Moranic Reviews- Igor: Occult Detective #1

By Raphael Moran Features 09/03/2012

215ink seems to have cornered the comic market with eccentric new takes on familiar genres. Igor: Occult Detective feels like Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein meets, Sherlock Holmes with a dash of H.P Lovecraft thrown in. It’s a great combination, especially for me since I’m a fan of all three. Many people think Igor was created by Mary Shelly, but in fact Universal Pictures were the ones that originated the character into the public consciousness. Originally the hunchbacked assistant was named Fritz in the Universal Frankenstein movie. In the later sequels he was called Ygor, and it wasn’t until Mel Brooks Frankenstein did the character become widely known as IGOR. In recent cinema, the character of Igor starred in an animated movie in 2008 and in the box office turd, Van Helsing. So let’s just say the character hasn’t even been seen in a good light in Hollywood or in modern fiction much and has been stuck in a certain mold for years.

So how does the creative team of Kyle J Kaczmarczyk and H Crawford put a new spin on this classic monster character? Rather brilliantly, they turn Igor and Frank aka Frankenstein’s Monster into an Occult Detective duo in Greenwich village in the 1920s. Igor always seems to take a backstage whenever Frankenstein’s monster is involved, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the big guy is Igor’s sidekick/partner. It’s a great premise that I’m surprised that hasn’t been done before. Kyle writes slick and clever banner between the two that makes you feel like these characters have a rich history together. Never are we given a flashback or back-story on how these two started their partnership, but that’s also a refreshing idea reminiscent of 215ink’s Vic Boone. We’re thrust into their world and we just go along for the ride. The book also gets bonus points for having the duo go to Brooklyn. Being a life long Brooklynite, I always give anything set there major points. Brooklyn has a charm and life totally unique to anything in New York, but then again I’m biased. Our heroes are sent to investigate a so called haunted house, only to find that it might be occupied by a very familiar “Elder God” from Lovecraft’s stories. Frank is mostly the muscle, but is also seen as an equal to Igor, who comes off as a charming and funny bloke. The issue even ends in an unexpected way and feels like a complete stand alone story all of its own.

The art is perfectly matched with the storyline. H. Crawford’s designs of the characters are very stylish and distinct from other interpretations of the characters. They’re given fresh looks that humanize them but still keep that monster charm they’re known for. The colors give the book a dark and moody overtone that keeps that gothic monster movie feel.

Kyle’s writing and Crawford’s art keeps it fun so you’re not bogged down by anything serious. It’s a quirky monster detective story with great characters. I can’t wait to read more adventures with these two characters. I’d love to see an animated movie or even a live action movie based on this concept. 215ink is currently putting out one quality title after another and Igor should be counted as one among them. If you like Kyle’s work on this book you can also read his contributions to FUBAR as well. Try to get your hands on this comic by begging your comic store to order one or get it digitally. Or you can do the next best thing and buy a copy at the Igor: Occult Detective website www.igoroccultdetective.com