Madman Comics The G-Men From Hell #1 (of 4)
[Dark Horse Comics $2.95 US $4.50 CAN]
Written & Illustrated by Mike Allred
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Don’t let the title of this comic fool you. It’s really Madman Comics #17 (check the indicia) so if you’re a Madman Comics reader and decided to pass on this mini, you’d better head to your local shop and pick one up or you’re going to be surprised when Madman Comics #21 comes out and the last issue you own is #16. I can see why Allred went this route with the series. The G-Men from Hell arc looks to be a pivotal turning point for the Madman character and it has been a while since the shelves were graced by the presence of a Madman Comics issue (November ’99). It has the added benefit of being a nice tie-in to Allred’s upcoming G-Men From Hell movie.

Issue one opens with Frank (Madman) back in his observatory home overseeing repairs to the damage caused by Dr. Boiffard’s mutating into a giant brain. He and Joe (his girlfriend) are reminiscing about old times when Joe’s friend, Sadie shows up asking Frank to find out what’s happened to her boyfriend and Joe’s old employer, Mike Mattress. It turns out that he and his partner, Dean Crept, have disappeared. You’ve probably already guessed it but these two characters are the G-Men from Hell mentioned in the title. Frank has had run-ins with them before and they’re not his favorite people in the world. Basically they’re escapees from Hell who have come back to Earth and gone into the private detective business to do good deeds and earn back their souls. Frank, because he loves Joe and would do just about anything she asked and because he’s a nice guy, does some snooping and discovers the two G-Men from Hell being held hostage in the Mondstadt Building.

It looks like we’re going to be in for some major revelations about Madman’s origins. You see Frank Einstein (Frankenstein, get it?) isn’t Madman’s real name. He picked the name and the persona of Madman because he didn’t remember a thing about his past.

As a jumping on point for new readers this issue will be a tough sell. As a long time Madman Comics reader (since the Tundra days), it’s almost a tough jumping on point for me. Allred has spent too much time away from his flagship series and it’s hard to work up the same kind of interest I did when it came out regularly. I probably need to pull out my run of Madman Comics and reread them. It seems like the old spark isn’t there any more on this title but perhaps it’s my enthusiasm that’s waned. That’s sad because it used to be one of my favorites.

Allred’s art is, as always, wonderful. You’ll see no huge splash pages or wacky panel placements in an Allred illustrated story. His storytelling hearkens back to another era and the art is infused with Allred’s retro design sensibilities. I do have a little complaint about the paper stock Allred is currently using on all of his comics. I don’t know if the series is selling fewer copies and a cheaper paper grade keeps the price from rising or if he’s trying to invoke feelings of nostalgia with the newsprint look and feel of the comic. But when you’re paying $2.95 in the U.S. and $4.50 in Canada for 24 color pages of story you kind of expect it to have a heftier feel. It’s odd to pick up a modern comic and have it feel like a fifty-cent era DC or Marvel.

If you’re new to Allred’s work, I recommend picking up a few of the Madman trades before you dive into this G-Men from Hell story arc. Or if you want a cheaper alternative give The Atomics a try. All issues should still be available for reorder if your retailer doesn’t have them in stock. The Madman trades can also be ordered on-line at www.darkhorse.com.