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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Batman #435 (July, 1989)
"The Many Deaths of the Batman, Chapter Three: The Last Death of the Batman"
Writer - John Byrne
Penciller - Jim Aparo
Inker - Mike DeCarlo
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler
Editor - Denny O'Neil
Cover Price: $0.75
Let's find out who's been killin' all these Batmen!
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We open on the scene of a murder... no, they haven't killed another Batman... this is something quite different. A young lady by the name of Mary McGinnis was found dead in her apartment, and the Gotham City Police Department have arrived to investigate. While one stuffs his face (I mean eating in front of a dead body is not only gross... it's gotta be a social faux pas, right?) he sees that in her last moments, Ms. McGinnis tried scratching a certain symbol into the carpet.
Speaking of ol' pointy-ears, we shift scenes to Wayne Manor where the man of the house is under strict surveillance. The GCPD are not taking any chances with this prominent Gothamite's life. This is really such an interesting dilemma, and for the first time in awhile made me think that they hit Batman with a "gotcha". I mean, he's the only one who can figure this out... and he's being watched constantly for his own safety. What's more, he actually has an idea as to why the Batmen were killed... ya see, without each of those men, Batman (the real one) would never exist!
We join up with Commissioner Gordon as he gazes into his bulletin board... unable to draw any connection between the dead Batmen. He's interrupted by the unnamed Coroner, and she brings with her some odd information. It turns out the Batman who blew up atop the Gotham Plaza Hotel (at the very end of Batman #433) was already dead at the time the bomb went off. I'm not sure if I mentioned this during that discussion, but he was being propped up by a 2 x 4. This was believed to be the body of demolitions expert Frederick Stone... however, there might just be more than meets the eye here. Gordon suggests the baddie is playing "Leaf in the Forest", which does little more than provide Byrne with an outlet to explain to us what "Leaf in the Forest" is... I bet he'd been holding onto that one for awhile.
We shift scenes to a suburban neighborhood in Park Ridge, just outside Gotham City. A woman arrives to the home of her betrothed, however he's not answering the door. She lets herself in and heads to the basement where she finds... her fiance, putting something in a box. Nothing ominous there, until we realize what he was packing was... a Batman costume!
Back at Wayne Manor, Master Bruce is scratching at the walls to get out. He knows he's the only hope of catching the killer... and, even comes to the conclusion that his secret identity might have to go to the wayside should it come to it. Alfred's all "I got dis" and heats up some lamb in the microwave... the smell of which captivates the guard detail, and removes them from their posts (inside the Manor). I gotta say, lamb in the microwave... hope ya like chewing, officers... cuz I see a lot of it in your near future!
Bruce heads down to the Batcave to run some data. He's already deduced that none of the murder victims were Gotham natives... they'd all been summoned to the city, and so... it's time to study some charters and manifests to see if any names stand out. A half hour later, he's already swinging through the city. He arrives at the Sandberg Hotel where Aurelius Boch is checked in. Ya see, Boch taught a young Bruce Wayne (under the name, Smith) the fine art of toxicology. Among his belongings is a letter... signed Smith! The police arrive with the bad news that Mr. Boch had been killed the day before.
Batman heads to the morgue to check in with Gordon and the still unnamed Coroner. He explains to them that each murder is tied to the next victim... and everything had been thrown off when they got the Bruce Wayne tip, because he wasn't meant to be the "next" victim. He also suggests that the killer is trying to throw them off the scent in not dressing Boch in a Batman costume. The Coroner isn't convinced... but that seems to be her sole purpose here, to be skeptical and have the plot explained to her. Batman confides in the pair that the murders are tied to him... as all the victims had a hand in training him. He produces a list of likely future victims, and suggests the investigating party remain discreet as to not tip off the baddie that they're on to him.
We jump ahead to Trade Winds Import and Export, Inc. where proprietor Mr. Shastri is about to receive a package from a "Mr. Jones". Jones confides in Shastri that he is the Batman... and he needs his help. Ya see, Shastri is an expert on Ophidia... that's snakes and the like to you and me. Shastri's all "not so fast", because ya see... it's he that is the real Batman! He also calls out "Jones" as... Frederick Stone! "Jones" freaks out and throws the contents of the package at "Shastri"... you'll never guess, but it's a Batman costume! An electrified Batman costume to be specific. Jones runs off proclaiming that neither Batman nor his foes will ever harm us... which causes a burnt and melty-faced "Shastri" to take pause.
Back at the Batcave, Batman licks his wounds... and considers his next move. All records of Stone end at his "death", so it would be difficult to make any of the killing stick... somehow. I'm kinda not buying that, but whattayagonnado? Anyhoo, Bruce continues thinking aloud... recalling how Ra's al Ghul was able to suss out Batman's true identity by tracing who was buying equipment. If Ra's could do that, he supposes Stone could as well. If Batman were to, say, use a demolitions technique that only Stone would know... that may tip him off.
