Writer & Artist: Faith Erin Hicks
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Artists: Faith Erin Hicks & Lee Loughridge; Ryan Sook; Guillem March; Michael Walsh; Stjepan Sejic
Designer: Jillian Crab
Editor: Alex Antone
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Helen grew up in Thebes with her British father and Egyptian mother. She played with Egyptian children when she was a child. When her father sent her to a British school, the differences between Helen and her Egyptian friends grew apparent. In her teens, Helen disdained her fellow Brits and yearned for acceptance from her Egyptian peers. So, to protect her reputation, her father forbade Helen from seeing Essam, Iahmesu, and the other Egyptian teens.
As Helen grew, a spirit observed her. The woman cannot remember her name. She does not understand her place in the scheme of things. Yet she is drawn to Helen like metal to a magnet. When one of her father’s workers opens a scroll and speaks forbidden words, the spirit slips into Helen’s body. It befriends her, but Helen retains control of her body. How will Helen’s life change when she travels to Cairo in 1932? Let’s grab our picks and shovels, leap into Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2, and find out!
Story
Neither Helen nor the spirit wants to attend the evening gala. But she is grateful to Dr Mueller for giving her a reprieve from her mother's badgering. The museum is celebrating the discovery of an ancient Egyptian princess. So, Helen forces her spirit friend to endure a dull evening as recompense for her host's generosity.
In Faith Erin Hicks’ story, her contemporaries in Cairo regard Helen as strange. Like Iahmesu, Helen seems too different to befriend. But Helen is inured to people keeping their distance by now. So, when she meets Frank Whemple, Helen is surprised to discover she likes him. Helen may not adore him as she did Essam. Still, they share intriguing similarities. Her parents' world revolves around etiquette, status, and sexual prejudice. Frank inhabits that world. Yet, unlike her parents, Frank values her opinion.
In Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2, the mummy that awakened when an archeologist read from an ancient scroll returns. For the first time since the night it slipped into Helen’s body, the ancient spirit inside Helen will yearn for her former life. And as she seeks to reclaim her past, two steadfast companions will vie for control.
Art
Helen reads a newspaper as she rides in a chauffeur-driven car. Despite her elegant dress, fur stole, and praise for a spectacular discovery, Helen exhibits none of the happiness she felt when Essam smiled at her. After ascending the steps of the imposing museum, she walks past people, statues, and displays. Helen's eyes widen when she beholds the facial features portrayed in a mummy case.
Lee Loughridge applies limited colors to Faith Erin Hicks’ art in Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2. The color of the mummy case changes from beige to brown when Helen perceives a resemblance to her tanned features. Amid the purple and gray surroundings, Helen’s red dress shines. Her blazing green eyes link her with the green darkness outside. They also tie her to Frank's father, who wears a green suit and helped unearth the mummy at her father's dig in 1921.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou incants uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons. The letters grow bold for inflection and raised voices. Smaller, lowercase words indicate lowered voices. Blue words in pale blue cloudy balloons convey the ancient spirit that is Helen’s constant companion. Sound effects enhance manic laughter, banging fists, and screaming in Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound, and Universal for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
After her isolated youth, Helen fears a husband who will dominate her life. When she meets a British archeologist, Helen wonders if she could love the easygoing man. But Helen cannot claim sole ownership of her body, and the broken spirit inside her senses a chance for completeness. Respect for cultural differences, the battle between education and religion, and undying love enchant like music from a Thebes' nightclub in Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2.
Rating 9.6/10
For more available covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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