Gris Grimly's Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein is the story’s protagonist and primary narrator. He is a dynamic and deeply troubled character who is found on the ice by Captain Walton as he pursues the monster he created. Frankenstein as he appears in Gris Grimly’s graphic novel is sharp-edged and thin, with black wavy hair and an ever-increasing look of despair in his eyes. He is “often overcome by gloom” even in his youth (12), and this disposition follows him throughout his life.

Frankenstein grows up in a well-off family that prioritizes education and that hopes he will one day marry his cousin, Elizabeth. His mother dies of scarlet fever when he is 17, which is the first in a series of tragic deaths that mark his life. Partly in response to this loss, Frankenstein takes it upon himself to learn alchemy and natural philosophy, hoping to discover a way to reanimate the dead; he is also driven by The Need for Purpose and an unquestioning pursuit of scientific inquiry. As he gets deeper and deeper into this project, he forgets the world, his loved ones, and himself, focusing solely on completing what he started. He does not consider