The Superman/Madman Hullabaloo! #1 (June, 1997)
"Man and Super-Madman!"
Story & Art - Mike Allred
Colors & Separations - Laura Allred
Lettering - Sean Konot
Editors - Bob Schreck, Mike Carlin & Jamie S. Rich
Special Thanks - Alyce Raeford & Jacqui Jones-Rozier
For - Christopher Reeve
Cover Price: $2.95
The word "Hullabaloo" doesn't get enough play anymore... same with "Ballyhoo". While we're at it... hubbub and brouhaha are good ones to.
What the hell am I talking about? I dunno... sometimes when I have trouble writing a preamble I just vamp for a bit in hopes that something worth reading will drip from my fingers into the keyboard.
Can't win 'em all! On to the book...
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We open in Metropolis with Superman soaring through the sky carrying a cybernetic arm. From here we jump immediately to Snap City in an alternate reality... this is the home of Frank Einstein (say that real fast... you'll get it) otherwise known as Madman! We get a brief recap of Madman's origin... which, I gotta say, is welcome. I have a slight Madman collection in my library and always thought the character was cool, but I would never suggest that I'm anything akin to an expert.
For those in the same boat, lemme 'splain. He was once a "John Doe" delivered dead-on-arrival to a scientist named Dr. Udo. He, along with an associate Dr. Gillespie Flem were able to piece it all together and bring the corpse back to life... naming this fella after a pair of their heroes... Frank Sinatra and Albert Einstein... I'd have figured Mary Shelley'd be in there somewhere, but whattayagonnado? We see some (I assume) members of Madman's cast, including perhaps/likely a love interest named Joe.
One evening while watching television, Frank receives a call from Dr. Flem in Buzztown. He's got a job for him! He's been working on a rocket to bridge the gap between alternate realities and is hopeful that Madman will pilot the thing. Ya see where this is headed, right? Anyhoo, speaking of alternate realities, we rejoin Superman as he's headed to check on some outer space energy pulses for Dr. Emil Hamilton.
And so, they both do as they're asked... and bada bing bada boom, a reaction occurs which causes them to each pass through the spatial rift... resulting in two amalgamated version of the heroes, one for each reality!
The one with Superman's brain winds up in Madman's reality. It's pretty neat, he's in Dr. Flem's rocket... and it crashes in a field. Deja vu all over again! He's shocked to see that he's bleeding... and when he goes to fly, well... he can't! In Metropolis, the amalgamated hero with Einstein's brain crashes to the ground... and is shocked to see that he's suffered very little injury from the impact. He is soon overcome by his own potential... unknowingly having a whole lot of Superman's powers would probably be something you'd have to get used to! After seeing how fast he can run... and how high he can jump, Frank decides maybe he'd be better off walking... at a brisk pace.
Over the next few pages, our Super-Madmen become a bit more acclimated to their new surroundings. We'll refer to them by the brain they have... for my sanity and yours. Superman uses what remains of his telescopic vision to scan the horizon. Madman walks to a gas station and asks to use the bathroom. Superman is shortly joined by Dr. Flem, Joe, and Mott... and it's deduced that, er... a creature from another dimension has possessed their man Frank! Meanwhile, in the truck stop toilet, Madman washes up... and is pleasantly surprised to see how handsome he's become!
We meet up with Frank a bit later as he strolls through the streets of Metropolis. He attempts to try on a pair of sunglasses from a street vendor, and not knowing his own strength, pops the lenses right out of them... briefly giving him the ol' Clark Kent look. At this point, who should wander by but Lois Lane! She immediately recognizes her, I wanna say fiance... but might be husband at this point. Either way, he's wearing a gaudy Superman costume, so he's hard to miss.
Back in Buzztown, Superman is taken to Dr. Flem's secret underground lab... or, what's left of it. A helpful footnote informs us that it had been destroyed in Madman Comics #9.
