The Invisible Man #3- The Horror of the Unseen World
From Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Dani
(Happy “James Tynion IV is the GOAT” Week apparently!)
The Invisible Man is the latest title in the “Universal Monster” revival series from Skybound and Image Comics, a production that has provided us numerous ingenuitive, exhilarating, and nostalgic modern takes on some of the most classic characters in all of fiction. The Invisible Man takes the fifth spot in the production’s history, which has shown a unique range of interpretation and homage in its limited run. With some titles such as Dracula and Frankenstein largely retelling the origin and key details of the iconic mythos with some new perspective and modern insight, while others such as The Mummy and The Invisible Man explore the essence of the titular character through an almost entirely fresh story, leaving The Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! to function as the only direct follow up or “sequel” to the original stories it is derived from.
The appeal of the “Universal Monsters” concept is inherent- with the chance for fans to gain a definitive entry into the mythos of several iconic, cult favorite characters. In other words, rather than reading a story that is like Frankenstein, or inspired by, these comics serve as the GENUINE ARTICLE which is a rare and alluring opportunity. In the case of The Invisible Man, which has seen little influence in popular media in the modern era, aside from the divisive 2020 remake that I personally recall enjoying, this comic serves as one of very few instances in which the character has been truly explored.
What makes this latest incarnation of The Invisible Man so noteworthy is James Tynion IV’s keen, practiced insight into character motivations and emotional psyche. In this context, the disturbing inner world and dogmatic philosophy of Doctor Jack Griffin feel uncomfortably and boldly displayed for the first time, with Tynion cutting to the heart of the question, “What sort of man wants to be invisible?”
Furthermore, this series is also a celebration of the superb, unique, dramatic pen work from artist Dani with clever, evocative color from Brad Simpson. This feels like a truly “auteur” addition to the “Universal Monsters” canon with an iconic art style that draws you in immediately from the cover on shelves. Additionally, the unique combination of Tynion and Dani on this project has allowed for the innate, graphic body horror of The Invisible Man concept to be relayed adeptly for what feels like the first time.
If you are a fan of classic horror or simply James Tynion’s numerous excellent entries into the modern horror genre in the last few years, then don’t miss out on this dynamic, surprising, and harrowing limited series that feels like the best entry into the overarching series to date.
But let us talk more specifically about The Invisible Man #3, which means,
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
The original story of the The Invisible Man film picks up in the middle of the bizarre saga of Dr. Jack Griffin, who has experimented with a mysterious chemical called “moncaine” that has known pigment removal properties… and psychotic side effects. In the film, we discover Jack already invisible, clad in his iconic bandaged appearance, and already fallen into madness as he commits crime and wanton violence in his “superior” unseen state.
However, the comic series to date has explored the disturbing process of scientific experimentation and moral decline leading to Dr. Griffin’s successful implementation of “monocaine” on a human subject. In the series so far, we have watched Dr. Griffin experiment on rats and cats from the safety of his shared lab with the detestable Kent, as the prospect of invisibility grows more and more insatiable to our narcissistic protagonist. It is clear from even Issue #1 that Jack Griffin is a dangerous man. If given the power and opportunity, there is no telling what he would do.
Now in issue #3, we see the depths to which Jack has sunk in his research, actively kidnapping prostitutes on the street to act as his unwilling lab rats while he simultaneously dresses in his iconic garb, practicing how he would behave if invisible, and imagining the things he could get away with.
However, Jack’s unsupervised machinations are at last challenged by his benefactor, Mr. Cranley, who has done research of his own into the unsavory side effects of extended exposure to “monocaine.” After confronting a prideful Jack, Cranley wearily agrees to give Jack two months to finalize his experiments.
We then cut to Jack stalking the streets once more as he enlists the services of an orphaned young boy with the promise of money and shelter. However, once the boy returns to Jack’s clandestine apartment, he is drugged and chained to the bed. Upon waking, Jack horrifyingly reveals to the boy that all of his exterior skin has been made invisible, rendering him into a hideous living flesh zombie of sorts. In response to the young boy’s terrified cries, Jack warns that if a policeman were to come find him in this state they would likely shoot him dead on the spot and then callously writes, “it felt good to have my studies advance to the human form.”
This whole sequence plainly evokes the horror of invisibility and Jack’s warped scientifically curious mind in shocking visual detail. Elevating the absurdity of “an invisible man,” into something more akin to the inhuman horror of Sweeney Todd. What is most clearly evoked from this scene is the notion that Dr. Jack Griffin is already far detached from the boundaries of reality and civilized society. Moreover, it is a larger commentary on the danger of the pursuit of knowledge without regard for the cost.
The Invisible Man takes place in the early 1900’s when revolutionary scientific exploration and discovery were at the forefront of public consciousness and yet often these groundbreaking achievements were made at the cost of dozens if not hundreds of innocent lives. An irreconcilable fact that we should consider in the modern age when dabbling in similar exploratory fields. For instance, if we let AI take away thousands of jobs from hardworking individuals on the lower income bracket of major corporations- what the hell are those human beings supposed to do now? It bears repeating the same question echoed from the scientific boom of the early 1900’s: What is the acceptable number of lives lost in order for so-called innovation to become integrated into society?
Anyway, back to our disturbing story, we watch as the captured street urchin is administered more doses of Jack’s serum turning first into a skeleton, then floating eyes, until he disappears entirely. Throughout this process, Jack remarks how surprisingly collaborative and curious the boy had become in relation to the experiment, saying that it felt good to be able to voice his methods aloud. However, in our final pages, Jack realizes his openness was a mistake, as he returns to find the boy ripped free from his bonds before he is dashed over the head by the same mirror he cruelly brandished for the boy. Slowly, the boy dons Jack’s clothes and stands in the doorway looking down on his captor, like a ghostly doppelganger.
This title is a confounding mix of classic, dramatic horror elements with a beating thematic heart that sets the reader on edge. I defy anyone who has read this latest issue and hasn’t unconsciously looked over their shoulder in fear the next day sensing that something was there. This is the kind of affecting, powerful work that the artists involved on The Invisible Man have been able to achieve in short order, that comes from a deep love for the horror genre and for the untold potential of some of the genre’s most classic figures.
Discover the true story of The Invisible Man in Issue #3 on shelves now at your local comic book store!
