving greater impact to the scenes in which his face ispartially obscured. Visual details are concentrated on the foreground, withpanel backgrounds frequently blank, filled by a gradient, or likely sketched.This serves to draw readers' attention to the characters, though the simplicityof the background art also detracts from scenes meant to highlight the sublimityof nature. Characters are depicted as White. A solid addition to the MangaClassics series of literary adaptations. (cast of characters, how to read manga,character design sketchbook, artist's note, adaptor's note) (Graphic novel.13-18)