Frankenstein’s Monster is trading terror for detective work in a new supernatural murder mystery from Oni Press. The publisher will launch Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End #1 this December, introducing a new incarnation of Mary Shelley’s legendary creature.
The series comes from rising writer George Northy (Yuletide, EC’s Shiver SuspenStories) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Caitlin Yarsky (Dead Teenagers, Black Hammer). Together, they send one of literature’s most famous monsters into a twisting whodunnit filled with vampires, witches, werewolves and murder.
From Monster to Master Detective
Decades have passed since the creature first came to life as Frankenstein’s Monster. Now, after years underground, his scars have faded and his genius-level intellect has brought his hulking nature under control.
That transformation has revealed an unexpected gift. The former monster has become one of Europe’s most formidable investigators, with an extraordinary ability to solve seemingly impossible mysteries.
He now calls himself Prometheus Graft, a gentleman detective and expert investigator who remains something not entirely human. His new identity has allowed him to move beyond the violent legacy of his creation, or so he believes.
Murder Comes to Death’s End
As a new century approaches, science appears ready to overtake superstition. Graft believes he has finally conquered his monstrous past, but a summons to a remote Romanian castle puts that belief to the test.
The castle is known as Death’s End. There, an immortal lord has gathered some of Europe’s most feared supernatural beings in hopes of negotiating a lasting peace.
The fragile gathering quickly falls apart. One of the prominent guests is found murdered inside the castle’s hedge maze, transforming the peace summit into a crime scene.
Suspicion spreads through Death’s End as witch turns against werewolf and vampire turns against ghoul. With tensions rising and more bloodshed threatening to follow, Graft must uncover the killer before the supernatural factions descend into war.
His only weapons are his instincts and a bloodstained trail of clues. If he fails to solve the slayings before daybreak, the consequences could threaten humanity itself.
George Northy Puts a Supernatural Twist on the Whodunnit
Writer George Northy said his love of classic mysteries provided the foundation for the series. The challenge was finding the right detective to stand alongside the genre’s most recognizable investigators.
“I’ve always adored an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit and wanted to create a classic detective tale with a supernatural twist,” said writer George Northy. “But who to cast as the Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes or Benoit Blanc of this monster mash-up mystery? Then it came to me: The Creature in Mary Shelley’s iconic FRANKENSTEIN was brilliant, tortured and a ‘living puzzle’ himself. What if he set out to try to solve the mystery of what he really is—and who exactly makes up his disparate, grafted-together pieces—and, along the way, discovered a talent for solving all manner of occult mysteries? That became our hero detective, Prometheus Graft. In his debut mystery, Graft is invited to Death’s End Castle to observe a peace treaty renewal between clans of vampyrs, witches and werewolves—but instead must solve a series of brutal slayings to avert all-out paranormal war.”
That concept gives Graft a mystery beyond the murders he investigates. As he solves supernatural crimes, he also continues searching for answers about his own creation and the disparate pieces that make up his body.
Caitlin Yarsky Builds a Gothic World
Artist Caitlin Yarsky said the supernatural setting gave her room to experiment visually. Her collaboration with Northy helped shape a world that combines several distinct genres.
“As someone who loves all things supernatural, PROMETHEUS GRAFT is an absolute playground for me,” said artist Caitlin Yarsky. “It’s been a joy creating a look-and-feel for the world with George, who gave me parameters but then let me run wild with whatever inspiration I came across. It’s a real partnership; we’ve worked hand-in-hand to bring readers a story with a unique blend of classic murder mystery, dark fantasy and gothic horror.”
That combination places the series between traditional detective fiction and supernatural horror. The story draws on the structure of a classic locked-room-style mystery while surrounding its investigator with creatures pulled from gothic folklore.
‘Prometheus Graft’ Arrives This December
Oni Press will release Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End #1 this December. The issue marks the debut of the reimagined Frankenstein creature as a supernatural detective facing mysteries that ordinary investigators could never hope to solve.
Series co-creator Caitlin Yarsky provides one of the issue’s covers. Additional covers come from Eisner Award winner Eric Powell (The Goon), Eisner Award winner Gabriel Rodriguez (Locke & Key), and Patricia Martín (EC’s Blood Type).
Once mankind’s greatest monster, Prometheus Graft has become one of its greatest investigators. His first case may also determine whether the supernatural world finds peace or erupts into all-out war.
