Mike Allred is certainly one of the most unique voices in comics today, but I have to admit that I don't always "get" his surreal work, be it comics he's written such as Madman or comics he just illustrates, such as X-Statix. So when I approached this reprint of some of his earlier work, it was with some trepidation, as I expected his trademark zaniness and psychedelic leanings. To my surprise, I discovered what is probably the most grounded work from the artist I've ever had the pleasure to read, albeit with plenty of distortion of perception. Bourne's script offers not only an interesting collection of character studies, but a story of a tormented soul who finds himself in conflict with the madness around him and within.
Welcome to the Newtown Hospital. It's not a regular hospital, though. The conditions and disorders treated here are not of a physical nature, but of a psychological one. The Newtown Hospital is a mental institution, and the doctors deal with cases ranging from paranoid schizophrenia to drug addiction, from acute depression to extreme phobia. One doctor overseeing a wide array of cases sees not patients but a series of problems he either can solve or cannot solve. It's only when he begins to share in the patients' delusions that he understands their pain.
To my surprise, there's more detail to be found in this early Allred work (dating back to the early 1990s). His unique style shines through clearly, of course, but there's a rougher quality as well. Actually, some of the art here reminds me of the style of Tony (Starman) Harris. There's a greater emphasis on realism here as opposed to the light, pop style for which Allred is now known. It's not only an interesting glimpse into an artist's development, but this earlier approach's darker tone suits the depressing atmosphere that looms over the story.
The structure here serves the characters well. Initially, we're introduced to each patient separately. Bourne really brings the pain and confusion of mental illness to life here with some thoroughly convincing character studies. There's a genuine tone to the dialogue and to the emotion that these lost souls exhibit.
Bourne slowly introduces the doctor's problem to the reader. The lines between doctor and patient blur gradually at first, but the effect the various patients have on the doctor's psyche and his life grow more and more dramatic. The catalyst for the doctor's psychological leap into madness is a tragic one, and given events earlier in the story, it's easy to see why it would have such an impact on him. On the surface, the ending would seem to show the doctor sharing the same fate as those he treats, but I see it more of an escape from the tragedy he's witnesses and even fostered, in his own unintentional way.
