What would happen if the Joker or any mass murdering lunatic (think, Dexter, Hannibal Lector) were to suddenly become a good guy...or at least not sick in the head...or at least not completely nut job deranged?That's the gist of this story. A psychopath killer, very reminiscent of The Joker, helps cops solve crimes.But it's more than that.The art and coloring really set the tone for this comic - combined, they make it something really special. The pages pop with gruesome details that help the cr...

Super spoilery TW - (view spoiler)[violent, bloody murder of women, children and men. Animal cruelty, torturing cats. Mentions of sexual abuse of children (hide spoiler)]Going into this I had no idea what to expect, I just like picking up trade paperbacks and graphic novels whenever they're cheap, so I didn't know anything about this.We follow an ex homicidal manic, who 10 years previous went by the name Madder Red - causing havoc and piling up 100's of bodies in his wake. 10 years later a new s...

The concept of whether or not a man, a serial killer, can be cured and re-habilitated and work in society once again in any form is the question "Bedlam" wants us to ask but sort of forgets this question in favour of a black-and-white, good-and-bad, way of seeing the world and these simplistic modes do nothing for the elements that make this lavishly drawn tale worth reading. For "Bedlam" is stuffed with absurd and over the top horror and violence that is pleasing to look at, including and espec...

I feel like how much I loved this reflects badly on me psychologically XD....

I'm not sure.I like this comic, but with provisions. Because it could be that this story turns out to be really cool. But I've been burned by Nick Spencer before (Morning Glories, anyone?) and whether he decides to finish it and what it becomes once it's finished will determine a lot.Right now, though?It's a somewhat confusing but fairly interesting comic about a reformed mass murderer named Madder Red.There's really no reason behind his violence other than a Jokeresque love of chaos and death.

So, Bedlam, Vol. 1... *cough nervously* This graphic novel was damn near brilliant, but oh so disturbed. As in, psychopath-like sick. (I'd say it depends - or both) TRIGGER WARNING : Loads of violence, including against children and animals.See this trigger warning above? Frightening, right? You should think so. Truth is, what we get here with Fillmore Press, former serial-killer named Madder Red is the embodiment of what an antihero is : ten years earlier, on his journey of gratuitous violence,...

Bedlam by Nick Spencer Chaos and anarchy rule in Bedlam, courtesy of Fillmore Press aka supervillain Madder Red who opens the show with a massacre at the opera during a school field trip. He then plays cards with a little girl whilst waiting patiently for the local superhero vigilante to arrive and save the day. Captured by the Police, you might think it's game over but do mistakes really happen to the cleverest homicidal maniac on the street. Apparently not there's another play and its more vio...

Well that was definately unique

So for those of you who have read this, remember towards the beginning of this book (somewhere in the first chapter) Madder Red talks about his idea for a TV show where this man’s wife is trying to kill him but the poor guy has no idea yet still keeps avoiding it? I would watch that show.What’s it about?In the city of Gotha... Bedlam there was once a psycho-killer that called himself Madder Red, he was the Joker to their Batman pretty much (there is a superhero character in this book). Now he’s

4.5 starsWhat a delightful read. I mean, this totally made sick to my stomach, like I wanna-lowkey-puke-right-the-fuck-now, but, ya know, I kinda loved it.I find the idea of this rehabilitated serial killer fascinating. The flashbacks of the madder red were, sick, yes, but captivating too, because the artwork is fucking beautiful to watch. (And the weird "sketchy" kind of look works perfectly too.)The character design + the colours that were used in the old days of terrible murders were fantasti...

Well that was violent.I walked into this book knowing absolutely nothing. It was recommended to me by Goodreads and had an amazing rating so I snagged it. So perhaps my knowing nothing about it is why it was difficult for me to follow for the first 30 pages or so. There is a lot of flipping back and forth to different timelines but once I figured it out the story was pretty smooth.The look of this book is what really sets it apart. The style is harsh and dark and grim and matches the story quite...

So I picked this up on a whim. I liked the art and it was only $9.99 so I gave it a shot. The guys at the comic shop didn't even know anything about it. I am so glad I bought this! The way I've been describing it to people is imagine if everyone thought the Joker died in an explosion but he really went to get help for his sickness. And imagine that he actually gets "cured" and decides to help the police find serial killers. That's basically what this book is about. It's more of a thriller than a...

Social rehabilitation and reintegration are generally not an option for a super-villain. After all, a super-villain is supposed to be quintessentially "evil” rather than a mere victim of circumstance, and a truly evil disposition is not something that tends to change with a more sympathetic or stimulating environment. As a result, the conflict between the superhero and the super-villain can never be resolved - ka-ching!Madder Red, the protagonist of Bedlam Vol.1, used to be one such super-villai...

10 years ago Madder Red terrorised the city of Bedlam before he was stopped by superhero The First. Now, a new serial killer is in town and a reformed Madder Red decides to help the cops catch him - but does he secretly have a different agenda? Bedlam is sort of a look at the man behind the Joker (represented here by Madder Red) - who made the Joker who he is? Was he always evil or was he made to be evil? Unlike the Joker though, Madder Red gets better (I’m ignoring the godawful Batman: Going Sa...

Dave's Quick Judgement - THE DEFENSE - A disturbing yet brilliant look into the mind of a psychopath. - Story is intensely gripping. - Flashback sequences add much depth to an already compelling lead character. - Antagonist and supporting cast are interesting enough to not be overshadowed by such a mesmerizing protagonist. THE PROSECUTION - Sick! So sick! Sicky-sick! Mega-sick! Infinity-plus-one degrees of sickness here! - Did I mention the story is really sick?!? THE VERDICT Ordinar...

More like 4,5The team Spencer- Rossmo - Irving blew my head with this seemingly "unknown"comic. Bedlam is the story of former mass murderer maniac Fillmore Press, a.k.a Madder Red and his journey to help (?) the good citizens of Bedlam, after almost killed everyone in it.The opening scene is amazing, scary and shocking. Madder Red has killed almost everyone at this philharmonic concert in downtown Bedlam. Bodies everywhere, blood everywhere and there's only him playing a poker hand with a little...

Bedlam has an interesting art style - the chaotic lines are like a reflection of the main character's mind. One part was upsetting to me as an animal lover: if you don't want to see it, skip the first few pages of chapter three. It felt a bit like a crime drama for the second half, but that kept my interest going as my mind tried to piece it together. I'm a little confused about the doctors and nurses, but perhaps that is explained more in the next issue. Overall, a good read with a satisfying e...

"TIME TO SET OUR LITTLE BIRD FREE" While The First and SWAT respond to the shooting at St. John, Fillmore and Ramira track down the Father at St. Thomas who got this whole thing started. While waiting for him to be brought out, Fillmore drugs Ramira, she faints and he has to go at it alone, face the monster and show us exactly what he's made of.Merged review:"SOME OF US GOT A LITTLE MORE LAST THAN OTHERS" Jesus Christ! This is the coolest, creepiest comic book series I've read this year. What an...

Be closer to a 3.5. A lot of fun, with some great shots, though very confusing at times. When you start getting into it, gets better. I didn't love the ending too much but the rest was engaging, and the main character has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. If you like horror thriller, you'll really enjoy this.