Reviews: Madman TPB

I know I eventually want to get the Madman Gargantua HC. But this TPB seems to be a lot more affordable. I wonder if this TPB is printed as part of Gargantua? If it is, obviously I wouldn't want to get it because of the repeat.

But hey...it might be more affordable in the near future.

BOOKSHELF
Trade paperback reviews for books on sale Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Posted August 21, 2007 11:00 AM

MADMAN VOL. 1
Writer: Mike Allred
Artist: Mike Allred

He might be a madman, but so are you if you’re not thinking about picking up this trade, which collects the first volume of Mike Allred’s Madman Adventure series. This collection serves up a delightfully entertaining series presented as ’50s-style superhero pulp mixed with touches of modernistic self-realism. Whether contemplating his inability to drop the f-bomb (instead of saying “fart”) or saving a damsel in distress from street beatniks, Frank Einstein is a masterfully constructed protagonist whose zany innocence proves an endearing character trait readers can’t help but love. Images such as Frank plummeting to Earth like a meteor or being lifted out of the water by a dinosaur tail literally pop off the page and express a quality of art harkening back to childhood days of reading comics on the porch steps. However, don’t let the art and general fun-loving feel of the story fool you. The series is definitely not meant for kids, as there are numerous scenes of extensive violence and a couple moments of adult situations. But if you love pop culture, wacky adventures and comics that don’t take themselves too seriously, this series is the cure to your madness.
Price: $24.99
Reviewed by: Kevin Mahadeo


I've also read some awesome reviews of this mini-series about Wolverine's clone-daughter, X-23. Something I could consider too:

X-23: TARGET X
Writers: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost
Artist: Mike Choi

For a character that initially got a bad rap for being nothing but a female Wolverine, X-23 has developed into an intriguing and likable figure. As they follow Laura’s attempt to seek a normal life, writers Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost provide humor and heartbreak as they intersperse violent flashbacks to X-23’s past with very human moments like her trying to fit in at school. Laura’s commitment to her cousin Megan and her struggle to protect her from the bitchy femme fatale Kimura and her own uncontrollable dark instincts grounds and humanizes X-23 while also showing what a true hero she is. The presence of Captain America and Daredevil cements X-23’s place in the Marvel Universe, but without question, the best guest appearance comes from “big brother” Wolverine himself, who throws down with Laura in an insane battle that earns its glorious double-page splash. The combination of Mike Choi’s smooth, beautiful style and Sonia Oback’s lush color techniques provides Laura and her surroundings with a poignant beauty that only makes it even more jarring when the inescapable violence and bloodshed of X-23’s life shatters the serenity she’s searching for.
Price: $15.99
Reviewed by: Megan Sherlock