The Goon and Franky. Copyright Eric Powell.
When I was first starting to stray from the realm of superhero comics, one of the first series I randomly picked to try out was Eric Powell’s The Goon. If I had known then what a lucky find it would be, I would’ve bought all the volumes the store had and read them all in the parking lot. Simply put, The Goon is one of the best series I’ve ever come across: no gimmicks, just outstanding writing, gorgeous art, and some of the best humor out there.
Set in Depression-era America, The Goon introduces us to the hulking mob enforcer known only as Goon, his foul-mouthed and knife-crazy right-hand man Franky, and the rest of the motley crew that populates the nameless town. When he’s not beating protection money out of people around town, he’s fighting off the hoards of zombies and other bizarre monsters that have started showing up. Up until about Volume 5, the issues are for the most part stand-alone stories, with hints at a bigger picture that begins from Volume 7.
One of the hallmarks of the series, and one of its funniest aspects for me, is the excellent dialogue, a goofy caricature of 1920’s slang. The characters are also often overheard telling bizarre anecdotes, usually involving strange bets, Franky’s love of overweight and/or elderly women, and the overall weird occurrences that characterize the town. There are inflatable chickens, a giant Spanish-speaking lizard, hallucinogenic dream sequences, and much much more! Powell’s brand of humor is so distinct that the various tributes to the comic feel like they could’ve been written by Powell himself (a short story by Thomas Lennon, Reno 911’s Officer Dangle, is one of the highlights of the series).
That said, the goofy dialogue and crude humor belie a surprising amount of depth in the series, especially with the character of the Goon. While at first he seems like nothing more than a musclebound simpleton, it isn’t long before we’re shown hints of a tortured past and an impressive shrewdness. Franky, on the other hand, is the perfect foil to Goon: while the Goon tends to be quieter and pensive, Franky is always making himself heard; while the Goon is fixed on a woman from his past, Franky is always out chasing tail. Add to all that the hint that Franky’s behavior serves to hide a deeper sense of vulnerability, and you’ve got yourself some first-class writing. Scattered throughout the series are little moments when the two characters let their guard down and we see just how deep their friendship and loyalty lie, and these moments are really stunning, to say the least. Volume 6, “Chinatown,” gets tossed around as a high point for the series, and for good reason: the book that explores Goon’s tragic past is a prime example of Powell’s masterful portrayal of both these characters, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Powell’s art has also matured along with his storytelling abilities, to the extent that the early issues and recent issues appear to be drawn by two different people. Just compare this:
From Volume 1. Copyright Eric Powell.
with this:
Issue 29 cover. Copyright Eric Powell.
Better, right? The second image is one used for a cover, but that’s what the comics themselves look like now. Powell has stated recently that he wished The Goon could’ve been a black and white series, but felt it wasn’t commercially plausible. After seeing the beautiful coloring done by Dave Stewart, I’m grateful he decided to ditch the black and white.
I’ll just say it: if you’re an avid comics reader and you’re not reading The Goon, you’re doing something wrong. If you’re new to comics though, it’s a great place to start. I think the series really speaks for itself, so I scanned in a page as an example (sorry if the scan quality isn’t great, it’s the best I could do without breaking the book’s spine). So here you go, and if this doesn’t convince you to read The Goon then frankly I don’t know what will.
Happy reading,
-Nate
Copyright Eric Powell.
Tired of Superheroes 
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