Few literary creations have endured like Frankenstein’s monster, but readers have never seen him quite like this before. In Oni Press’ Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End, writer George Northy and artist Caitlin Yarsky reimagine Mary Shelley’s legendary creation. They transform the iconic undead offspring of Dr. Frankenstein into the world’s most brilliant criminal investigator, presenting the story through a bold new lens.
Set within the shadowy halls of a remote Romanian castle, Prometheus Graft blends gothic horror, detective fiction, and high-stakes supernatural mystery into a thrilling tale where every clue uncovers a deeper nightmare. When a gruesome murder threatens not only the lives of those within the castle walls but humanity itself, Frankenstein’s creation must confront horrors both external and deeply personal in a race against unimaginable catastrophe.
Recently, we were thrilled to sit down with creators George Northy and Caitlin Yarsky to discuss the origins of this inventive reimagining, the challenges of building a fresh mythology around one of literature’s most iconic figures, and what readers can expect from the chilling mysteries and breathtaking visuals that make Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End one of the most intriguing new comics on the horizon.
“Frankenstein-ed Together”
GVN: Thank you both for taking the time to chat with us. So, let’s dig right into this exciting book and its original premise. Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End takes a wonderfully unexpected approach, transforming Frankenstein’s infamous creation into a brilliant criminal investigator. Where did the original spark (pun intended) for this concept come from, and what made you realize there was a larger mystery worth building around this version of the character?
GN: The concept was actually kind of appropriately ‘Frankenstein-ed’ together from a couple different ideas I’d had kicking around. I’d become obsessed with whodunnit-style mysteries and cracking the ‘story math’ of them—from the original Agatha Christie books a to Rian Johnson’s modern-day take with the Knives Out series—and I thought it would be fun to create a whodunnit with well-known supernatural creatures like witches, werewolves and vampyrs.
I’d also been really fascinated by Ghouls as a less defined cryptid and I thought it would be fun to create a set of rules that placed them within the canon of these better known creatures as the lowly carrion-eating scavengers that eat their scraps, but are essentially harmless and peaceful themselves.
And, of course, I’d always loved the original Shelley novel. The way she portrayed The Creature as this brilliant but tortured soul made me wonder what might happen after the novel, after he’d let go of his desire for revenge, what if he set out to figure out who he really was and discovered a talent for solving other supernatural mysteries? That’s when these three separate ideas came together and ‘lightning struck’ bringing them to life.
The Creative Challenges
GVN: The series blends gothic horror, detective fiction, and classic monster mythology into a single narrative. What were some of the biggest creative challenges in balancing those genres while ensuring each element felt essential to the story rather than overshadowing the others?
GN: Looking at the tropes of whodunnits, they always feature a diverse cast in one location like a Country Manor, usually brought together for some kind of event, who all have plausible motives and their own secrets to uncover. I actually found recasting those suspects as supernatural beings wasn’t even that much of a stretch. Early on, I came to the idea of the ‘single location’ and ‘event’ required for a story like this would be a Vampyr’s Castle where a peace treaty between these different factions was being renewed, until different members from each group start turning up slain. So clearly someone has beef with this peace treaty and it could be pretty much anyone. From there, I had a great time finding ways to include all the beats of these kinds of mysteries, but adding genre twists. Instead of it happening at night, our initial murder takes place during the day after everyone retires to bed (to accommodate their vampyr hosts.) Instead of the pheasant hunt you might see at the manor in a Christie novel, we’ve got the werewolves heading out into the woods for their version using claws and teeth instead of shotguns. And of course, the murders themselves had to be based on the weaknesses of each creature, perhaps replacing poison for sunlight or trading a steel knife for a wooden stake or silver dagger.
Constructing a “Fair” Murder Mystery
GVN: George, mystery stories live and die by their twists, clues, and revelations. How did you approach constructing a murder mystery that feels fair to readers while still delivering the kind of shocking surprises horror fans crave?
GN: I looked at a lot of interviews with Rian Johnson about how he constructs a Knives Out mystery and like him, I really wanted to ‘play fair’ and provide every bit of evidence needed to solve the mystery to the reader. That meant a lot of coming up with clues (and a few red herrings) and then trying to go back into earlier parts of the story to plant them in the dialogue and narrative as we went. Twists and reversals felt pretty natural to me, I’ve worked in both broadcast and streaming TV and the big page turn reveals in a comic feel a lot like Act Outs for commercial breaks on broadcast while issue ending teases feel like the end of episode cliffhangers on streaming that have you smashing the ‘Next Ep’ button. It also certainly helps that there’s an escalating body count and a lot more action than your usual old-school whodunnit.
