By Svetlana Fedotov
Having just passed its 15th anniversary, Dark Horse’s The Goon has been an underground success for longer than some teenagers have been alive. A dark comedy noir book filled with undead ghoulies and ghosties, the comic was never one to take itself too seriously; “too” being the key word .The Goon: Occasion of Revenge is perhaps one of the most serious Goon works to have been done by creator Eric Powell. While definitely not the first time the tongue-in-cheek comic has taken a more dramatic turn, rarely do we see an entire story arc switch to a more serious angle. With the newest chapter, we finally get to see the real consequences of living a life of being a gorilla sized thug and how old ghosts never really quite die.
The comic starts off like any other Goon comic really, with a gathering of dark forces intent on taking down the Goon and claiming his town for their own. As they slowly move into the town (led by the Zombie Priest), we touch base with the Goon himself as he drowns in his memories and some old guy takes a crap in Franky’s beer. With every issue, the comic hops forward a couple months as the Goon fights against the Priest’s horde while also following the lives of several of the town’s residents. We get peeks into what drives the residents to do what they do and the jealousies and mistakes of the humans of the town that attract the evil spirits. As secrets and double-crosses rear their ugly heads, will Goon be able to hold on to the only place he ever really called home or will it too become nothing but a bad memory, as the war becomes more than just possession over a town, but something much more sinister?
I rarely say this, but this book is perfect. I don’t care what anyone has to say, Occasion of Revenge is a fantastic read, especially for fans of The Goon. In terms of being a continuation of The Goon’s story and universe, it’s a beautiful addition to an already incredible series. Powell manages to explore the depths of The Goon’s world with a very precise mix of drama and black comedy, not forgetting that it was humor that really pushed the comic into success. We meet new people and old faces, each of them getting a story to tell that only thickens the already heavy plot. Perhaps feeling the reader was overdue for some answers, Powell really puts in his all, paying attention not only to the story, but to the art, the movement, the color, and the pacing. You really feel for everyone who gets caught up in the war for the town, the lives that get thrown askew as they struggle to save a scrap of land. It’s heavy, dude.
Now, in terms of being a good comic in general, outside out of my blinding love for the Goon, the answer is yes, it’s fantastic. As stated, the art, the movement, color, pacing, dialogue, the overall story holding the readers interest, is completely solid. The art is smooth and moves naturally throughout the pages as Powell plays with panels and panel lay out. At some points, he chooses to simply toss the backgrounds all together, instead picking a color that exasperates the emotions on the page, which, to be honest, is a bold choice. If done wrong, it simply comes off as an excuse to be lazy, but he does it with minimalist class. Powell’s not afraid to play with theatrical angles either giving the reader a unique view of the world, while the fast talking dialogue makes the pages fly by. It really is like watching a really good movie.
The only drawback (if I HAD to find one) is that you can’t start reading the Goon series with this collection, which honestly is not a bad thing, since everyone should already be reading The Goon and if you’re not reading it, then what are you doing with your life? Regardless, Occasion of Revenge is what fifteen years of The Goon has been leading up to; don’t miss out.