Book-A-Day #77 (10/2): The Goon, Vol. 1: Nothin' But Misery by Eric Powell

My colleague, Jay Franco, bought a two-volume set of Goon collections for the SFBC's Altiverse program, and (as I usually do with comics and related stuff from that area) I took home copies to read myself.

Well, I finally got to the first Goon collection last night, and I have to say eh. I don't really understand the world (it's a city with lots of zombies, apparently ruled by crime bosses), not do I get the Goon himself (a big tough guy who I gather is supposed to be more than just a big tough guy). The whole thing looks to me like it should either be played basically straight (in the Hellboy vein) or pushed all of the way over into being really funny (like a 30s pulp version of Megaton Man). Instead, it's somewhere in between, trying to be funny and serious at the same time.

Maybe this collection has weak stories; I might try to read the other collection (since I have it). But I have to say this dropped right onto the floor between two stools for me, and I didn't get much out of it.