The Goon #30 – Beautiful In Its Tragedy | Review

Written by Jared R.

Thursday, 20 November 2008 01:51

Writer and Artist:
Eric Powell

So, I had another review written up, but I scrapped it. An hour of work and I tossed it aside. Why? Because my friend brought “The Goon” over.

This issue is two things: serious and superb. Its tone is similar to Chinatown, the depression-filled magnum opus which revealed the Goon’s hidden past and in some ways it develops a lot of the themes developed in it. It even brings back the big lug’s main love interest, Bella, the carnival girl/whore who broke his heart and inadvertently his face.

There are three main plot threads in this issue. The first follows Bella and Goon, delving into their schism and mentioning ulterior motives. There are some great tender moments in there, which are odd to see in Powell’s work.

The second focuses on Labrazio’s forces, mounting the final showdown with the Goon’s gang. There’s not a lot with this until the very end, but it really leaves a cliffhanger for the next issue.

Lastly, there’s a story about Buzzard and the Zombie Priest. The interaction between these two is very cryptic sometimes (no, that isn’t meant to be a corpse pun), but as with Labrazio’s plot thread, it picks up at the end. I really feel bad for Buzzard. Poor un-undead bastard…

The artwork feels like Chinatown as well. There’s a lot of emotion in the pencil work, the inking, and the color schemes. The sadness inherent in the relationship of the Goon and Bella, the bitterness Mirna harbors, and the terror that Labrazio exudes are all captured perfectly. This is beautiful work and I can tell it’s leading us somewhere tragic and amazing. I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

This issue of The Goon is exceptional. I am saddened that Powell will stop releasing regularly soon, but it’s worth it if I can just find out what’s to come. I award this issue five out of five and demand that all readers buy it. You will not regret it.