‘Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives’ Finally Lets the Bride Tell Her Own Story

We are not okay, and we mean that in the best way possible. In between her ongoing work on Absolute Wonder Woman, Kelly Thompson is stepping into the Universal Monsters lineup for the first time, and she’s bringing the Bride herself to life. Announced recently, Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1 hits shops October 28, 2026, from Skybound and Image Comics, and we’ve been waiting for this one without even knowing it.

So, What’s the Story?

The premise picks up right where the classic mythology left off: a creature stitched together from stolen flesh and lightning, waking up with no memory and no idea what she is. From there, it becomes a story about identity and origin, as the Bride tries to piece together where she came from, who she was made from, and what it actually means to choose to live rather than just exist. It sounds less like a monster movie, more like an existential horror with teeth, and that’s exactly the kind of angle we want from a Universal Monsters book.

Who’s Making Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives?

Kelly Thompson writes, Mattia De Iulis handles art and colors, and Becca Carey letters. This isn’t the first time Thompson and De Iulis have shared a book, and that matters. They previously worked together on The Cull and Absolute Wonder Woman, and that existing shorthand is exactly why we’re not worried about this being a rushed pairing. When a writer and artist already know how to talk to each other, a first outing on a new character tends to feel a lot more assured than it has any right to.

Why We’re Watching This One

Two reasons, really. First, Kelly Thompson. If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you know we became full converts during her 50-issue Captain Marvel run, and we’ve stayed hooked through Absolute Wonder Woman, The Cull, Birds of Prey, Black Widow, and It’s Jeff. She’s one of the few writers whose books we buy straight from her own store when we can, so yes, we’re biased, and no, we’re not sorry about it.

Second, the character herself has range that a lot of monsters don’t. The 1935 film gave us one of horror’s most iconic entrances and almost none of her interiority. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! in 2026 leaned hard into that gap, mixing horror, drama, and romance into something genuinely unpredictable. A comic that promises to dig into how the Bride feels about being made, rather than just what she does once she’s alive, feels like the natural next chapter for a character who’s mostly been defined by everyone except herself.

This is also the eighth series in the Universal Monsters line, following books like James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Dracula and Tynion and Dani’s The Invisible Man, both of which we’ve loved. The Mummy and Blood of the Wolf Man have shown up plenty in our monthly Top Picks features too, which says a lot about how consistently strong this line has been.

Who Should Add This to Their Pull List?

If you’re into horror comics that actually sit with their monsters instead of just unleashing them, this is for you. Fans of Thompson’s character-first writing, readers who liked the emotional weight of The Bride!, and anyone who’s been enjoying the other Universal Monsters books, especially The Invisible Man and Blood of the Wolf Man, should have this circled already.

Release Details

Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1 releases October 28, 2026, from Skybound and Image Comics as a new limited series. It’s launching with an intimidating number of covers, including a main by Mattia De Iulis, plus variants from Joshua Middleton, Artgerm, Luana Vecchio, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Christian Ward, and a die-cut foil Hairiant edition from Ryan Sook. We’ll admit it now: we’re an Artgerm-cover household, so issue #1 is already shaping up to be a multiple-copies situation, and we haven’t even mentioned the blank sketch variant yet.

FAQ

When does Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives come out? Issue #1 arrives October 28, 2026.

Who is writing Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives? Kelly Thompson, known for Captain Marvel, Absolute Wonder Woman, and The Cull.

Who else is working on Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives? Mattia De Iulis handles art and colors, with lettering by Becca Carey.

What publisher is releasing Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives? Skybound and Image Comics.

Is Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives a new series, limited series, or one-shot? It’s a new limited series and the eighth entry in the Universal Monsters line.

Who should read Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives? Horror fans who want a monster story with real interiority, and anyone already following the Universal Monsters line.