Image Comics’ new line of Universal Monsters comics is far better than the studios' aborted Dark Universe ever could have been. The Universal Monsters are some of the most recognizable figures in pop culture, and have been subjected to numerous reboots over time. Image struck gold last year with retooled versions of these classic monsters, putting to shame the studio’s recent output. 1w5w29

The Universal Monsters were introduced to the world back in 1923 with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and from there, the studio released more films and built up its monstrous roster. Since then, these monsters have dominated pop culture through sequels, remakes, in-person attractions, and now comic books from Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics.

In 2017, Universal Pictures tried to give new life to the classic Universal Monsters with The Mummy. Unfortunately, the film performed poorly, and Universal's failed cinematic universe starring Tom Cruise never took off. Some of the films that would have been a part of the Dark Universe included the likes of Van Helsing, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, and The Bride of Frankenstein. Supposedly, these films would also have been connected in some way, but how that would have happened will never be seen on screen.

Both Wolf Man movies feature moon-howling beasts, but can the reboot match the original's legacy?

When we look back on this period of Hollywood movies and decide which reboots and remakes actually deserve to come with us, Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man should be among them. After Universal's attempted cinematic universe was DOA, the 2020 horror film showed the classic monsters had more to offer than brand recognition by finding something about the 1933 original that spoke to today and mining it for well-executed scares. I it as the kind of movie I was telling friends they had to see as soon as I left the theater.

Wolf Man producer Bea Sequeira details how the monster movie, like many Blumhouse films, is the perfect combination of scary and emotional.

Wolf Man is a reboot of the classic Universal Monsters movie The Wolfman. This version from Blumhouse and visionary director Leigh Whannell follows a man who inherits his father's home when he is presumed dead. After an attack by a wild animal, he starts to act strangely, causing his family to be caught between the animal outside, and the monster he is becoming.

Julia Garner explains why Christopher Abbott's slow transition throughout Wolf Man makes Leigh Whannell's monster movie that much scarier.

Blumhouse's new horror film, Wolf Man, tells the story of a man, Blake (played by Christopher Abbott), who inherits his childhood home after his father disappears and is assumed dead. As the family approaches the farmhouse, they’re attacked by an unseen animal in the dead of night, causing them to barricade themselves inside the home. However, as the night stretches on, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable.

Christopher Abbott shares how Blake in Wolf Man shares similarities with Colin in Possessor and discusses an injury that minorly affected the movie.