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mvuijlst's review
4.0
Twee vreemde boekjes die al tien jaar op mij stonden te wachten.
Fillmore Press was vroeger Madder Red, een bijzonder maar dan ook bijzonder psychopatisch slechte slechterik. Dan gebeurde er iets waardoor hij geen kwaad meer kan of wil doen — wat daar precies voor zorgde, wordt in een aantal memorabele scènes verteld en kan misschien het best als Lynchiaans omschreven worden, met een stuk Kronenberg erbij — en nu wil hij de politie helpen bij het zoeken naar seriemoordenaars.
De hoofdstukken Fillmore-helpt-politie en Madder Red-in-het-verleden wisselen elkaar af, en ik vind het spijtig dat er geen Vol. 3 kwam, want er was zeker nog materiaal voor.
Ik twijfel tussen 3 en 4 sterren: het is beter dan verwacht, maar minder dan echt goed — 3.25, 3.5, zoiets. Het verhaal is niets nieuws, het Fillmore/Madder is een doorslag van The Joker, het detectivepersonage waar hij mee samenwerkt is bordkarton, de tekeningen doen hun werk maar zijn niet om naar huis over te schrijven.
En toch had het iets. ‘t Is alsnog 4 sterren geworden, maar dan wel een zeer kleine vier sterren.
enbygolem's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readernath's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dellaporta's review
4.0
zachhois's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
Solid. Sickeningly dark with morally ambiguous characters and a driving plot. And the art style is just fantastically gruesome. Was constantly thinking about finishing it!
sixxinski's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
charkar's review
4.0
Bedlam has a gruesome, confusing, messed up beginning. It doesn't shy away from gore and murder and sets the scene as well as any thrilling novel. What the hell is happening in this city?
Our main character, Fillmore Press, is quite unwell - that much is clear from the outset. Supposedly, he's been cured and is now no longer the terrifying killer, Madder Red, and instead wants to help the people he once tortured. Whether or not he can be trusted is unclear, but what is clear to the reader is that his day to day life is still a struggle. There are numerous flashbacks that give the impression he's still hanging onto his alter ego, as well as doing the job of setting things up nicely for us.
There are a few styles throughout this volume, all in-keeping and coherent, but still different. The main style I'm not a big fan of, as it's very sketchy and there are many lines, making it a bit too messy for my taste. Other panels are stark with few lines, details, and colours, and these enjoyed more. Still others are highly detailed and more realistic looking, but these were more for full pages and issue covers. The three worked together well to tell the story and convey the shifting emotions and tones throughout the story, and it's not something I've come across too often.
Red is a key colour and in many scenes it's the only one used, highlighting Madder Red as vicious, dangerous, deadly. The sudden pops in otherwise grey panels draw the eye and depict significant characters, also making things feel a lot more sinister. Not that that's difficult - this comic is already incredibly dark.
The story can be tricky to follow at times, as it jumps from place to place and person to person, but it seems fitting. This is a very psychologically driven comic and if it made perfect sense it wouldn't be as hard hitting and gripping. There isn't much that can be said about this confusing tale without ruining, so I suggest giving it a go for yourself.
But only if you can handle it.
Our main character, Fillmore Press, is quite unwell - that much is clear from the outset. Supposedly, he's been cured and is now no longer the terrifying killer, Madder Red, and instead wants to help the people he once tortured. Whether or not he can be trusted is unclear, but what is clear to the reader is that his day to day life is still a struggle. There are numerous flashbacks that give the impression he's still hanging onto his alter ego, as well as doing the job of setting things up nicely for us.
There are a few styles throughout this volume, all in-keeping and coherent, but still different. The main style I'm not a big fan of, as it's very sketchy and there are many lines, making it a bit too messy for my taste. Other panels are stark with few lines, details, and colours, and these enjoyed more. Still others are highly detailed and more realistic looking, but these were more for full pages and issue covers. The three worked together well to tell the story and convey the shifting emotions and tones throughout the story, and it's not something I've come across too often.
Red is a key colour and in many scenes it's the only one used, highlighting Madder Red as vicious, dangerous, deadly. The sudden pops in otherwise grey panels draw the eye and depict significant characters, also making things feel a lot more sinister. Not that that's difficult - this comic is already incredibly dark.
The story can be tricky to follow at times, as it jumps from place to place and person to person, but it seems fitting. This is a very psychologically driven comic and if it made perfect sense it wouldn't be as hard hitting and gripping. There isn't much that can be said about this confusing tale without ruining, so I suggest giving it a go for yourself.
But only if you can handle it.