What if you took the craziest villain you could think of, like Heath Ledger’s Joker, and mixed him with Hannibal Lecter, but with more showmanship. What if you took that psychopath and, right after he got away with the biggest, nastiest, most despicable act of terror ever, you tried to make him into a good guy? What if you fixed whatever was wrong in his brain, put him on a bunch of anti-psychotic medicine, and gave him another chance? What if you gave him a chance to put all of that ridiculously dangerous intellect to good use? This is the basic premise of Bedlam, a book that asks the question “is evil just something you are or something you do?”
This was one of the best books I have read all year. I actually had to read it a few times before I even knew what to feel about it. This is a book that challenges what we think and know about good and evil. It is disturbing and inspiring all at the same time. Beyond just the ethics of the book, it is just really great storytelling by Nick Spencer; it has a very tight script that never stops moving forward, with each scene blending seamlessly into the next. This comic has amazing art by Riley Rossmo that is just so stark and chilling. The majority of the book is black and white, with red being the only real color, and it is used to create striking visuals. Everything about this book is top notch. It all works perfectly to create a truly unique comic experience.
I don’t even want to compare it with other books. Just do yourself a favor and go and buy this book, and then sit somewhere quietly and read it a few times; really take it in. Then, find me online somewhere and let's chat about it. It’s just that good.
