DCnU - Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E #1 from DC's New 52

Jeff Lemire, who also wrote Animal Man did the writing duties on this one, with Alberto Ponticelli on art.

This issue struck me as being... full of potential. The first few pages were too info-dump heavy for me. All those boxes of the computer files on where we were, what the things there were, etc. followed by exposition-heavy dialogue and, well... ugh.

Both of Lemire's entries into the New 52 have started with a "what you need to know" kind of set up. Animal Man used that interview page, and Frankenstein used a lot of computer and character exposition.

I have to admit, I preferred the interview.

Once the real action started on this book, it definitely picked up. I am a fan of Universal's classic horror films, so it was, of course, fun to see them all represented here, with the Creature from the Black Lagoon in the form of Nina Mazursky, the Wolfman as Warren Griffith, Dracula as Vincent Velcoro, and the Mummy represented by Khalis.

Unfortunately, Ponticelli's art isn't really to my taste. It isn't bad, and it tells the story just fine, but it isn't a style that I prefer. He did a nice job of slipping the Mysterious Lady in Red in during the battle, though.

If the pace of the second issue picks up, and this book starts to feel a little more like it is part of a coherent universe, I will stay on board for a while, but Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is currently on the bubble with me.