Synopsis:
The gothic worlds of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and more collide in this graphic novel series about buried secrets, mad science, and misunderstood monsters. For fans of stylish reimaginings like Lore Olympus and gaslamp fantasies like The Night Circus!
London isn’t the safest place for mad scientists these days. After that whole ordeal with Frankenstein, angry mobs have gotten awfully good at hunting down monsters and wiping out anything they don’t understand. In fact, if it weren’t for one extraordinary young man, every out-of-the-box thinker would have been locked up . . . or worse.
That young man is none other than Dr. Henry Jekyll. He believes mad scientists would thrive if they could just fix their public image, which is why he founded the Society for Arcane Sciences, a place where like-minded eccentrics could come together to defy the laws of nature in peace.
But everything changes when a mysterious stranger arrives, bent on taking the Society in a radical new direction. With everyone turning against him, Jekyll’s life starts to spiral out of control, shattering all his carefully laid plans and threatening to expose his darkest secret—one that could destroy everything he has built from the inside out.
Volume One collects Chapters 1-7 of this thrilling, humorous, beloved webcomic, which is available in print for the first time ever. It also features a brand-new side story, a behind-the-scenes look at artwork, and more exclusive bonus content!
Review:
“Now I am abominably behind schedule so could you perhaps… not exist for a bit?”
I was recently gifted a copy of The Glass Scientists: Volume One, a retelling of Jekyll & Hyde in graphic novel form adapted from the ongoing webtoon. Thanks so much to Books Forward!
Honestly, I don’t have any criticisms. I enjoyed the illustrations immensely. They were vibrant yet contrasting against dark tones. They beautifully captured the atmosphere of what a haven for mad scientists in 19th Century London would be like.
I love the nods towards mad scientists, monsters, and the lore surrounding them from various classic novels. Frankenstein and her monster had a heavy feature in this book. She stirs up Jekyll’s society quite heavily.
The Glass Scientists is humorous and heartfelt, simultaneously a warm hug and a sigh of emotional release. It tackles an array of topics deftly; anything from sex to literature to sexual identity.
“You see, Jekyll just loves caretaking- it’s so much easier to ignore your own problems when you’re fussing over someone else’s.”
I have such a soft spot for Jekyll and the weight that is on his shoulders. He’s confident and reassuring in public, yet riddled with insecurities and fears in private. He seems to grapple with his sexuality and that manifests in different ways. Hyde is mischievous and calculated, offering comedic relief and drama to the story.
“Rachel, we’ve been over this. If you want to shag someone, just walk up to them and say, “Hallo, fancy a shag?” You don’t need all this confectionary pretense.”
There’s also a host of other lovable characters that we are introduced to that I can’t wait to learn more about. I especially enjoyed Rachel and Lanyon, both of whom love the people in their lives fiercely. There’s a heavy found family trope in The Glass Scientists and that’s always a favorite of mine.
I’ll definitely be continuing with this series and am sad that I didn’t know about it until recently. This has the first seven chapters of the webtoon and you can continue on the website or wait for the next volume to come out! It ends on a cliffhanger, so I will be racing over so I can see how Jekyll and Hyde get out of their latest mishaps.
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