"Monstrous: Mad Dash" Comic Review

Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll are setting off for the road trip of a lifetime. The life of Jekyll's daughter hangs in the balance. Will they get to their destination in time to save her from the robot horde? Or will they need to call in the big guns with Mr. Hyde?

Monstrous: Mad Dash is set in a world where Frankenstein turned his back on his initial creation to build robots instead. Meanwhile, his monster decided to create life of his own, making a rival to his maker's forces with mutants and other creatures. You don't need to know that going in, but it does help frame the setting for the story as we're thrown into the action like a horror version of Hanna Barbera's Wacky Races.

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There's a Mad Max vibe to Monstrous: Mad Dash. This is due to the Australian outback setting and the large spike-covered vehicles that descend upon the doctors as they trek across the desert. Artist Ken Lamug creates a dystopian field of terror. What sets these cars apart is that they're piloted by robots, each unique in their appearance. They're not just pulled off the assembly line. They're hobbled together with whatever was around at the time and they've been barely surviving after being out in the harsh sun for who knows how long.

The camaraderie between Frankenstein and Jekyll adds some humor to the book. They're friends but rivals, so they're constantly trying to prove who's smarter. Frankenstein pushes Jekyll to the limit, requiring him to transform into his alter ego, a brutish hulk of a man. Everything about the design for Hyde looks rough and untrustworthy.

Monstrous: Mad Dash is just that. It's a crazy, fast-paced ride packed with action and monster-on-robot battles. It adds some fun to these characters from classic literature, putting them into a post-apocalyptic landscape.