Comics Review: "The Goon: Once Upon A Hard Time" #1

- by Ninja Ross, 18 February 2015

It’s been quite a while since I was up to date with The Goon. The last time I read the book, Goon killed some folk after a big thing that involved lots of things happening, involving the Priest and some sort of war. It’s been a while. But, after reading all about how essential Once Upon a Hard Time is going to be, I immediately picked it up without any knowledge of what’s been happening in this series.

The cover. Click to enlarge.

Needless to say, I’m lost. So this is a kind of outsider review on the brand new Goon limited series from Eric Powell and Dark Horse comics.

I dunno what’s happening. The Goon is seriously angry about SOMETHING. So angry, he beats a monster with a cinder block. That’s always fun to watch, but there’s a serious lack of Goon humour that has almost always filled the series.

It only takes a few pages to figure out that Goon has developed quite a drinking problem, as he always seems to have some sort of alcoholic beverage in his hand.

Next thing you know, the giant spider who hangs out in Norton’s Pub (a frequent hang out for Goon and his pal Frankie) gets his arm ripped off by Goon for asking if he’s having lady trouble. That’s something sad people do! The Goon is sad about something! 

But wait! What’s this?!? The Priest, a long time enemy of The Goon, is hanging out in Norton’s like he BELONGS. WHAT is HAPPENING here.

We do find out that Goon is at war with two rival gangs: The Magpies and Don Rigatti’s group. And, despite not knowing a lot here, the tension created during a phone call between Goon and Don Rigatti is incredible. The Goon is angrier than ever before, which makes him even more menacing.

Like Chinatown, this Goon book ain’t funny. The Goon has always had a grim, depressing atmosphere, but it usually has plenty of dark comedy to balance it out. Thankfully, just like Chinatown, it appears to be working here. The book is incredibly well written even with little knowledge of what’s been happening.

Powell’s script is as tight as ever, with perfect pacing and excellent dialogue. Every word is interesting and every action is worth taking note of.

THIS IS TENSE!

As always, Powell’s art is some of the best in the business. Every panel is gorgeously drawn, but each character looks a bit older than they used to, especially Franky. I don’t know if this just a change in style, intentional or if I’m just suffering from a head injury, but it works anyway. Everyone looks really sad :(

While the book has never really been bright, Powell doesn’t use a whole lot of colour here. The majority of the book is grey and brown, but when he does choose to use colour, it’s never happy colours. Some may be a bit bright, but it always seems to help illustrate the hopelessness of the situation.

Or getting cindered!

While this is definitely not a jumping on point, it is an incredible book. It’s a well told story with great art. You don’t NEED to know anything about The Goon to enjoy it, I guess, but it helps a lot. Like... A LOT. Which is why I’m gonna be catching up on what I have missed.

Long time Goon fans, however, will enjoy this book immensely. You’ll miss the humour a little bit, but it’s still an incredible read.


So what else did Ninja Ross miss while not reading The Goon?! Let us know in the comments!

Tagged: comics, Reviews.

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