In Metropolis, Lois tries to get to the bottom of why "Superman" is referring to himself as "Frank". She asks him to take her in his arms and fly them somewhere private to talk. Frank ain't so sure... he's not really good at this flying thing. He gives it the ol' college try, and manages to pull them both to a high landing. Crass though it may be, I think I'd be remiss not to mention that we see a, *ahem* bit more of Lois here than I was expecting.
Back in Buzztown, Superman and Dr. Flem crunch some data. They figure out pretty much exactly what happened. The way Superman sees it, he's currently at 1/8 his power level, so he assumes Frank's got the other 7/8.
Just then back in Metropolis, a robbery takes place! A suited man runs down the street, pursued by yet another. The first one is struck by a car... but shakes it off. He aims his gun at the second, however, before he can fire Super-Madman slides into panel to take the barrage to the belly.
The bad guy is annoyed by the sight of "Superman"... and Frank plucks the bullets from his torso (they didn't quite "bounce" off). The thief gets a better look at our (mad)man and is all "nah, this ain't Superman" and so, he presses his pistol into the base of his neck. The issue closes out with Lois running in to plead with him not to shoot.
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I really had no idea what to expect here. I thought teaming Madman and Superman up would be a strange event... and hard to really conceptualize. What we get here, while perhaps not as novel as a "true" team-up was certainly a lot of fun... and, comic-bookily speaking, makes sense.
Like I said during the synopsis... I have very little "working knowledge" of Madman. I've grabbed the odd issue every now and again... I may even have a trade or two that I haven't gotten around to yet... but I've always thought he was one of the cooler looking characters to come out. His costume is minimalist and iconic all at once, and his colorful world and cast just begs to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, time is a premium and we don't always get to read everything we want. I'll refrain from referring to that tired old Burgess Meredith Twilight Zone meme... whoops, too late.
I think the backstory we get for Frank works fine for what the story is going for. This isn't meant to be Madman 101... but the bits and pieces do help familiarize us with one of our leading men. I'm just glad we didn't get the old "rocketed from the doomed planet Krypton" spiel again. I guess Allred figured folks might just know who Superman is at this point... and I'm thankful for that!
As for the story itself. An interesting premise with Superman and Madman kinda sklorping into one another... and popping out amalgamated versions. Show of hands, how many folks added the word "amalgam" to their vocabulary after the DC/Marvel event? I know I did! It was perhaps a bit convenient that both heroes almost immediately ran into the supporting cast of the other, but this is a three-issue series, we gotta get where we're going.
I thought it was pretty interesting that Lois was so chill with this odd version of her beau popping up. She took it all in stride. Not even having her panties flashed to the bustling Metropolis streets could slow her down. Also, the Allred's depiction of Lois was really very nice. I like this look for her a lot... and instantly identifiable. If this character had shown up in any comic, I gotta say, one of the first thoughts to pop into my head would be "that's Lois Lane".
While discussing art... hey, this issue's got a bunch of that... and damn is it nice! This is such a pretty book to behold, so bright and colorful... and the character designs look amazing. It's so vibrant... but at the same time, subtle. It took me until my second read-through to even realize that they amalgamated the Superman and Madman logos! If you look at Frank, he's got the classic "S"... but the shield is shaped like the Madman "lightning bolt exclamation point". Superman has the classic "shield", however, inside is the Madman "lightning bolt". So subtle... and so awesome! A detail that could have been left out, and not effected the story one bit... but it being there somehow adds a great deal to my enjoyment.
Overall, I had a blast with this. Wasn't sure what to expect, but was damn happy with what we got. The only negative I can raise is that... I've looked for the second and third issues of this for years... without any luck! So, in order to finish this... I gotta launch a hunt. For those who'd rather read this all in one go... DC/Dark Horse released a trade paperback wayyy back in 1998, which is available at a low price on Amazon. For this story, plus a few more Dark Horse/DC Comics crossovers, be sure to check out Dark Horse/DC Comics Crossovers: Superman (also available digitally). Definitely give this one a look if you come across it.
