Frankenstein #4

Awful Annie's been distracted ever since learning her son—raised away from her since birth and now a refined scholar at Princeton University—is coming to visit, and she's mortified that her life running a shop dealing in witch's brew and creature oddities won't impress him. Frankenstein and his supernatural friends scheme to transform Annie and her ramshackle home into something befitting high society, complete with costumes, a makeover, and a carefully staged reception. When her son finally arrives with his colleagues in tow, Annie discovers that her worries about being a bad influence were unfounded in the most delightful way possible.

When a werewolf begins terrorizing the town, Frankenstein uses his special talent for tracking such creatures to hunt down the beast—but discovers the truth is far more complicated and sympathetic than anyone suspected. This 1946 tale from Frankenstein #4 turns the monster-hunting formula on its head, revealing that sometimes the real tragedy lies not in what a creature is, but in how it came to be.

Frankenstein gets more than he bargained for when he decides to court his new neighbor, Lucille LeFleur, only to discover she possesses a mysterious herb that temporarily restores youth to the aged—a potion she's been running as a thriving beauty business. When she shares the tale of how the transformative brew changed the life of former silent film star Theodora Barrow, Frankenstein witnesses firsthand the hilarious and horrifying consequences of the youth restorer's temporary effects. It's a humorous romp that twists the usual monster-meets-pretty-woman setup into something altogether stranger and far more complicated.

Frankenstein's ghoul and vampire pals throw him a surprise "Invention Day" party while he's out, but their plans go hilariously awry when Stanley the Sorcerer crashes the gathering, transforms the guests into cookies, and tries to trick Frankenstein into eating them. When Frankenstein makes a birthday wish to have his friends back, the sorcerer's own magic turns against him in this 1946 humorous romp that proves even the most cunning schemes can backfire.