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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dazzled With Wonder, November 3, 2009
Frank Beddor is a mystery.
Having first met Mr Beddor in New York in February of 2009, I was impressed by his unassuming nature and talent. Before him, a stack of Hatter M graphic novels, juvenile novels (Redd et al), and book marks met passers by.
Beneath the polite exterior his imagination runs rampant. He must continually hear "Follow the glow" as he creates the world of Hatter Madigan and Alyss. The big question is though, how soon will we finally get to the point where we too encounter Alyss one more time? Does Mr Beddor even know for sure?
"Mad With Wonder" is a journey through the United States civil war time frame. Madigan uncovers a story about a glow girl discovered in a civil war battle zone who heals. Immediately suspecting Alyss, the travels to America and encounters a healing circus, an insane asylum, and Shiloh. The pathway to Alyss is arduous and filled with danger. Just as the Swamp Thing (courtesy of Alan Moore) explored American decadence, Madigan finds a unique brand of negative energy that Wonderlands' Queen Redd's Black Imagination fuels on. This is truly mystery and intrigue at a high level.
The art by Sami makkonen is outstanding, matching the off the wall (way, way off the wall) search for Alyss. He is truly a worthy successor to Ben Templesmith. Few craftsmen can follow the Ben. One character stands out among the many, and that is the interim director of the Lunatic Asylum of the Mad and Disillusioned. It turns out he is able to see the glow as well, and only faintly resembles the Joker! A nice touch is the gentleman doing Einsteinian physics in 1865 on the wall, and the company of intellectuals he finds him self with.
Frank always adds the Wonderland pieces in the back of the book that follow the research he does for his work. This is one fellow who really knows how to make readers fall into his fiction.
As usual, this book is hard to put down and it merely teases you for volume three!
[...]
Tim Lasiuta
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hatter's Journey Continues, April 10, 2010
Hatter M: Mad with Wonder is the continuation of Hatter Madigan's search for Princess Alyss in 19th century England. This graphic novel starts at the fifth year of his adventure. He hears of an exceptional young girl in the southern United States and continues his quest there. On his adventures, he encounters a circus sideshow, an insane asylum, and the Civil War. This series of graphic novels is an addition to the story in The Looking Glass Wars, not merely a retelling, like so many others are.
Hatter Madigan is one of my favorite characters from The Looking Glass War series. I enjoyed seeing other sides of him, as well as some glimpses of his childhood. He is a mysterious character and his narrative sheds more light on his character and his motivations. Not only is he constantly vigilant, but he cares very deeply for his friends and is genuinely good at heart.
The change in scenery was one of my favorite parts of the book. In The Looking Glass Wars, the story only takes place in Wonderland and Victorian England. This book takes it to the United States where the Civil War is raging, leading to a new cast of characters, a new backdrop, and a different color scheme. It kind of expanded my view on the series to encompass more of our world, instead of limiting the story.
The blending of fact and fiction made this book very magical. It had fantastical elements, but was grounded with aspects of reality. The treatments that Hatter Madigan undergoes in the insane asylum were actually used in that time period. At the insane asylum, Hatter Madigan drew a set of playing cards. At the very end of the graphic novel (please keep reading after the preview of the next book!), there's a section called "Greetings from the Hatter M Institute for Paranormal Travel," in which Hatter's playing cards are found to match the original illuminated playing cards that inspired Frank Beddor to write The Looking Glass Wars! The way that fact and fiction intertwine is very unique in this series.
I loved Mad with Wonder. The ending made me wonder what happens next and made me anxious for the next book!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frank Beddor's Wonderland continues to come alive in this top-notch series, December 8, 2009
In Volume One of Frank Beddor's graphic novel adaptation of his Looking Glass Wars trilogy, Hatter Madigan arrived on Earth separated from the one person he was sworn to protect: Alyss Heart, crown princess of Wonderland. His dangerous and sometimes bloody search yielded an important clue: a strange glow emanating from children gifted with White Imagination from Wonderland. Armed with this knowledge, Hatter continues his search for Alyss and will stop at nothing to find her.
Hatter's travels take him to the American South, which is currently deeply entrenched in a troubling Civil War. He is on the lookout for a traveling miracle carnival that boasts strange healing powers from a mysterious young female prodigy. Hatter, though, is not the only one interested in Sister Sally, and he is soon face-to-face with the last person he thought he would see on earth: the evil Redd Heart. Apparently, she has been using a mirror to command a small army to capture children and their White Imagination. A battle ensues, and while Hatter manages to escape, his enemies are hot on his trail with an extra-deadly weapon from Redd.
With the Civil War still raging, Hatter finds himself entangled in a small battle. His normal warrior astuteness seemingly fails him, and Hatter lies in bitter defeat on the battlefield. When the guard comes through to search for life in the field of motionless bodies, they find Hatter and question his sanity after he mutters over and over something unintelligible about his hat and blades. He is shipped off to an asylum where scientists use questionable methods to save Hatter's poor lost soul. In a ward full of mad people, perhaps Hatter is not so crazy after all--or is he?
One of the coolest features in both volumes is that Hatter Madigan's hat seems to have a life of its own. The hat has its own small storyline that shows its power and its effect on others. One way or another, it ends up back in the hands of Hatter, but not before it causes a bit of trouble along the way. In addition, Volume Two contains more flashbacks to the world of Wonderland. This time, readers get to see a young Hatter Madigan during his training in the Millinery. His upbringing and training reveal more of his character, delving deeper into his desire to protect Alyss at any cost.
Sami Makkonen has taken over the art direction in this second volume and, much like Ben Templesmith did in the previous installment, uses muted colors to capture the desperation of Hatter's journey. He also incorporates an element of Southern nostalgia mixed in with the Civil War scenes, giving the reader a lot to look at. The illustrations convey as much emotion and humor as the written text, with the two flowing together in perfect harmony. Some extras are thrown in as a nice treat for the reader, including a sneak peek at Volume 3 and information about the areas that Hatter has traveled to, and, of course, more concept art. Frank Beddor's Wonderland continues to come alive in this top-notch series.
-- Benjamin Boche
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