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Back Cover (because it's awesome):
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Interesting Ads:
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Batman/Hellboy/Starman #2 (February, 1999)
"Jungle Green Horror"
Writer - James Robinson
Art - Mike Mignola
Colorist - Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer - Willie Schubert
Editor - Peter Tomasi
Cover Price: $2.50
Well, Batman just tagged out to Starman... let's go fight some Lovecraftian Nazis... yup. If you need/want to catch up, part one discussed right here.
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We pick up a bit after where we left off last issue... Batman is preparing to restart his Joker-hunt, but first, has arranged transportation for Hellboy and Starman to the South American village of San Diablo. On board, Hellboy and Jack discuss the possible reasons why the Knights of October would want his father... whether there's any metaphysical angle to the elder-Knight's work. Jack informs Hellboy that metaphysics really ain't his dad's thing. Jack then goes to sleep.
As the pair approach their destination, Hellboy wakes Jack up and gives him the quick 'n dirty about their operation. We learn that San Diablo was at one time a copper mining town... and the big Nazi boss is Otto Dantz. I mean, we already knew that bit... but we get some backstory here. He is the son of a war criminal... and his Knights of October have some sort of link to the Knights of Templar.
The plane reaches their destination, and the pair hop out using Jack's cosmic rod to safely descend... until, of course they are blasted with a Nazi death ray! They are thankfully able to shake it off... and land without incident. Of course, at this point... they find themselves in a hail of gunfire from Nazi soldiers wearing night-vision goggles!
A fight is on, and Jack and Hellboy are able to hold their own. At this point, Hellboy notices the fact that the baddies are all wearing those night-vision goggles... hmm, and Jack's cosmic rod can really light up the night, right?
With the Nazi grunts out of the way, our duo (plus a hostage) head toward San Diablo proper. There are swastika flags hanging from the buildings and a strange glowing light beaming from a sort of cannon into what appears to be a crater.
Hellboy "convinces" their hostage to spill the beans... and we learn that the Knights of October are trying to raise an... elder god to "do their bidding". Ya know, like an H.P. Lovecraft critter... turns out this one's called Suggor Yogeroth... can't say that without my mouth feeling like it's full of cotton. Anyhoo, Hellboy tells Jack that this isn't so weird, as Lovecraft... "knew some stuff". Interesting...
The hostage continues... Ted Knight was kidnapped due to his familiarity with the stars. The Knights are looking to draw energy from a particular star in order to raise the god. Jack's all "never gonna happen"... but the hostage informs him that Dantz is not above using mind-altering drugs to meet his ends. Before the conversation ends... the god begins emerging!
Hellboy bonks their hostage... and the pair look to hop to it. Unfortunately, neither has a plan. Ehh, that's no problem... Jack will just fly in and start blasting!
Inside the compound, the Ratzis are beginning to panic... one heads in to inform Dantz as to the goings on. His initial reaction is to blow Ted Knight's head off his shoulders as he "knows too much". Good thing Hellboy is there to stop him, and snag Jack's pop.
Hellboy brings Ted to safety... and inoculates him with a syringe full of anti-toxin to rouse him from his slumberous state. Here we have an interesting conversation about what to do with that, ya know... elder god. Ted Knight is all science, and Hellboy is all metaphysics. There is no contention, but the pair are definitely coming at this from two very different angles. Hellboy posits that he may be a prayer he can send the beast back with.
He instructs Jack to attack the creature to weaken it while he dismantles the Nazi compound and sets about getting his prayer on. The sky is illuminated with star blasts and green lights... and ultimately, the light cannon falls onto the elder god.
Dantz is running after the heroes wildly waving his fist about... until the explosion. The entire village explodes, leaving Jack, Ted and Hellboy standing alone in the jungle. Just then, their ride home flies overhead... Batman.
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Gotta say, I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I thought I would. It seems that whenever there's an inter-company crossover, that event in itself sort of overshadows any potential story. I mean, in so many cases it's the spectacle of seeing two (or more) heroes from different universes in the same panel that "sells" the thing. Any story that was to follow was sort of secondary.