We pop back over to Stone... well, Jerry Sawyer that is. He's with his fiancee and ranting like a loon. He fears that his being wrapped up in Batman's beginnings makes them a target to Batman's enemies... which, ya know... is probably a valid concern. Bad guys don't take kindly to folks who help Batman. He comes clean to his soon-to-be bride, about his past as a demolition man. Batman had recently used one of his exclusive techniques, which tipped him off to his part in the training. She's confused as he's currently a florist... the most harmless profession under the Sun! He storms off to "take care of" a "weed" in their "garden"... a man called Campbell.
As he exits, another enters... it's Batman! He tells fiancee Sally that it would be best if she'd left... otherwise, she might accidentally incriminate herself. We rejoin Sawyer/Stone as he is about to visit Mr. Campbell. Posing as room service, he barges his way into the hotel room... and tells the poor fella he's about to die. But first... we're gonna need a bit of a wardrobe change.
Before Sawyer/Stone can run Campbell through with the ceremonial dagger he'd brought... Batman arrives!
He disarms the baddie and pushes him to the floor. He then produces a photo of Mary McGinnis (betcha didn't think that was leading anywhere!). Turns out she was vital in luring Webber (who I'm assuming is the fat Batman who was killed in the final bit of Batman #434). Sawyer realized that she could be a liability if left alive... soooo, he killed her.
Batman is able to trace Sawyer to the murder as when he'd investigated the crime scene (because she scratched that Bat-symbol in the carpet, if you recall) he found traces of a rare chemical fertilizer... the kind that is used in growing Andes Snow Orchids, a flower only sold by three Gotham florists. Whoops. Gordon and the GCPD enter the scene, and Batman turns Sawyer over to them. For some reason he claims that they won't be able to tie the Bat-murders to him... but McGinnis is all his.
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Hmm... as much as I enjoyed this, I gotta say... the ending didn't do a whole lot for me.
Let's discuss my main problem. Frederick Stone/Jerry Sawyer couldn't be linked to the serial Bat-murders? Huh? Just because he faked his own death and changed his name... they can't tie him to the murders? I mean, there's still DNA, dental records... all that jazz, so why not? I mean, just because a fella changes his name that doesn't mean he's free and clear to just start a new life, right? Mr. Stone wasn't placed in witness protection or anything.
I'd figure we've got him dead to rights after he attempted to kill "Mr. Shastri", right? It wouldn't be difficult at that point to get a search warrant at the very least... and maybe take a look at the guy's basement "Batman killing" laboratory. Also, was killing Batman his endgame? Did he ever say one way or another, and I just missed it? If not... and if he really just wanted a clean "safe" start... why not just fake his own death, and move away from Gotham? Maybe I'm missing something.
I can almost understand his being worried that his part in training Batman. I mean, this is the late 1980's, and Bat-associates aren't really having the best of times around now. I know I wouldn't want any part in it! But again... why not just move far away from Gotham and go about your life as a harmless florist? He wouldn't even necessarily need to fake his own death at that point... just move away. Staying in Gotham seems a bad idea for the regular civilian... much less this dude.
I suppose my main takeaway here is... why kill all of the other people involved in Batman's training? Just to make it look like a crime spree? To make Stone just "one of" the victims... becoming lost in a sea of other dead dudes in Batman costumes? I dunno... seems like an awful lot of work.
Overall, despite my complainy bits, I really dug this story... and feel like Byrne has a wonderful take on Batman. I said it before but, it really would have been nice if Byrne had an extended run with the character around now. I suppose a one-and-done story isn't all bad... and beggars can't be choosers. I'd definitely recommend this, with the personal caveat that I didn't find the ending terribly satisfying. Available digitally.
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Batman #434 (June, 1989)
"The Many Deaths of the Batman, Chapter Two: How Many Times Can a Batman Die?"
Writer - John Byrne
Penciller - Jim Aparo
Inker - Mike DeCarlo
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler
Editor - Denny O'Neil
Cover Price: $0.75
Let's check in with Part Two of The Many Deaths of the Batman to see if the words have caught up with the art! That is to say... will there be any words? Let's find out!
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We open with Batman chasing a caped baddie across rooftops in Paris. The chase leads them to a pier and ends with them both falling into the drink. This segues pretty seamlessly to a scene in Gotham City wherein the GCPD are fishing a "Batman" out of the river.
This time around, Gordon's got no time to mess about... he unmasks the body just as soon as they get him on a gurney. He's surprised to see that this Batman is, in actuality, Mark Jenner... a legendary stock car racer whose career was cut short when he was paralyzed in a wreck some years back. The Assistant Coroner suggests that being paralyzed would be the perfect "cover story" for a guy who is really Batman but the Commish ain't buying it... after all, this is the fourth dead Batman to turn up in the last twelve hours.
