Victor LaValle's Destroyer

Victor LaValle has quietly but steadfastly claimed himself a fascinating niche in genre fiction as of late, taking classical ideas about horror - H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horrors here, changeling fairies there - and bringing them into the 21st century, mixing them with American racial politics and contemporary issues to make something of the moment and yet quintessentially horrifying - not an easy task, but one that’s led to some incredible reads along the way.So Destroyer, LaValle’s first foray into graphic novels (backed by the effective art of artist Dietrich Smith), feels like a logical next step for him. Here, the classic in question is Frankenstein, which LaValle uses as a stepping stone to talk about the outcasts from society - those who so often feel like they were created only to be shunned, hated, and mistreated, and the rage that comes along with that. In Mary Shelley’s novel, of course, that rage is personified by the nameless creation, and for a while, it seems like LaValle is interested only in following that creature into the modern world, letting him see the new horrors of humanity and realizing that we haven’t changed much in 200 years.But before long, it’s clear that LaValle has more on his mind, tapping into modern-day genetic modifying, but more importantly, focusing on a scientist operating in the tradition of Frankenstein himself - an African-American woman whose grief over the senseless death of her son brings her to resurrect the dead.This, of course, sets up a compelling parallel, and it’s a rich one to ponder - that connection between African-American culture’s feelings of injustice, historical mistreatment, and prejudice and the creature’s own musings are solid ones, and it’s not a surprise that LaValle uses it to tap into a discussion of revenge and rage, just as Shelley did in simpler terms. Indeed, these ideas are compelling and complex, and it’s to LaValle’s credit that they’re handled this well, with LaValle embracing their difficulty and lack of easy answers unflinchingly.What is a shame, though, is that Destroyer just doesn’t have the space to engage with them as much as you’d wish it would. Destroyer is six issues, and as such, it ends up feeling maddeningly rushed, with far too much plot to cover and not enough time, which ends up making the themes feel rushed as well. LaValle’s gifts as a novelist shine through here, with dozens of interesting characters, but many of them feel like we’re only getting the barest glimpses of what he had planned for them, or that some of their arcs are curtailed or abbreviated to fit in here. Worse, though, is the way the plot ends up feeling crammed in. There’s so much more than I want - more about the creature, who ends up feeling like a postscript to the novel; more about the agency at the heart of the book; more about the reasons why they resurrect one character at the end of the series for rushed reasons; and so forth.The best moments of Destroyer still work - a mother’s rage and anger; the moment where a father tries to find catharsis for his loss; the use of a virtual reality space to engage with characters’ psychological depths; and so many others. But you can’t help but feel that there’s a longer version of this story, with room to breathe, where those moments feel better connected, where some of the conflict feels less rushed and more organic, where some of the villains’ motivations feel clearer. Destroyer has a surplus of ideas, which is a good thing, but when you only have a short amount of time to tell a story, sometimes you have to kill your darlings to make the whole experience truly work.

Destroyer is a modern Frankenstein sci-fi, horror novel that is basically about a mom who got targeted due to her choosing family over her work and wanting to revive her son. Whilst doing this, the author is able to tackle some of the ongoing racial issues that we are having in the current world really well. Overall, I give this book a 7.5/10. I like the whole plot-line, besides the ending, and how well it was able to incorporate the past with the use of Frankenstein monster, and at the same time incorporate the present with the use of the racism that Dr.Baker had experienced.

A timely must read work that addresses the unspoken truth about American law enforcement. Everyone who wants to be an ally in the struggle for justice needs to educate themselves. Listen to black voices and learn from them before you say a word.

I was assigned this comic for a college class on monsters and monstrosities and I fell in love with it. The art itself is spectacular and has so many details. The story is a continuance of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and you can see a lot of references to not only that book but also the life of Mary Shelly herself. The comic also highlights a lot of women's rights and racial issues as well. Would 10/10 recommend to anyone considering trying this comic out.

Arrived on time and in great condition. This graphic novel is a modern adaptation of the Frankenstein myth merging futuristic technological advances and traditional creature creation elements found in Mary Shelley's original novel. A quick and wonderful read. Grapples with the concepts of humanity, the human condition, generational trauma, and human rights issues along the lines of the Black Lives Matter movement. Definitely worth the read.

A powerful reimagining of the Dr Frankenstein archetype with a grieving mother at its core. This story is not only very current in its theme, but also beautifully done. Would love to see more in this universe!

I just wish there was more of it. Or that there was a novel version where we could get even more of the characters emotions. Still,well done.

This was better than I expected and the art work was excellent it hit close to home and the Monolog Josephine gave was on point and so true It's so tragic I am 48 years old And I Just learned that Chicago was founded by black Man Never learned that in school

Odd type of story line and overall weird