Here, however... we've got a story, setting, and tone that suit the heroes involved. Like I'd said yesterday... this story would feel right at home in an issue of Batman, Starman, or Hellboy... this is the way you do crossovers. We're not worried about how Hellboy found his way into the DC Universe... because, that doesn't matter. Batman knows things... and he's heard of Hellboy... that's all we need to concern ourselves with.
A few points... I liked the use of H.P. Lovecraft lore here, especially with Hellboy's mention of Lovecraft "knowing stuff". I will concede I have very little experience with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, but the little I have read is written in such a way that they are being told from the point of view of an observer. That would certainly lend to the idea that what he was writing wasn't (entirely) fictional. Really like that.
The discrepancy between Ted Knight and Hellboy's points of view was interesting, and quite well done. It is plainly stated by Jack that his father (despite having teamed with diety-power-levelled folks) does not believe in the afterlife. Well, Hellboy being the son of you know who, certainly comes at it from a different angle. They maintain a level of professional respect for one another, and seem (almost) open to accept what the other person is saying. Very well done, not at all soap-boxy like these scenes can (and often do) become. Just a great bit.
All my thoughts in regard to storytelling, dialogue and art from yesterday's piece are echoed here. This was a great two-and-done, it feels as though things happened... but nothing so great that it will need to be addressed in the future. Not an "out of continuity" waste of time by any stretch. Just a nice story utilizing fun characters. Definitely recommended... I listed the ways in which this issue (and series) is available in yesterday's post.
Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1 (January, 1999)
"Gotham Grey Evil"
Writer - James Robinson
Art - Mike Mignola
Colorist - Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer - Willie Schubert
Editor - Peter Tomasi
Special Thanks - Archie Goodwin
Cover Price: $2.50
They say if you love something you ought to let it go... and if it comes back, yadda yadda yadda. At the risk of projecting, I think we comics enthusiasts have something similar... we see a book that sorta-kinda catches our eye in the shop... buuuuut, we don't quite pull the trigger. We say to ourselves, "if it's there next time... I'll grab it!" Sometimes you get burned... sometimes you get lucky. Such was the case with today's subject.
This two-parter caught my eye in the back-issue bins at a nearby Half-Price Books... and for whatever reason, I didn't seal the deal... I decided if it were still there upon my next visit... well, you know the rest. Anyhoo... that is my excessive and long-winded way of saying... I dunno, Yay for this book!
Was it worth the gamble? Well, let's find out!
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We open with helicopters hovering above the Gotham City skyline. Their spotlights are transfixed... on the Joker! It isn't long before Batman is on the scene, and in hot pursuit. A brief rooftop chase concludes when the Joker tosses a disturbingly cute Joker-bomb... causing one hell of an explosion. The pilots consider that the Joker perished in the blast... proving that this must be their first day on the job. Later on Batman meets with Commissioner Gordon and they discuss the clown that got away.
We jump ahead to (perhaps) the following day where the Golden-Age Starman, Ted Knight is about to give a lecture on alternative energies at the behest of one Bruce Wayne. This alternative energy is somehow linked with his cosmic rod... the crowd seems quite into the idea, when...
Nazis arrive! No kidding, this assembly is crashed by a group of magic-wielding Nazi skinheads... that's not something I'd ever expected to type! Anyhoo, Knight does his best to fight them off, but there's only so much an old man can do. Batman enters the fracas, and while he is able to hold his own... he cannot stop the creeps from kidnapping the elder Knight.
Batman continues fighting... and all of the skinheads escape, save one. The baddie looks at the bat... informs him that "It will soon be October", and then self-destructs in a blast of green magical whatzits.
Later that night Batman is summoned to the Gotham City Police Department via the Bat-Signal. Upon arrival, he is informed that it wasn't Jim Gordon that summoned him... it was... Hellboy!
