The Goon: Chinatown (Goon (Unnumbered)) [Hardcover]

Eric Powell (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: Goon (Unnumbered) | Publication Date: December 4, 2007

Dark Horse is very proud to present the first original graphic novel from Eisner Award-winning creator Eric Powell. Powell has been sowing the seeds of Chinatown and the Mystery of Mr. Wicker for years in his bimonthly series The Goon, and salivating fans may now feast their eyes on the Goon's formative backstory of love, loss, and extortion - a lengthy tale that demanded to be told in this uninterrupted format. Spiritual leader of Tennessee and hero to the Great Unwashed, Powell escaped catastrophic death and mother-shaming scandal to bring this work to fruition. He's a sensitive man in insensitive times. But be warned: This book ain't funny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eisner Award–winning series The Goon returns in its first full-length trade paperback. Antihero Goon claims to be an enforcer for mob boss Labrazio, while really running the whole operation himself. Intimidating the weak due to his immense stature and ugly mug, he runs the vaguely Depression-era San Francisco–like town where the comic is set. Now he finds that a mysterious figure made entirely of wicker is edging him out, while he's preoccupied with a trip down memory lane. Through flashbacks we learn more about Goon's past and the woman he almost went honest for. Though slightly paranormal and definitely pulpy, Goon and the other characters are surprisingly three-dimensional. The art is sepia-toned, giving the book a nostalgic feel. Goon himself is charming and protective of his friends, though Powell never lets him lose the brutality that makes him a believable mob boss. This installment brings romance and heartache as well as action and is sure to be a hit with fans of the series. Mixing the genre expectations of noir with an endearingly amoral lead, The Goon is pure entertainment. (Dec.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593078331
• ISBN-13: 978-1593078331
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goon has heart, July 9, 2010

By 

Sam Quixote - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Goon: Chinatown (Goon (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

The Goon's past is explored in this book focusing on his first love, Isabella, and how it changed him. In the present, he's sorting out his relationship with a nightclub singer, Mirna, while battling a mysterious new enemy called "Mr Wicker".

The book seeks to add depth to the character of the Goon and give him a more fleshed-out personality to explain his emotional distance. Powell not only handles Goon's relationship with Isabella perfectly with just the right amount of subtlety but also adds resonance to Goon's relationship with Franky.

Powell's artwork has also never been better. Beautifully painted images on nearly every page leap out at you and make you pause and look closer.

This is the best Goon book Powell's produced yet as he goes for a more sober tone to his usually funny approach to storytelling. The more thoughtful treatment works brilliantly in this book and it's easy to see why it won two Eisner Awards in 2008. Great stuff.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Art. Slightly disappointing story., March 18, 2010

By 

P. Madden "Gold Box Addict" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Goon: Chinatown (Goon (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

I discovered The Goon with Fancy Pants Vol 2. It was a surprising joy, having picked it up on a whim and knowing nothing about it. Great art and darkly amusing. I have picked up several trades since. Chinatown is serious tale of The Goon's past, and while a good enough yarn, I miss the underlying mirth of series. Plus I think it is better not knowing the tale of his scars, both on his face and his heart-of what happened it China. That mystery added to the character that is The Goon. That said, the artwork as always, is great.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to expectations, December 3, 2007

By 

T. Simons (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Goon: Chinatown (Goon (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

The most interesting thing about Eric Powell's _Goon_ series is that every volume manages to explore new territory, happily mish-mashing genres and tones together into a rolling zombie horror gangster comedy surprise. The one thing he hadn't tried -- up until now -- was a straight up serious character drama without any of the trademark off-the-wall humor that's made the series such a success. Even the darker, more horror-laden and psychology-wrought tales, like "The Vampire Dame Had to Die," had extensive comic interludes. Adding to the challenge is that woven throughout prior volumes of the series, there have been on-and-off references to "Chinatown," all generally of the "at least that wasn't as bad as Chinatown" / "Don't even bring up Chinatown" variety.

So in telling the story of "Chinatown," Mr. Powell faced a dual challenge: he had to tell a straight-up dramatic story without the zany comedy that has been the series hallmark, and that story had to live up to six volume's worth of foreshadowing.

The challenge is met and exceeded. "Chinatown" lives up to the billing set for it in prior comics, and functions on its own, dramatically, as an exploration of Goon's bitter, driven personality. This is a must-read volume for any fan of the series.