Set Piece Inspirations
GVN: Caitlin, the story unfolds within a remote Romanian castle filled with monsters, secrets, and looming danger. What aspects of the setting inspired you visually, and how did you work to make Death’s End feel like a character in its own right?
Caitlin: I actually spent a little time in Romania right before starting this, and got a lot of inspiration from the architecture and places I visited (Brasov was the main town, only an hour from Bran castle). The hills and mountains in that area are also really beautiful in a somber way and helped me shape the surrounding forest that sets all the outdoor scenes.
GVN: One of the most fascinating hooks is that Prometheus Graft is both an investigator and a being born from death and science. How does his unique perspective shape the way he approaches solving crimes compared to a traditional detective?
GN: Prometheus Graft is the perfect detective for this kind of a mystery because he straddles life and death, humanity and inhumanity, science and even magic. In the original Shelley novel, Frankenstein’s resurrection methods are said to be scientific, it is also mentioned that he studied occult philosophers and alchemists, so Graft might really be a blend of both those worlds. Ultimately what makes Graft the world’s greatest detective is that he is a living puzzle himself, forever in pursuit of solving his own mystery, of who he is and who he once was, while simultaneously helping others solve theirs.
Taking Advantage of a Unique Character Set
GVN: The series promises an apocalyptic mystery where the stakes extend far beyond a single murder. How did you escalate the story from a classic whodunit into a threat that fully leverages many unique and familiar characters—vampires, ghouls, witches, werewolves—without losing sight of the personal drama at the heart of the investigation?
GN: I think the key is just having characters you care about in the context of this world, so yes, we’re talking about groups of vampyrs, witches and werewolves who’ve all no doubt done a lot of despicable, murderous things. So has Prometheus Graft himself and we don’t shy away from his murderous past…but we give him a bit of a pass since he was essentially a confused, rage-filled adult-sized newborn baby during the events of the Shelley novel. But all these characters are trying to do better and The Pact that they’re trying to protect will keep the peace.
Also, Caitlin is so, so brilliant at creating gorgeous yet flawed and realistic-looking characters with truly human faces and expressions, so I think that makes my job as the writer a lot easier and is a big reason I knew she’d be the perfect co-creator for this. You instantly look at Graft and later his ally Ramsy’s face…and you see their complexity and want to root for these guys even though neither is exactly human.
Artistic Character Concepts
GVN: Speaking of the characters, Caitlin, you have done a remarkable job bringing these diverse creatures to life (especially Prometheus Graft himself). How much did you and George discuss the character concepts?
Caitlin: We had the luxury to take our time working on the look and feel of the characters. George already had a doc full of descriptions but the individual faces and costumes were up to me. We went back and forth the most on Graft of course, and overall it was very collaborative while also giving me the freedom to design characters that visually felt like mine. I also shared a lot of other artists and animated films that have been inspiring me the last few years, to nail down the overall art style.
Mysteries to Discover
GVN: Thank you once again for your time and attention. Finally, readers love stories that reimagine familiar genre icons in fresh ways. What do you hope fans of Frankenstein, gothic horror, and supernatural mysteries will discover in Prometheus Graft that they haven’t encountered before, and why is this the perfect time for this story to arrive?
GN: I think whodunnits are a great form of escapism. Yes, there is murder and violence (and in the case of our comic a whole lot of supernatural action as the story escalates) but it’s a…comforting kind of murder? The security of knowing that after 4 issues, the mystery of The Slayings at Death’s End will be solved and a complete story will be told is a satisfying thing to have in these uncertain times.
Readers will hopefully find in this book a mystery that surprises and delights, as well as a completely new take on the Frankenstein legend that we hope to expand even more in future mysteries. Just to tease on that front: In the last few pages of Issue 4, some characters will appear that will give just a hint at where we plan to take Graft in the search for his identity…but that’s all we can reveal for now!
Thanks to George and Caitlin for sharing their insights on the inspirations, creative hurdles, and bold world-building that shape Prometheus Graft. Set in a remote Romanian castle, featuring a murder that threatens humanity’s fate, and offering a fresh twist on a legendary monster, this series is primed to blend suspense, horror, and imagination in equal measure.
Look for Oni Press’ Prometheus Graft: The Slayings at Death’s End #1 when it hits stores on December 9.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