Hellboy had already heard of the Nazi skinhead threat, and feels that they match the description of a group that the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) are currently checking out... the Knights of October... and due to his experience dealing with magical threats, he offers Batman a partnership... Batman hems and haws, but ultimately accepts the help.
Batman and Hellboy go about town looking for information... they visit a sort of seer, who tells them to speak with a fella called Giovani. Giovani, a mechanic, tells them they're barking up the wrong tree and they need to check in with Morty Slade. Morty Slade... well, he's their guy. Batman visits his shabby apartment where he is greeted by a frantic Morty wearing his tighty-whiteys... that is to say, his own undies... not Batman's. He attempts to escape through the window by... well, throwing himself through the window. He then climbs the fire escape to the roof where he runs directly into big red.
Morty proves to be an extremely easy nut to crack, and he guides them to an abandoned airstrip outside of Gotham City. The place is swarming with skinheads... which leads to one helluva battle. While the pair of heroes are bustin' skulls, we see a Herr Otto Dantz has loaded Ted Knight into a small plane and is planning on taking him to San Diablo... which, via a quick Google search is quite the flight... all the way to the Marvel Universe, in fact! Okay okay, we'll play along. Anyhoo, he advises a skinhead grunt to fight Batman and Hellboy to the death if he must.... then tells him to use the "Spell of Passage".
The plane starts to take off and Batman throws a bat-line into the landing gear. It looks like it'll be academic from this point, but a passenger on board the craft jumps out onto Batman exclaiming "For October". Batman is knocked loose, and is able to maneuver the suicide jumper to break his fall.
Inside the hangar, several skinheads are standing in a sort of ceremonial circle. They are chanting as one plunges a blade directly through the swastika tattoo on his chest. From it erupts a blast of energy which sends Nazis flying. Hellboy recognizes this as the Spell of Passage, and advises Batman to grab onto something lest he be sucked into it's pull.
Batman tosses a line which wraps around a beam, and grabs Hellboy by the arm as the spell really starts "sucking". They are able to hold on until the portal closes... they now sit alone.
Batman and Hellboy return to Gotham where they meet with Jim Gordon to inform him of the goings on. Batman is interrupted with news that the Joker is at it again... and he'll need to sit this Knights of October mission out. Hellboy is prepared to go it alone, however... that is not necessary. Jack Knight, the current Starman will come along for the ride!
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Dang... this was quite good! Somehow Robinson was able to craft a story that would feel completely at home in a Batman... Hellboy... AND Starman book! It's not often these crossovers (especially inter-company ones) can pull this off. It feels completely natural, and not forced in the slightest. Sure, Hellboy's not from the DC Universe... but, who cares? This is some great comics... and we can allow it.
I didn't give it much service during the synopsis... but Batman was really kind of standoffish with Hellboy upon their meeting atop the GCPD. He seemed quite put off at the thought of having to work with him... almost taking it as a blow to his ego. His not knowing the difference between "electricity" and "magic" seemed to really bother him. Having to rely on a subject matter expert really must have put him in his place.
I'd forgotten how likable Hellboy is... he just takes everything in stride here. He's affable and really interested in helping out... even to the point where he gets down on himself for not being as helpful as he'd hoped. It is at this point that Batman seems to become more accepting of his presence.
Not a whole lotta Starman in this issue... just a few pages of the elder, and a cameo of Jack at the end. Looks like next issue will feature far less Batman... so, that's fine... we'll get more Jack next time around.
Overall... this is definitely a story I think folks should seek out. The story and dialogue are top notch... and like I said above, would feel at home in the "native" books of all three participants. The art is some good Mignola... and I really dig some Mignola. It's dark without being moody... it's not line heavy without being simplistic. Just a wonderfully drawn book. His takes on both Batman and Jack Knight are great!
It looks like this was just collected in what appears to be a completely wild DC Comics/Dark Horse Comics Crossovers trade paperback. It's currently available at a pretty deep discount at In Stock Trades... if you can't track down the singles, this option is out there! It is also available digitally.
We've got no letters page or ads to look at today, so I will include the full wrap-around cover instead.
