Universal Monsters: The Mummy

Carl Laemmle was the only old school Hollywood mogul who denounced Hitler and the National Socialists prior to WWII. Fittingly, most of his Universal Monsters hailed from Old World Europe. The Mummy was the exception in 1932. His origins were in the Middle East. Again, that was fitting. Originally intended to be a film about Alessandro Cagliostro, it morphed into tale of intrigue from the ancient Egyptian past, inspired by the discovery (and curse) of Tut’s tomb. Half-English and half-Egyptian Helen Grosvenor was a woman caught between worlds, but that makes her more vulnerable to uncanny peril in writer-artist Faith Erin Hicks’ Universal Monsters: The Mummy, Image Comics latest retelling of the classic horror films, which releases today in a bind-up edition.

Like Universal Monsters: Frankenstein, Hicks shows readers the events of the film from a different perspective. This time around, we see much more through Grosvenor’s eyes. In fact, we are fully immersed in her head, where the High Priestess Anck-es-en-Amon has been cohabitating all Grosvenor’s life. She always considered the voice in her head a friend. However, when Imhotep reawakens Anck-es-en-Amon’s passion, she belatedly recognizes the high priestess is a threat to her own bodily autonomy.

Ironically, Hicks’ retelling allows much less time for Imhotep and even less for his titular Mummy appearance. However, it adds a sinister dimension of psychological terror. Yet, it also makes Anck-es-en-Amon a less sympathetic figure, so terms like “feminist revisionism” really do not apply (and nobody is complaining about that).

Again, Hicks shows an affection for the original Universal films. Her art also evokes the elegant sophistication of the 1930s. Her tombs and temples are spectacular looking. Although her depicitions of Imhotep and Ardath Bey are not exactly dead-ringers for Boris Karloff, he looks gaunt and scarred, in a way reminiscent of many of the great horror movies stars.

Most importantly, The Mummy is a good deal of nostalgic fun. Wisely, it continues Image’s approach, deepening and expanding the scope of the Universal films, while staying faithful to the stories fans know so well. Highly recommended for all classic monster fans, Universal Monsters: The Mummy goes on-sale today (11/11) at book and comic retailers.