Madman Library Edition Volume 1

Madman Library Edition #1

by Mike Allred, Laura Allred (Illustrator), Han Allred (Illustrator)

The Madman comics universe begins here--with over 600 pages drawn by legendary comics creator Michael Allred! For the first time, Madman 's debut series is presented in color for the ultimate surreal superhero reading experience in a deluxe, oversized, hardcover format.

From Madman's first appearance through his mysterious origins to his adventures throughout time, space, and pop-art absurdity; follow Frank Einstein's superhero alter ego Madman as he adventures through Snap City and encounters many zany and timeless characters and villains in this true homage to superhero fiction, metaphysical philosophy, 1950s science fiction films, rock and roll pop music, and much more in this truely humorous and heartfelt comic book classic!

This six-volume Madman universe omnibus library edition series collects all of Allred's award-winning Madman universe (a.k.a. the Madmaniverse) stories in selected reading order for the ultimate Madman fan!

This 680-page volume collects Madman's adventures from 1990 to 1996, reprinting "For the Record," Madman (original series) 1-3, Madman Adventures 1-3, and Madman Comics 1-10, Mike Allred's never-before-published first foray comics called THEY!, and featuring bonus pinups and art by some of comics' greatest talent like Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, Moebius, Frank Frazetta, Emily Carroll, and more!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics, Action

680 pages, Hardcover

First published July 13, 2021

About the author

Michael 'Doc' Allred (Also Credited as M. Dalton Allred) grew up in the 60's and 70's and was surrounded with the best in pop culture and a steady diet of music, movies and comic books including the three B's: Beatles, Bond and Batman to the point of obsession.

So it should come as no surprise that he keeps a hand in film and music (He's the lead singer and guitarist for The Gear), but comic books have always been a seminal source of joy for Mike and that joy remains the main ingredient in most of his work.

Allred first tasted success in the comics field with his wildly popular MADMAN series, which is currently being developed for a live action film with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. His earlier work from GRAFIK MUZIK was turned into the cult hit movie G-Men from Hell directed by Christopher Coppola (featuring Robert Goulet as the Devil). Other work includes Red Rocket 7, his history of Rock and Roll told in the context of a sci-fi adventure storyl the Madman spin-off THE ATOMICS and his magnum opus, THE GOLDEN PLATES, where he's illustrating the entire Book of Mormon.

Mike counts the secret to his success to be his wife, and creative partner, Laura Allred, who is is considered to be one of the best colorists in the business.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think you had to be there to enjoy this one.
Or at the very least, I would have had to be there.



This was a bunch of weird and/or goofy stories with terrible dialogue. Great art, though.
But just...what?
Took me FOREVER to slog through it. And I kept thinking that this next issue must bring it all together.
It did not.



By the time I realized that this wasn't going anywhere that I would enjoy, I was already three or four hundred pages into this digital graphic novel. It felt silly to DNF at that point.
Plus, there are always those people who tell me obviously you didn't read the whole series or you would have understood its greatness, so I just went ahead and powered through it.



The gist is that there's this guy (Frank Einstein) who was brought back from the dead by a scientist who has no memory of his past life. He wears a suit all the time because he feels ugly and unlovable, even though he has a very sweet girlfriend named Joe. There are a whole group of recurring characters that show up issue after issue and they get into wacky adventures.
That actually sounds fun, right?
But for me, most of the issues read like gibberish. And maybe that's the point.



There's a comic that Mike and his brother came up with years ago that was apparently unpublished up till now call They! that was honestly plotwise a thousand times better than the Madman stuff but it was so dated that it wasn't actually enjoyable (for me) either. However, you could see that both of these guys had talent early on, and for an Allred fan I would think that would be an incredible bonus for this edition.
There were also really cool covers and bonus content, so if you happen to be a Diehard Madman this really would be an excellent purchase.
My favorite part was just reading the snippets Mike Allred wrote about collaborations with his high school girlfriend-turned-wife, and how his brother originally got him into comics.
Very touching and funny.
I may not have enjoyed the story but the guy has undeniable talent and a unique style of art.

Bottom line is that I wish I liked this more than I did. It's supposed to be a kitschy nonsense comic and one possibility is that there was just too much here for one sitting. If I had read this in single issues when it first came out I think there's a chance I may have appreciated it a lot more.
I think longtime fans will definitely appreciate what went into making the Library Edition, though.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Allred has always been one of my favorite artists. I just love his retro, clean style. His stories bring in lots of elements of 1950's sci-fi kitsch. I love that his weapons are a yo-yo and a disk gun. (I'll be honest. I walked around with a Madman yo-yo for a good 10 years before it finally broke. That's how much of an influence the character had on me.) His comics are just so much damn fun.

This collects all of Madman's early comics, many of which were almost impossible to find due to low print runs. It covers the original 2 Tundra miniseries and the first 10 issues of the Dark Horse series under the Legend imprint. Also included are the first three issues of They, previously unpublished. Mike created it with his brother Lee when they were teenagers. It's surprisingly competent for having been written by 2 kids. It's very much influenced by DC comics of the 1980's. There's also a ton of killer pinups by heavyweights like Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Jim Lee and Frank Miller.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madman Library Edition Volume 1 collects Madman 1-3, Madman Adventures 1-3, Madman Comics 1-10, and They 1-3, the Allred brothers' first attempt at a super hero comic.

I'm a Madman fan from way back and I had this on my watchlist until it fell into my cheapness zone. Fortunately, it did just that AND was part of the 3 for 2 deal Amazon was doing.

I've read most of this before in separate volumes but forgot a lot of the wrinkles of the plot so there was a lot of rediscovery. The oversized format is great for showcasing Michael Allreds' art.

Reading these through older eyes makes me catch a lot of things I missed on earlier readings. Now that I've read the Silver Age Doom Patrol omnibus, I see Bruno Premiani's influence in Allred's style, as well as some European influences with his clean line style. There's also the Alex Toth influence but that's always been apparent. Another thing I never noticed before was how great Allred's panel composition is. Even the panels where people are standing around talking have a sense of movement to them. He's got almost got the Jack Kirby "Every panel is a pinup" thing going.

The world Allred has created, with it's Silver Age style with modern sensibilities, is a place I love to visit. Robots, aliens, mad scientists, and funky gadgets are all in full effect. The stories are simplistic on the surface but have a lot of metaphysical things happening just out of sight.

The first two miniseries are my favorite parts of this collection, old favorites who have just gotten better with age. The Madman Comics run is good too but I think it leans into the metaphysical stuff a bit too much. It might also be too much of a good thing. I'm sure Michael Allred didn't have people reading a twenty issue omnibus of his material when he was creating it.

Madman LIbrary Edition Volume 1 is a must have for Madman fans. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to see this getting collected like this. I've read most of Madman already, but I have it across multiple trades and single issues. It will be nice read it collected across several books in publishing order. Surprised to see that this will be a six volume set? Didn't think there was that much material?!

[Brent Ecenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the comic artists in the world, I enjoy Mike Allred's art the most. Along with Laura Allred's color, Mike's art is full of fun, and is dynamic and silly in the exact right ratio to settle in on exactly how a good comic should feel. His signature character, Madman, is getting a set of (I believe) six giant omnibus style hardcovers collecting the entire series in order. I've read a decent amount of it before but couldn't pass up on going again in this format.

For those new to Madman, he's an odd duck independent comics superhero. His back story is he was brought back to life after a car crash killed him, and with his name unknown the scientist responsible names him Frank Einstein after two of the great men of history (the less obvious being Frank Sinatra). Frank doesn't remember anything about who he was, but now he possesses a super brain that gives him amazing reflexes and learning capabilities. He's also very durable as his body's already been dead. Occasionally Madman touches somebody and gets a psychic flash about that person.

The tone of Madman is very fun, with the main character not taking many situations too seriously. (There are some great gags in here, including Madman quickly abandoning a man he rescued at a hospital as the man's skin turns to vomit; Frank remarks about how he really doesn't know the guy and takes off.) There's a supporting cast of characters that appear in most issues, including Frank's loyal and attractive girlfriend and the two scientists who are responsible for his existence.

The collection includes about fifteen early Madman comics, plus the first three issues of They which was a particularly early comic by Mike and his brother Lee Allred. The early issues of They look very impressive for the work of a couple of kids, but are a bit tough to read on the storytelling level. I'm excited to keep going on this Madman journey and get the whole story for the character, as early on Allred shows a willingness to take the story in some very crazy directions.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel about an unlikely superhero. A man who has been horribly disfigured, then put back together by a somewhat mad doctor. I thought the MC was really funny and enjoyed seeing him encounter new challenges. I also liked that he had one love who loved him for him regardless of his disfigurement.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the publishers Dark Horse Comics and Random House via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, but dated. I love Mike A’s art.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madman is a title that can only be called a classic... cult classic?

I'm a fan of stories that like to embrace the absurdities of the fancy. With the title character having a body and mind that's anything but ordinary, it's a scenario for him all the time. More importantly the creator has Madman Frank Einstein's self-conscious mind go through philosophical stuff because he's always questioning his worth with his lack of an identity. And yet despite all of that in a world that becomes more and more absurd, it's good to have a character like Frank normalize it with his good nature.

Then there's that improvisational energy that makes this absurdity more believable. It's a kind of mindset people like to get lost in.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gargantuan collection - almost 700 pages, and features the early adventures of Madman. You can see the character's early development as the series finds its footing. It starts out weird and then gets weirder, but in a way that is more coherent. This collection includes reproducing robots, a man with skin of vomit, crossovers with other Dark Horse characters, and a whole lot of Allred's very distinctive art style. It's surprisingly dense on content, and also includes a three-issue unrelated story that apparently is one of Allred's earliest creations, which definitely feels early (lots of trope characters on a super hero team, although making Yemen the villain is not something I've seen before), and the Madman stories end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm not sure I'll keep reading - it's okay but it's really carried by the art more than story, and I prefer his iZombie work, which improves both the art and the plotting. Still, as an introduction to Madman, this serves its purpose.

[Michael Emond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some rating I stress over more than others. I love Mike Allred's art. I love the creativity in his creation Madman. I had fun reading this. I love the fact the original appearances are now coloured for this collection. There is a lot of "love" in this. So why only 3 stars? Because the stories are too much "free association and zany" and not enough "structure". Also the final 100 pages of THEY! brought me down to 3.

Let me start off with that. While I see why Mike wanted THEY! included (he had a nostalgic love for it and wanted it to see print) it really had no business in this collection. No Madman in the story, the art is from his teenage years before he learned his craft and I had no interest in reading it. If it was a free download? Sure - a fun historical look at him and his brother doing their first comic ever. But in a $100 collection of 680 pages? Nope.

What about Madman? It is pure Mike Allred. I have never met him but through this writing he strikes me as a free spirit. The stories are free association of creativity with some philosophical musing sprinkled in. Because the stories have such loose framework, reading it in bits is better than trying to go through it all at once. What is Madman? Well even after this collection (and another I have read) I couldn't tell you. His basic idea is he is a guy brought back to life so he has some scars and is a little Frankenstein. But he is sweet, a beautiful soul, innocent, and can't remember his past. You might think he would be looking for clues of his past but...that would require a bit of plotting and you don't get much of that here. He loves a girl called Joe...and they just love each other - no reason why or how it started. He works for a scientist...because he wants to. His powers are..varied. He seems really agile and halfway into it he can grow an antennae out of his head...no reason given. Joe (his girlfriend) works for an anger monster with red eyes but nobody seems to want to point that out. There is a Tri-Eye agent named Skip that pops in...just accept that.

As I am trying to point out...a lot of creativity...not much structure or background or logic. I am sure Mike would say "I know!! That was the point! He is Madman!" Which is fine, I would counter "Mission accomplished, it is just I prefer some structure to my stories."

Overall - I still recommend this book. I love the art and the fun. You just need to go into it eyes open - this is not your typical super hero book. That's both a good thing and a mad thing :).

[Peter Derk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this in ways I didn't expect.

It's always a risk when you go back to a 90s book that Wizard Magazine slobbered all over. Sometimes you luck out and its a stone cold classic. Other times you read some crap where they tried to make Venom a good guy and ruined the whole fun of the book.

You kids today don't know how lucky you are. In my day, you'd have to cobble together a Madman storyline through various single issues and trades that crossed over in some spots and had gaps in others. If your local comics shop was run by Jerry, like mine was, he had no fucking idea what Madman was.

I was just talking about Jerry the other day. He ran the local cards/comics/coins concern in my town when it was still a pretty small town.

The locations started pretty nice, and probably lasted longer than they should've because the pog craze gave them a nice cash infusion. I mean, little cardboard discs that you sold for like a buck apiece? Get the fuck outta here!

Then the locations got shittier and shitter over time, finally being in a strip mall that STILL only has garbage in it, the kinda place Jimmy McGill would set up a burner phone outlet store.

I tried to figure out if Jerry was still alive. My buddy had seen him just 4 years ago, so it seemed possible, although he seemed ANCIENT when I was going to the comics shop as a kid. Which probably meant he was like 45.

I couldn't find any obits or anything, so I suspect he's still kicking. I did, in the course of searching, find what was probably his home (if those shitty websites that supposedly tell your personal info are to be believed). I looked around inside based on Zillow, and I did find two items that made me believe it might have been his house: a giant massage chair with slots for your legs, and a quarter-based candy machine in the living room.

I also have a quarter-based candy machine I bought from the thrift store and rehabbed. Which I guess means I'm halfway to being an old man.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Allred has made an indelible on the comics industry with his contributions on iconic titles for Marvel and DC, but his own creation, Madman, has cultivated just as intriguing of a history. Bouncing between multiple publishers like Caliber, Tundra, IDW and more, Allred was able to use Madman as an outlet for his love of classic sci-fi pulp comics.

Frank Einstein (named for Frank Sinatra and Albert Einstein, but also a play on "Frankenstein") was born as Zane Townsend. As Townsend, he served as an agent of the Tri-Eye Agency until his life was cut short by a car accident. But Townsend's story doesn't end there his body is shortly after stitched back together and reanimated, leaving him an amnesiac but now possessing supernatural reflexes and other mild powers. He only has fragmented memories of his past life, and now instead lives as Frank Einstein, or Madman.

This Library Edition from Dark Horse Comics contains the earliest Madman adventures, from his first appearance in Creatures of the Id, to his first two miniseries. It's a hefty collection of stories that is entirely drawn in Allred's distinctive "pop art" aesthetic that is both vibrant and nostalgic. The stories themselves are pretty offbeat and quirky, a nice modernization of old school sci-fi and superhero comics. It doesn't feature the tightest bit of writing, but Madman's various missions are entertaining and campy in the best kind of way. There are mad scientists, robots, aliens, etc. aplenty here, and with each successive adventure the world of Madman grows in some pretty interesting and unexpected ways. I can't say I'm blown away by the writing quality here, but the pulp adventure styled stories coupled with Allred's gorgeous compositions makes this a fun enough time.

[Gabriel J. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madman is one of my favorite comics ever. And I’ve read a lot of comics. Lol. I grabbed this book for a bit of nostalgia, and I was not disappointed. As soon as I read that first page of Madman #1, I felt a rush of memories and childlike joy oozing into my brain. I remembered everything, but it was somehow new and exciting again at the same time. I’m sure you know the feeling, when you re-read one of your old favorite books that you haven’t read in a while. These “Library Edition” collections are great! The issues of “They #1-3” thrown in the back of the book were also great, I enjoyed them quite a bit. Things were just getting good in the 3rd issue when the book ended. Hopefully more issues of They are in the Library Edition Volume 2!

[Satangan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Source: Hoopla Digital (Free)
[November Bonus Borrow]

Format: Ebook
Language: English

Rating: 3.75, but more of a 4 ⭐.

I am slowly getting into this series.
I am really liking the illustrations, the colors, and art style.
The retro feel and Madman.
He really has some crazy adventures. It's always one weird or unexpected thing after the next with this guy.

It sort of makes me think Madman and Deadpool could be friends in a way. 😂 Maybe or maybe not. Who knows. 🤔

[Yusuf Antalyalı · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really sad that I got to know the Madman series so late. mike allred the one of best comic creator hes my favorite comic artist allready and after the madman series ım sure hes a perfect author too.when it comes to laura allred as you can understand shes mike alred's wife shes generally work with mike allred and shes my favorite colorer. lastly if we come about to a tragic yet vibrant series."Madman" is,in my opinion the definition of a tight comic book.

[John Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wowza, a very long read. I really liked the artwork, and the quirkiness of the dialogue. I found it a difficult story to fully understand, it’s so off the wall I got lost a lot, not really understand the story being told. The central figure, ‘Frank Einstein’ or madman is a great character, looks good, it’s a confusing read.

[David Matheny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not too familiar with their work so I really wonder how old Mike Allred and Laura Allred were when they started putting Madman together? I'm 200 pages in and there is a lot of Soul in this book. the commissions by the legends through out the book did make me bump this up another star.

[Ian Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this suggested on a Reddit post that mentioned it as a possible inspiration for Freakazoid which I had loved as a kid. While this comic was interesting and unlike anything I had seen before, it still didn’t do enough to keep me from fatiguing and losing interest in its kooky weirdness.

[Alana]

Idgi and I ducked out when there was the suggestion of rape. Not my jam, although I really liked "For the Record" a lot.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad I finally read this.

[Alan Fricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Random pick from Libby - enjoyed it. Plenty of nods in all directions and enjoyably

[Jake Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the chance to interview the writer and artist of this book on YouTube and it was a tremendous experience. I wanted to read his Magnum opus and I was not disappointed. that being said, I had to wrestle with the part of my brain that needs everything to be some large continuity over arching plot, and just enjoy the stories of a wacky existential living each day the best he can be.

[Kai Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great universe, completely unique and imaginative work from Allred.

[Joshua K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Groovy.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ginchy!

[Craig W · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is amazing. I was it was in service of better story. I love X-Statix and Silver Surfer, where Allred was paired up with a writer. This wasn’t nearly as good.