Customer Reviews

Gon (A Paradox Fiction)

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This is the book that introduced Gon - world's last dinosaur, one foot tall midget tyrannosaur, alternately playful and cuddly or as ferocious as an enraged Hulk when need be - to North American audiences. Featuring a different artistic style (especially in the first story, "Gon Eats And Sleeps") than the later Gon volumes but no less phenomenal. In the back of the book are photorealistic drawings of the real-life species depicted in the three tales - so photorealistic, in fact, that at first I thought they were actual black-and-white photographs. That's how great the art is.

"Gon Eats And Sleeps" is possibly the most essential tale in understanding this enigmatic little dinosaur. Readers who start with a subsequent volume may well ask themselves 'why does he keep tormenting that poor bear so?' In this tale we see the beginning of the rivalry between these two titans, a rivalry it seems the Bear is always destined to come up with the short end of the stick on. Basically, Gon takes great umbrage when a large grizzly bear chases a smaller one off a catch of fish the smaller bear has caught. And thus the lifelong animosity begins, an animosity that notably doesn't extend to other bears, just this one, 'The Bear'.

It isn't always spelled out as clearly in subsequent volumes, but when Gon goes on the offensive against The bear or some other creature, it seems obvious there is some past transgression (usually directed against one of Gon's small, defenceless animal friends, it seems)that has sparked the blood feud. Ferocious but valiant, Gon marches through life enjoying the world and defending the weak with his own sense of justice, and while I don't feel the little guy is sadistic or mean he sure can be an intimdating force. As I noted in doing a writeup on "Gon Color Spectacular" Gon never kills his foes and they seldom are worse off than a few bruises and scratches; too much serious carnage would definately ruin the charm and tone of the series.

The second tale, "Gon Learns To Fly" is one of the most hilarious tales in the Gon pantheon and simply has to be seen to be believed. Words cannot do this an adequate description, but talk about refusing to admit defeat! And in "Gon Glares" - which certainly boasts some of the most, er, unique visual imagery ever captured on paper through either pen or photo, we see that even in defending his circle of friends Gon is not without compassion for his predatory adversaries. A perfect ending to a perfect book; a perfect start to a whole series of unforgettable Gon adventures!

You. Yes, you. Get this book. This is the first release from Masashi Tanaka and what a release it is ! It is simply the best artwork I have ever seen in comic books, or anywhere else for that matter. Small and fierce Gon kicks butt!

For those of you that liked jurassic park, Bambi and 101 dalmations, but hate Barney, Gon is for you. Gon is a VERY small dinosaur from a bygone age, he has no problems being the last dinosaur, and seems to enjoy the arrogance of his seeming indestructability. He is a staunch defender of the downtrodden and the helpless, as well as his lunch. The art is fantastic, the stories (no words) flow well and are completely enjoyable