FRANKENSTEIN

Much of the power of Viney's adaptation of Mary Shelley's horror classic lies within the artwork. Action sequences jump off the page, while portraits of each character provide nuance and depth to the text. Running at 130 pages, the script is rather expansive, touching on nearly everything in the original. What's most effective, however, is the use of color, which subtly cues heightened emotions and offsets varied and eye-catching panels. One minor quibble: The depiction of Frankenstein's monster could stand to be more gruesome. But this version is more thoughtful and adeptly illustrated than Lloyd S. Wagner and Naresh Kumar's version (2010), though Kumar wins the gore factor. The appended glossary, like others in Lucent's series of graphic classics, includes inappropriate entries for the intended audience. In fact, much of the additional material is completely superfluous and unlikely to interest young readers (i.e., a plot diagram of the original novel). But overall, this one wins points for a masterful rendition that adds much value to the original. (Graphic classic. 10 & up)