With DC having just announced "Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE" as one of their new September titles, there's going to be a lot of attention paid to "Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown." Based on this first issue, though, aside from both being written by Jeff Lemire and starring Frankenstein, I suspect there's going to be very little in common between the mini-series and the ongoing series.

That has to do, in part, with the bulk of "Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown" being set during World War II, when Frankenstein was discovered by the Allied forces and put in charge of a slightly revised version of the Creature Commandos. It's a fun little romp through history (especially how having them around changes the war) but you can also see the end of that era coming a mile away. There are no real surprises but it's still a pleasant read.

The real attraction here is Ibraim Roberson's art, which is beautiful. I've liked his work before on comics like "New Mutants" and "World War Z," but this is his best art to date. The close-ups on Frankenstein's face are perfect, with the way his jaw is set and brow is furrowed to show not just anger but determination - a much more dangerous emotion - to provide a good sense of menace. The other supernatural creatures look good here, too, as they rampage across the countryside, or even just huddle together and try to escape.

It helps that Pete Pantazis brings a soft glow to the colors of the comic, letting Roberson's soft-edged art shine. From the green hue of his skin to the blue sheen up in the mountains, it results in a memorable looking comic. Hopefully the remaining two issues will pick up the pace a bit in plot, and maybe also give us a bit more of a hint as to what we should expect from the upcoming "Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE" series this fall. But for now, this is an entertaining start to the mini-series.