You know, I buy lots of comics. Seriously, lots of comics. I'm sure, by most reasonable standards, that I buy WAY too many comics. The problem is, I like them all so much that I just can't let any of them go. There are, or so I imagine, worse things to be addicted to than comics, so I don't worry too much about cutting back on my habit. However; if I could only buy one comic, if I really had to choose, the one book I love the most is Eric Powell's The Goon. So what is this Goon book, and what makes it so brilliant and entertaining that it comes out on top of all the other great comics out there? I shall endeavor to illuminate you!
The Goon is essentially the story of a good man raised in a horrible, horrible world. Goon's hometown is a cursed place, filled with monsters, zombies, crime, misery and despair. Oh, and hillbillies, can't forget the hillbillies. To survive in this world, the Goon had to become the baddest of the bad and the meanest of a mean lot. He's a film noir tough guy who has a heart of gold, but who will not hesitate to bludgeon the bad guys into the ground with a cinder block, or blow up an occasional burlesque house. Though he may be an angry, violent, thug, the Goon (with his pal Franky) is also the only ray of hope for the citizens of his town. This all sounds pretty grim, but Powell mixes in heaping helpings of dark comedy and satire, that will make you laugh out loud before you grimace in horror. Powell's writing is inventive and clever, every issue of The Goon is packed with hilarious gags, quotable dialogue, and gripping action. Powell's art is just as amazing and unique as his writing, perfectly capturing the jokes, the monster pummeling, and the occasional somber moments. Hey, he's won Eisner Awards, so you know he's good!
The Goon #26 finds our hero at war with a rival crime boss, Labrazio, who seems to be the guy Goon killed to start his career. When some of his men (OK, they're bog lurks, not men.) are attacked on a secret job, Goon smells a rat and sets out to figure out which one of his "pals" betrayed him. This leads to a hilarious sequence in which his team of street urchin informants infiltrate the burlesque house disguised as "a grown man with a mustache that enjoys watching women shake their boobies about." Their success, however, leads to some seriously violent retribution when Goon finds out who did him wrong, which perfectly illustrates the range of this book. If you've never tried The Goon before, this issue shows you just a hint of what you've been missing. I bet you'll love this book enough to want more.
At some time or another, everything awesome makes its way into the pages of The Goon. Werewolves, mad scientists, robots, zombies, tentacled horrors, demented poo artists, giant lizards, cannibal hobos, morons, skunk apes, gangsters, and carnies are all a part of Goon's world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you won't be able to stop quoting all the best lines if you trust me on this one and pick up The Goon #26 this week, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. Tell 'em Peaches Valentine sent ya!
The Goon is essentially the story of a good man raised in a horrible, horrible world. Goon's hometown is a cursed place, filled with monsters, zombies, crime, misery and despair. Oh, and hillbillies, can't forget the hillbillies. To survive in this world, the Goon had to become the baddest of the bad and the meanest of a mean lot. He's a film noir tough guy who has a heart of gold, but who will not hesitate to bludgeon the bad guys into the ground with a cinder block, or blow up an occasional burlesque house. Though he may be an angry, violent, thug, the Goon (with his pal Franky) is also the only ray of hope for the citizens of his town. This all sounds pretty grim, but Powell mixes in heaping helpings of dark comedy and satire, that will make you laugh out loud before you grimace in horror. Powell's writing is inventive and clever, every issue of The Goon is packed with hilarious gags, quotable dialogue, and gripping action. Powell's art is just as amazing and unique as his writing, perfectly capturing the jokes, the monster pummeling, and the occasional somber moments. Hey, he's won Eisner Awards, so you know he's good!
The Goon #26 finds our hero at war with a rival crime boss, Labrazio, who seems to be the guy Goon killed to start his career. When some of his men (OK, they're bog lurks, not men.) are attacked on a secret job, Goon smells a rat and sets out to figure out which one of his "pals" betrayed him. This leads to a hilarious sequence in which his team of street urchin informants infiltrate the burlesque house disguised as "a grown man with a mustache that enjoys watching women shake their boobies about." Their success, however, leads to some seriously violent retribution when Goon finds out who did him wrong, which perfectly illustrates the range of this book. If you've never tried The Goon before, this issue shows you just a hint of what you've been missing. I bet you'll love this book enough to want more.
At some time or another, everything awesome makes its way into the pages of The Goon. Werewolves, mad scientists, robots, zombies, tentacled horrors, demented poo artists, giant lizards, cannibal hobos, morons, skunk apes, gangsters, and carnies are all a part of Goon's world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you won't be able to stop quoting all the best lines if you trust me on this one and pick up The Goon #26 this week, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. Tell 'em Peaches Valentine sent ya!
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