Customer Reviews

The Goon Volume 1: Nothin' But Misery (Goon (Numbered))

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are comics that have more depth and some that have more subtlety than The Goon, but few that exhibit such sheer joy of the comics medium and "low-brow" art. It's obvious that Eric Powell knows not only the value of good B-Movies and pulp tales, but of all other pop-culture discards as well. His stories, freeway collisions among gansters, monsters, Frank Capra and drive-in "sci-fi", are pure, simple, direct, and often outright funny. They invoke everything from Ed Wood to Norman Rockwell. Although Powell adopts a beautiful cartoony style in drawing Goon (with suggestions of Jack Kirby, Will Eisner and other comics greats), what makes it work is the talent of an accomplished artist capable of far more complex renderings. The Goon is a wonder and well worth your attention.

This was a wonderful read. I do not normally laugh out loud when reading comics, but this one keeps me rolling. Despite the fact that the characters are much the antihero, you just can't help rooting for them.

After reading this I am determined to buy and read this title as long as he is publishing it. The Goon is my favorite comic out today, and I would definitely pick this product up.

OK, "high concept review": What if you took the old E.C. horror comics, and mixed it up with old E.C. MAD comics -- tossing a few old E.C. "Two-Fisted Tales" in with the mix? Well, that's THE GOON -- both in its sensibilities, its subject matter, and its lush style of artwork.

I picked this up after many recommendations from many people (both friends and critics). And while it took me a few pages to get into it -- and to realize that what was going to draw me in was the humor. Any comic that can get me to laugh convulsively more than 10 times throughout its length has my vote, and my filthy lucre.

If you like your horror straight up, I doubt this will do it for you; but if your looking for comedy tinged with gore -- you're in for a treat.

I am not a huge graphic novel fanatic, not that I do not appreciate great artwork and the compelling stories that come out of a variety of fantastic stories, it is just that it has never been something I have latched onto as much as many of my friends have.
My fascination has been with zombies and that has led me to different graphic novels where zombies play a part in them. From The Walking Dead Series to Xombie to Reces Pieces, I have found plenty to entertain me with along with the strictly written word in zombie books.
I picked up a couple of Goon titles, thinking that My Murderous Childhood and Nothin' But Misery would be the first two in the series. I was mistaken but after reading these two, I will be hitting up Rough Stuff and moving forward with the rest of the series.
I love the almost schitzophrenic way that Eric Powell's brain works with this series, how he brings in totally lunatic elements with both a dark and malevolent sense of humor that had me cracking up through this entire book. The advertisements are hilarious, the different tales both big and small are intriguing, and overall I thought it was a fantastic read.
Zombies play a part in the Goon series, which is what drew me to it, but it is far more than just that. I honestly cannot wait to read the rest of the various tales of the Goon, because the art is great, the stories are rolicking, and the bottom line for me is that this was fun to read.

The art is great, feels almost animated (and i hope someone will animate it). There is humor, but it's mostly in the art rather than in the text and ideas.

However, i felt a little dissapointed for two reasons:
1. Even if this is the first volume, you should read volume 0 (Rough Stuff) first since this one makes some important references to the origins of Goon and its enemy, the Zombie Priest
2. It's too similar to Hellboy. Not VERY similar, but enough to notice it easily. Even the looks and one-liners of the Goon remind me of Hellboy. Also his absurd supernatural enemies and friends are from the same pool of ideas (zombie gangsters instead of nazis, talking fish and sea monsters, hot chicks with a noir shade of character)

The Goon volumes make for a great looking and entertaining collection and should be appreciated by Hellboy fans. But this being the first volume that i read, i expected something fresher and more genuine.

This is my first foray into The Goon. I loved it. I usually read superhero books but lately I've weanted to get into something different. First it was Hellboy and now it's The Goon. This is Hilarious but it's not just jokes there are real stories here too. These other reviewers mention these great horror writers and what-not, I have not read their stuff (but I probably should), but this is a great read for anybody.
And The Atomic Rage is hilarious.

Combine the wild horror of Hellboy, the Depression-era atmosphere of the Rocketeer, and the wacky, outrageous humor of Sam and Max, and you get Eric Powell's Goon.

Who is the Goon? A mighty, scarred, granite-jawed, two-fisted mountain of a man who, with his sidekick, Frankie, runs all of the crime rackets in the dead-end slums of a no-name city while, at the same time, keeping it safe from the marauding undead armies resurrected by the Nameless Zombie Priest. Weird? Sure. Wacky? You bet. Fun? Absolutely.

The Good: Powell knows his audience. He blends obscure pop culture references with some out-of-left-field humor, as well as a healthy dose of zombie-kicking fun, and makes what you might call a nifty companion comic to Mike Mignola's Hellboy. It's drawn in a cartoony fashion, but that actually adds to, rather than detracts from, the antics. Powell is also able to bring out a surprising amount of pathos in his characters. There really isn't an ongoing storyline in this volume, just interconnected short tales, and that seems to work just fine.

The Bad: Really, I didn't have much to complain about. If I had to complain about something, it would be the one-note plots (Joke, then zombie shows up, joke while beating up zombie, then joke finale), though even that isn't bothersome.

If you're a fan of zombies, Hellboy, or a good, funny comic, give The Goon a try!

a really cool comic series. i am commenting on the entire series here. kinda makes you want'a go to the gym and throw some weights around or maybe pull a transmission out of a car or somethin'...:)

I didn't know exactly what to expect of this specific book, as it was a first volume of a long-running series. I have to say this was one of those incredibly pleasant surprises! The dark humor is spot on, as is the nihilism and total lack of any moral or decency (at least apparently...) that we've come to love and cherish on any good zombie film/book/comic.
The main character is a brute and he should be, the zombies are irrelevant and totally discardable, as they should be. Spot on.

"The Nameless Man, the Zombie Priest, had come to town to build a gang of the undead. But even the undead fear...The Goon!" This little quote from the back of the book sums up The Goon nicely - it's an action packed adventure pitting our titular hero The Goon (a huge muscular gorilla of a man) against the undead legions of the evil Zombie Priest (a diminutive scheming madman with sorcerous powers and a penchant for necromancy). However, the Goon is so much more than just sraightforward Zombie-bashing. It's a true comics classic, and Eric Powell has ensured himself a place in the comic book hall of fame by creating such a legendary character. The Goon has hints of Kirby, Wally Wood, Will Eisner and even bits of Mignola's Hellboy, but it stands out as a truly original piece of work. In this first volume we see the Goon and his sidekick Franky take on deadly fish men and the haunted inbred ghosts from The Decaster Mansion, as well as a Bog Lurk ensorcelled by the Zombie Priest to take down The Goon in hand-to-hand combat - no easy feat. Buy this first volume and soak up the comic book magic of The Goon. You'll soon be as addicted as I am.