We join Gordon some hours later at his office. He's poring over photos of the dead Batmen, who include Jenner, a demolitions expert named Stone, a chemist named Kingsley, and a bodybuilder named LaSalle. He is interrupted by the unnamed Coroner, who has some deets from the Jenner autopsy. The water they found in his lungs was tap water... suggesting that while he did drown, it wasn't in the river.
We shift scenes to a trendy gym called the Swet Shop (misspelling intentional?). One Peter Allison swaggers in, he's a world-class gymnast and is here to put on a bit of a show for proprietor Hank Jones. He heads into the dressing room, and emerges... dressed like Batman. Jones is a bit surprised... though Allison is adamant that Jones sent him a letter with an offer of twenty-thousand dollars to perform in a Batman costume. Just as he begins... he is shot through the heart with a crossbow!
It's not long before the GCPD swarm the gym and begin questioning poor Mr. Jones. Turns out a third party had sent letter to both he and the late Mr. Allison to arrange the demonstration and make it seem as though both men were the interested party. We see that the assassin left his crossbow behind and escaped through a vent in a storage room. Gordon suggests that whoever "pulled the trigger" must have been quite the skilled marksman. Talk about timing, Hank informs the Commish that Olympic Crossbow champion Raphael DiGiorda just landed in Gotham City this very morning!
Back in France, Batman deposits the caped crim to the cops. It's here that he gets an eyeful of the front page news... Batman, Mort! Seems like this is new information to him!
Back in Gotham, Gordon and the Coroner are making a beeline to Mr. DiGiorda's... I dunno, Hotel? Along the way, the Coroner mentions that she still believes Jenner to be the "real" Batman, using his paralysis as a cover. She just won't let that go. I mean, it's a decent enough theory... but when one of the very few folks on the planet to sorta-kinda know Batman tells ya you're barking up the wrong tree... it's probably best to drop it. Anyhoo... they barge their way into DiGiorda's pad, and wouldn'tcha know it, he's dressed like Batman!
They go about their questioning... walking the line between accusing him of wrongdoing and warning him that he might be in danger. He informs them that he'd received the costume from... Bruce Wayne (record skip sound here). The Coroner comes up with another kooky theory... perhaps the bored playboy Mr. Wayne is the killer... and his ultimate bounty is the real-deal Batman! Gordon quickly poo-poos that idea. While they argue, they don't notice DiGiorda dying behind them. He's been poisoned!
Next stop, Wayne Manor. The Commish and the Coroner arrive and share the story of the past 24 hours. He thinks on it a bit before asking Alfred if any packages had arrived. Turns out there just so happens to be a box from Acme Costumes in the mail. Wanna guess what's inside it? Yup.
As he pulls the Bat-togs outta the box, the utility belt clunks to the floor. An officer picks it up, and latches the buckle... which is pretty dumb. The officers and Bruce are pleased to see that such an act did not trigger an explosion. What it did trigger, however, was an acidic reaction in the costume itself. Meaning... if Bruce were wearing it, he'd be little more than a puddle at this point!
While Bruce and Gordon try to figure out their next move, we wrap up by visiting with a... heavy-set gentleman dressed as Batman entering a bedroom to be with a, er... "city gal". Turns out he's just the next Batman to die!
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A very solid chapter.
I was pleased to see that this issue was not without dialogue. This was definitely a Jim Gordon story, and it was a damn good one. While much of the "detective work" was predicated on convenience, it was still entertaining to watch him work his way through the clues.
The story itself, having to do with notable names receiving letters and packages from a "mystery mailer" feels like something out of the Silver Age. Not a bad thing, to be sure. I appreciate that this feels like an updated take on a story of old... seems right up Byrne's alley. It's a shame his stay on Batman was so short. I think he could've done some amazing things with the character.
Aparo's art continues to be top-notch... the multitude of balloons and captions proved not to be a hindrance. Speaking of art, the cover by Byrne is pretty wicked too. We've seen covers featuring heroes in "the drawers" before, but this one is super cool. Not only does it look great, it fits the story perfectly!
Interesting thing I realized after finishing up the first chapter yesterday... it's an issue of Batman... about Batman, that didn't feature a single panel of the Batman! In reading this second chapter, I thought it interesting that the actual "Batman" scenes... that is to say, the ones occurring in France, were... silent! I gotta wonder if these bits were originally intended for the silent issue... and pushed out for some reason. Might just be thinking too hard... but that's kinda what I do.
Overall, lotta fun with this one. The Many Deaths of the Batman is a great story, and I would certainly recommend it. I'm surprised it hasn't shown up (at least to my knowledge) in collected edition. Perhaps that's due to Byrne's stint being so short. I'm sure had we written a few more issues, he would've gotten a trade paperback. Anyhoo, this one is available digitally.
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