Eric Powell is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Goon this year, and today, the first issue in a four-part series kicks off. This is a celebration Goon fans won’t want to miss. We’re talking classic bone-crunching punches, crapping-your-pants jokes, and enough references to classic Goon stories you’ll be in a beautiful drunken stupor.
The moment you crack open The Goon: Them That Don’t Stay Dead #1, you’ll note Powell hasn’t skipped a beat. As a big fan of his art and sense of humor in this series, I believe this issue has everything you’d want. The humor isn’t too raunchy, but it’s just enough. The art features lots of fighting, Goon feeling sorry for himself, and monsters. Oh, and there’s some politics.
The issue opens with a woman fleeing an old warehouse. A bunch of vampires dressed like 1920s gangsters chase after her, and she narrowly escapes. She’s going to need some backup. Cut to Goon and Franky killing a whole lot of racist vampires. The racist part is delivered in a comical and slightly political reveal of why the vampires took over a racist pocket of idiots.
Credit: Dark Horse
The story moves at a good clip with captions detailing past battles and what the deal is with the short man who carries a duck. The story features a few nods to other adventures and some occult magic stuff. Throw in some sex, and this issue has pretty much everything you’d want in a Goon comic. Goon continues to be a bit of a lunkhead, but one with a heart.
The only gripe I had with the story is the lack of Goon. He’s there and gets to have a good time, but the narrative focuses mostly on the strange guy with the duck. It’s a minor gripe, but I miss the guy.
The usual tropes here should delight classic horror movies and film noir fans. Powell is excellent at drawing faces in a cartoony sort of way. This adds a bit of comedy and a good sense of character. The final few pages take on a decidedly noir vibe, especially with a femme fatale type who beds Goon. The silhouette and a dark alley certainly set up a revenge tale well worth sticking with.
Goon fans rejoice. The Goon: Them That Don’t Stay Dead #1 is a glorious return with all the fixings.
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