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

by Eric Powell (Author, Artist)

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 Description
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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (December 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593078331
• ISBN-13: 978-1593078331
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #155,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Calenth (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Ain't Funny, November 24, 2007

By	Radd Roberson "Radman" (Live Oak, FL) - See all my reviews

Powell's The Goon has consistently been one of my favorite comics since I first discovered it in trade form. I fell in love with its wit and dark humor throughout and its ability to deliver a delightfully intense and serious story. What makes Chinatown stand out from the bi-monthly series thus far is its serious tone. The very first page states "This Ain't Funny." There is no other statement that could bluntly put how serious this book is and how much it refuses to be anything but. Powell went all out to describe the heartbreak that leads Goon to who he is today and how he acquired the scar upon his face. I enjoy the comedy that constantly spouts out within the regular series, but I have to say that Mr. Powell knows how to spin an amazing yarn without all the humor that is usually my favorite part of the regular series. All I have to say is "Well Done" and I look forward to reading more of The Goon when it starts shipping again in January.

4.0 out of 5 stars A little backstory, July 10, 2008

By	Patrick S. Dorazio "Sloggoth" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Chinatown allows us to flashback to the oh so tantalizing hints we have gotten in previous episodes about how Chinatown impacted the Goon and how he looks at the world these days. It also has a parallel story running at the current time, this one has a dame in it just like Chinatown did. In both, he is rebuffed by a woman who he tries to open up to or fall in love with. The title of this story could have been Dames and would have been an accurate picture of things. We also get to revisit some of his memories of his Aunt, the Carny who took him in as a child, perhaps the only woman in his life who never turned on him but ended up dead instead.
I have to admit I agree with all the reviews here, despite the fact that there seems to be two sets of thinking with the four I have read. This is a serious piece with none of the comedy elements found in every other Goon story I have seen so far. I like how that plays in relation to the entire Goon saga. Eric Powell has shown touches of emotional depth in previous episodes and this ones shows us even more about what has made the Goon who he is, but it still did not go far enough. Much of the "why's?" of what happens in this tale are still shrouded in mystery. We are educated, finally, about why Chinatown is such a dark spot in the Goon's history but we still do not understand the details. We know about as much as the Goon does in the end, as to why this woman or that did what they did, rather than gaining any further insights. Don't get me wrong, it still works here, because I appreciate the overall story quite a bit and this fits in quite nicely. It is not, as another reviewer stated, a good place for a newcomer to join in, because this certainly does not give a taste of what the Goon is normally all about, but for those who are fans, this tale definitely fits quite nicely in the Goon universe. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit.