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The Goon #11
The Goon, Volume 11: The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind
Sparkly, skinny-jean wearin' vampires, wiener-eatin' hoboes, multinational midgets, and 2010 Queen of Burlesque star Roxi DLite are just a few of the obstacles Goon and Franky are up against in this new Goon collection from Dark Horse Comics Plus, guest writer Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese, Beasts of Burden) pits Goon against the horrendous, bacon-eating behemoth, the Ten-In-One
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2012
About the author
Eric Powell
497 books283 followersEric Powell has contributed work on such comics titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, The Avengers, The Hood, MAD Magazine, Devil Dinosaur, Swamp Thing, the Avengers, She-Hulk, the Simpsons, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and Action Comics.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 7, 2024
A set of short Goon stories, lots of variation here.
Goon beating up the male cast of Twilight. It's kind of funny, but very surface level. Twilight is its own parody (honestly, have you seen that movie? It's hilarious) it doesn't really need this treatment.
It's quite a jarring blend of stories! Powell is probably at his strongest with these shorter tales as I found he struggled with the longer storyline presented in volumes 7-9, but I do think this is missing a unifying story to keep my interest.
Goon beating up the male cast of Twilight. It's kind of funny, but very surface level. Twilight is its own parody (honestly, have you seen that movie? It's hilarious) it doesn't really need this treatment.
It's quite a jarring blend of stories! Powell is probably at his strongest with these shorter tales as I found he struggled with the longer storyline presented in volumes 7-9, but I do think this is missing a unifying story to keep my interest.
May 28, 2025
4.25 stars, Another great volume!
May 18, 2020
So far weakest part of the series. Powell pressed pause on main story line and bring some shorter tales. They are not bad, but once you start with big things, it's hard to get back and read one shots that worked before as introduction for Goon's world. They are still funny and interesting, but after last two paced books I expected a little bit more. 3.5*
August 9, 2012
God bless Eric Powell, he really knows how to start a book: the male cast of Twilight appear and begin glittering and showing off their abs until Goon wanders over and beats the living snot out of them. From there Goon and Franky encounter a carnival of freaks out to kill them, Roxi Dlite winds up on Lonely St and brings her brand of trouble with her, and Goon and Franky go on holiday only to wind up battling crazy hobos in swamp.
Powell gets real for a story similar to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 when factory workers were burned alive because of no fire safety. He renames it the Pentagram Girdle factory and brings his brand of dark justice to the characters of the Factory Owner and union busters.
As with all the Goon books, the artwork is beautiful and Dave Stewart’s colours make it look even better. If you’re a fan of the series then this 11th in the series will deliver what you’ve come to expect from Eric Powell – great art, off-beat stories, lots of dark and whacky humour, and plenty of fightin’ Goon-style. Keep ‘em coming, Mr Powell!
Powell gets real for a story similar to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 when factory workers were burned alive because of no fire safety. He renames it the Pentagram Girdle factory and brings his brand of dark justice to the characters of the Factory Owner and union busters.
As with all the Goon books, the artwork is beautiful and Dave Stewart’s colours make it look even better. If you’re a fan of the series then this 11th in the series will deliver what you’ve come to expect from Eric Powell – great art, off-beat stories, lots of dark and whacky humour, and plenty of fightin’ Goon-style. Keep ‘em coming, Mr Powell!
April 29, 2020
(4,6 for the extra load of fun with Goon)
After a few rather gloomy books there is one which goes back to multiple short stories targeting to fun & violence. The variety is great, it still looks perfect and this time the book is around 30 pages of comics longer. I enjoyed this one big time. And after that dark-ish run, it was quite a refreshing read.
After a few rather gloomy books there is one which goes back to multiple short stories targeting to fun & violence. The variety is great, it still looks perfect and this time the book is around 30 pages of comics longer. I enjoyed this one big time. And after that dark-ish run, it was quite a refreshing read.
October 30, 2015
A freakshow is busted up when a guy known as "The Goon" stuffs a human worm headfirst into the mouth of a 10-armed mutant, choking said mutant.
Is there more than needs to be said to know whether you're on board with this?
Is there more than needs to be said to know whether you're on board with this?
April 3, 2025
Some more wierdo one-offs before we get back into plot next volume, I assume. Not much actually happens in this volume, just punching a bunch of freaky monsters mostly. But the story of the girdle union plusked my heartstrings a little bit. Eat the rich, amiright?
January 9, 2015
The Goon is sick, twisted, depraved, morally bankrupt, politically incorrect...and gut-bustingly funny. If you want to laugh for all the wrong reasons, you need to read The Goon.
April 25, 2013
Extremely depraved low-brow humor that I found/find absolutely hilarious!
We are talking belly-laughs here!
Then Eric Powell goes and does a 1% vs. the 99% type story, and I almost found myself cheering for the guy!
This is awesome! And weirdly enough, these books almost seem to get better and better.
We are talking belly-laughs here!
Then Eric Powell goes and does a 1% vs. the 99% type story, and I almost found myself cheering for the guy!
This is awesome! And weirdly enough, these books almost seem to get better and better.
June 8, 2014
I miss the longer story arcs, but all five of the single issue stories in here are entertaining and visually awesome. Par for the course.
April 1, 2014
Reseña de Sergi Viciana · Nota: 6,7 · Reseña en Fantífica
Vaya por delante que soy un gran fan de la serie desde su primer número. Pero si vosotros no la habéis leído, no empecéis por este número, porque, para ser sinceros, es bastante flojo. El problema es que no se trata de un arco argumental, sino de varias historias cortas e independientes, y aunque alguna sí es buena, otras son poco más que un puñado de chistes. A Eric Powell le pasa un poco como a Mike Mignola, pero al revés: las mejores historias de Hellboy son las breves; cuando se mete en cosas más largas, chirrían. Las mejores de El Bruto, en cambio, son las largas. Las cortas, hacen aguas. Que sí, que es una generalización y hay excepciones, pero la idea es esa. Gráficamente Powell mantiene el listón al que nos tiene acostumbrados. Un dibujo solvente (aunque la historia de Roxi Dlite es algo irregular) y una composición de la página al más puro estilo Will Eisner, y con el color de Dave Stewart, que siempre lo mejora todo. De hecho, no sé por qué los de Norma no ponen su nombre en la portada.
Pero es que el problema no es gráfico, sino de guion. Especialmente el capítulo 2, que casualmente es el que tiene guion de Evan Dorkin y no de Eric Powell, pero en general en todo el volumen. Hay tramas sincopadas a las que parece que les falte alguna página, con saltos que obligan a hacer un cerrado —rellenar mentalmente el lapso entre viñetas— complicado. Y chistes metidos casi con calzador, por muy graciosos que puedan ser. Menos mal que el capítulo 4, un homenaje a las huelguistas de Chicago, está ahí para subir el nivel del cómic: una curiosa fusión de pulp (el final es digno de Tales from the Cript), humor negro rondando lo directamente grotesco, historia de mafiosos y, por supuesto, lucha de clases.
Sin embargo, por mucho que me haya reído con algunos momentos, este undécimo volúmen de El Bruto es, en general, bastante decepcionante.
Con todo, una advertencia a los que no conozcáis la serie: es humor negro, negrísimo, y chistes políticamente incorrectos. Muy incorrectos. Y el humor negro, ya se sabe, es como las piernas: hay quien tiene, y hay quien no. Avisados estáis.
Vaya por delante que soy un gran fan de la serie desde su primer número. Pero si vosotros no la habéis leído, no empecéis por este número, porque, para ser sinceros, es bastante flojo. El problema es que no se trata de un arco argumental, sino de varias historias cortas e independientes, y aunque alguna sí es buena, otras son poco más que un puñado de chistes. A Eric Powell le pasa un poco como a Mike Mignola, pero al revés: las mejores historias de Hellboy son las breves; cuando se mete en cosas más largas, chirrían. Las mejores de El Bruto, en cambio, son las largas. Las cortas, hacen aguas. Que sí, que es una generalización y hay excepciones, pero la idea es esa. Gráficamente Powell mantiene el listón al que nos tiene acostumbrados. Un dibujo solvente (aunque la historia de Roxi Dlite es algo irregular) y una composición de la página al más puro estilo Will Eisner, y con el color de Dave Stewart, que siempre lo mejora todo. De hecho, no sé por qué los de Norma no ponen su nombre en la portada.
Pero es que el problema no es gráfico, sino de guion. Especialmente el capítulo 2, que casualmente es el que tiene guion de Evan Dorkin y no de Eric Powell, pero en general en todo el volumen. Hay tramas sincopadas a las que parece que les falte alguna página, con saltos que obligan a hacer un cerrado —rellenar mentalmente el lapso entre viñetas— complicado. Y chistes metidos casi con calzador, por muy graciosos que puedan ser. Menos mal que el capítulo 4, un homenaje a las huelguistas de Chicago, está ahí para subir el nivel del cómic: una curiosa fusión de pulp (el final es digno de Tales from the Cript), humor negro rondando lo directamente grotesco, historia de mafiosos y, por supuesto, lucha de clases.
Sin embargo, por mucho que me haya reído con algunos momentos, este undécimo volúmen de El Bruto es, en general, bastante decepcionante.
Con todo, una advertencia a los que no conozcáis la serie: es humor negro, negrísimo, y chistes políticamente incorrectos. Muy incorrectos. Y el humor negro, ya se sabe, es como las piernas: hay quien tiene, y hay quien no. Avisados estáis.
July 30, 2014
I've always praised the Goon for being just the thing mainstream comics needs. It's creator-driven and controlled, has witty and sharp writing and looks absolutely gorgeous. And not in a dynamic Jim Lee kind of way (not that there's anything wrong with that), but in the sense that the art in the Goon is just fun to look at.
And then comes volume 11: The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind, where, believe it or not, the art has been brought up a couple notches with the addition of Dave Stewart on colors. Bleak yet detailed, it adds a certain charmy mood to the look of the book. So at this point, looks-wise, this is the best the book has ever looked.
How about the writing? Well, the Goon has taken a departure from the story arc format and now focuses more on stories that start and end in single issues. This is a good idea considering how the book is put out (5-6 issues a year), but when the book is put together in trade paperback form, it's a bit of shame we don't have long epics to enjoy. Regardless, the stories told in The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind are both oddball and deeply heartfelt at times, so it's still very much the Goon. Here we see the Goon and Franky take on the Twilight vampires, a deranged carnival, a burlesque-gone-bad coming to town, and greedy capitalists in a setting reminiscent of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of New York in 1911 (thank you, Google!).
There might not be as much room for the stories to breathe and be fleshed out, but there's still plenty of Goon in these books, which makes the Deformed of Body and Devious of Mind great for fans and a perfect starting point for newcomers.
And then comes volume 11: The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind, where, believe it or not, the art has been brought up a couple notches with the addition of Dave Stewart on colors. Bleak yet detailed, it adds a certain charmy mood to the look of the book. So at this point, looks-wise, this is the best the book has ever looked.
How about the writing? Well, the Goon has taken a departure from the story arc format and now focuses more on stories that start and end in single issues. This is a good idea considering how the book is put out (5-6 issues a year), but when the book is put together in trade paperback form, it's a bit of shame we don't have long epics to enjoy. Regardless, the stories told in The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind are both oddball and deeply heartfelt at times, so it's still very much the Goon. Here we see the Goon and Franky take on the Twilight vampires, a deranged carnival, a burlesque-gone-bad coming to town, and greedy capitalists in a setting reminiscent of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of New York in 1911 (thank you, Google!).
There might not be as much room for the stories to breathe and be fleshed out, but there's still plenty of Goon in these books, which makes the Deformed of Body and Devious of Mind great for fans and a perfect starting point for newcomers.
April 15, 2025
Extra star for the one with goon defending the union, maybe my favourite single issue of the goon ever. I remember picking it up at free comic book day when I was in high school. I still find it very moving and effective.
Eric Powell write a woman who's not an evil temptress challenge (impossible)
Eric Powell write a woman who's not an evil temptress challenge (impossible)
January 4, 2015
Probably every single person who sees this posted on my Facebook feed will NOT read a trade of the Goon, including this one. That is ok, though, who knows maybe this review might inspire them. The Goon is just about as much fun as you can have reading a comic book. This trade is like the previous ten volumes of the goon, funny on every single page. The thing is, there is a little bit of seriousness snuck in every so often, this trade is no exception. At one point, we get a pretty horrific scene of a sweat shop filled with women being burned to the ground, and though there were jokes leading up to the actual fire, the scene of the fire is absolutely horrifying. You wont find another comic book trade out there like this one.
July 18, 2012
Ah, more Goon! It's been way too long since Volume 10, but it's well worth the wait. This volume is also a little surprising. Here, Powell and friends focus on short stories rather than continuous storylines like most of the previous volumes. But the Goon proves to be equally entertaining in the short form. The story dealing with the strike of the lady tailors was particularly intriguing as it proved that the Goon, besides being over the top gruesome and funny, can also be poignant.
More Goon please!
More Goon please!
January 30, 2015
Good stuff here. Evan Dorkin of "Milk and Cheese" fame contributes a story about murderous circus freaks. Powell includes a story of abused factory workers and strike breakers, which mixes up history and the occult. There's a creepy story about a new arrival at the local orphanage. And Powell includes a story that provides an excuse for plenty of pinup-style art--which is, of course, rather juvenile, as is a story about the Goon on vacation that involves the Goon and Frankie tracking down weiners stolen from their dockside barbecue. Powell's artwork is as impressive as ever. Dig it.
June 2, 2014
Really enjoyed The Goon: The Deformed of Body and the Devious of Mind (volume 11) written and illustrated by Eric Powell. This graphic novel dealt with a little monster girl, a creepy carnival, burlesque girls, a union strike, the Goon's and Franky's vacation, and a goblin at an Irish wake. And, of course, all the stories are twisted and chaotic. Loved it! Looking forward to reading the next in the series, The Goon: Them That Raised Us Lament (volume 12).
August 6, 2012
Back in the game! Eric Powell got a little soft and sentimental there for a bit with heartbreaking stories of...heartbreak. They were good but utterly forgettable and not really in the vein of the series. This however is Powell back in control with raunchy and violent humor. The way mom used to make.
November 25, 2012
I mostly enjoyed this volume of Goon stories, but the stories lack any of the emotional weight that was present in earlier volumes. The stories here are mostly at the level of dirty jokes. Sure, they're beautifully inked, frequently funny dirty jokes, but I couldn't help but miss the dash of pathos that really made me care about even these vile characters.
November 11, 2016
The Goon battles preppy vampires, a girl that transforms into a blood-thirsty monster, vengeful mutants in a carnival, he confronts an exotic dancer with plans to swindle him and does some union work.
I guess it's still kinda funny, but it adds nothing to the main story. It's just filler.
The Billy the Kid arc is just crap, though.
I guess it's still kinda funny, but it adds nothing to the main story. It's just filler.
The Billy the Kid arc is just crap, though.
January 7, 2021
I can see why this volume was more polarized than others, I like the one shot stories which made fun of genre films, even though ti was more vulgar than the other volumes. Issue #35 and #36 were standouts from this volume. Issue #37 was awful however, full of stereotypical bad guys and a dash of feminism.
December 2, 2015
It's good to see that Powell abandoned the arching story he was pursuing in the last few books to go back to Goon's original spirit of irreverent, sarcastic humour. I missed it and now it's come back with a vengeance. Brilliant! Possibly one of the best issues so far.
April 27, 2016
As is always the case with The Goon, this is a completely wonderful book than is completely unsuitable for anyone. It's gloriously gory and immensely twisted. I can't give it any higher praise than that.
February 23, 2013
Full review on HorrorTalk.com: http://www.horrortalk.com/comic-revie...
April 14, 2014
Pretty much what you'd expect from the first 10 volumes. In other words: mayhem and monsters.
November 7, 2017
Genuinely affecting labor history/EC comics pastiche followed by laugh-out-loud lampoon of superhero comics. Powell is genius.
August 11, 2018
A kolísavost Goona pokračuje - tenhle díl jede čistě na Powellově humoru, kterej mě nebaví, takže skvěle nakreslená nuda.
July 5, 2025
Review is for 15 volumes binged over three days
I don't know how I missed this during it's initial run, but - small favors - now I got to enjoy it with no waiting.
For such a long run there is surprisingly little difference in quality, occasionally dipping to excellent from exceptional and dragging - as most tales do - when it moves away from the episodic and into an ongoing tale.
I don't know how I missed this during it's initial run, but - small favors - now I got to enjoy it with no waiting.
For such a long run there is surprisingly little difference in quality, occasionally dipping to excellent from exceptional and dragging - as most tales do - when it moves away from the episodic and into an ongoing tale.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews