Graphic Novel of the Month: Madman-The Oddity Odyssey

Madman is a superhero who doesn't know where he comes from. All he knows is that he was killed & then stitched back together. The resurrection granted him uncontrollable precognitive & empathic powers.  Taking the name Frank Einstein (say it fast) after Frank Sinatra & Albert Einstein, Madman seeks out the help of Dr. Flem & Dr. Boiffard to learn more of his past, but the malicious Mr. Monstadt, who wants the doctors' notes on life & death, interrupts his plans. With his trusty yo-yo & slingshot, Madman must confront zombies, gangsters, & rednecks to figure out who he is.

The Oddity Odyssey collects the first three stories of the Madman series. Mike Allred definitely likes to combine genres, as the narrative contains science fiction, humor & romance, & has the feeling of the underground comix of the 70's while containing the old-school, super-heroic mentality. Allred's artwork is clean & distinctive with blue-grey shading that gives the book a pulp-noir feel. The book presents itself as containing one of the weirdest heroes in comic history, & I don't doubt it. Its weird, its quirky & its fun.

FYI: I don't know if I've ever mentioned, but the graphic novels featured during the "Graphic Novel of the Month" is part of the JCBA & can be viewed anytime.