This 'Elseworlds' graphic novel takes the character of Bruce Wayne and transplants him to the 1800s where he takes on a Frankenstein-esque role and constructs a monster from the brain of his father that morphs into the Batman. I really, really didn't like this. The Batman-Frankenstein myth-melding did nothing for me. It didn't make me view the Batman in a new light nor did it provide an interesting setting for a familiar character. It was nothing more than a Shelley pastiche with a modern novetly edge. I didn't like the artwork either - traditional simulated brushwork or not, it wasn't stylistically something that gripped my attention. There are better works in the Batman canon and the original Frankenstein is steeped further in gothic horror than this slightly limp-wristed effort. ( )

An "elseworlds" Batman graphic novel, modeled after the "Frankenstein" legend and set in that time and place, in which Bruce Wayne attempts to construct a sort of "Bat-Man" using immensely strong body parts and his dead father's brain. Needless to say, things go awry shortly after. Good painted-style artwork that complements the Gothic tones. ( )