I love Groo.
In my younger years, I spent a majority of my time reading superhero comics, where the closest comedy was Spider-Man’s typical quips.
Groo was one of those books that I stumbled into, and found myself drawn back again and again to the story of the incredibly stupid mendicant with the katanas.
Groo: Friends and Foes #10 (Dark Horse Comics)
The world created by Sergio Aragones and written by Mark Evanier is still going strong, and is absolutely worth diving back into.
Groo, a Conan like barbarian who is incredibly deadly and stupid in equal measures, tends to stumble into adventures, huge meals, rescuing damsels, and defeating evil. This issue is no different, as our humble moron somehow manages to save the day, get fed, and scare the hell out of people who expect him to kill and maim everyone in sight.
Is It Good?
Yes. It really is. First? Look at this artwork:
How long does it take these merchants to get dressed?
I have no idea how Sergio can cram this much detail and wonderment into each panel. The physical characteristics of the humans and dogs is best described as “squishy” but the detail in the rugs, the background, and down to the tiny skull on Groo’s belt gives the entire book a depth and weight completely contradicted by hilarious dialog like this:
Deadly, but dumb…but DEADLY.
If you’re an old Groo fan, this is just as good as anything I’ve read by these guys. If you’re new to this book, this is actually a great point to jump in as it’s a pretty self-contained story.
I give this a solid 8. I recommend it, but it’s not blowing the doors off with anything new. It’s like a nice pair of slippers—warm and comforting.
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