Groo: The Hogs of Horder

Groo the Wanderer

by Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier

You probably think Groo the Wanderer is the most destructive force in his world. Not so! Even at his most inept, Groo cannot destroy a village faster than the hogs of Horder. Theirs is an evil species that has existed forever and that spreads death and annihilation to this day. They control your mind, they control your body, and worst of all, they control your money. So what happens when Groo comes nose to nose with them? Find out in this latest Groo adventure!

Collects the four-issue miniseries Groo: The Hogs of Horder. The prior Groo miniseries, Hell on Earth, was nominated for the 2009 Best Limited Series Eisner Award!

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Adventure, Humor, Satire

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2010

About the author

Sergio Aragonés Domenech is a cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to Mad Magazine and creator of the comic book Groo the Wanderer.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

No quite as good as other recent Groo fare but still a fantastic social satire. This time the Groo crew tackles the economic crisis, and if there is a problem with the Hogs of Horder, it is that the subject matter is so complex that it prevents reduction to Groo's level (so to speak). Still, worth the time to read, because it does a great job with its subject matter (and Groo sinks.. Five more ships?)

Recommended for fans and new Groo readers alike!

[Silas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was reading the Groo books in order, but that turned out to really not be the case, and this book was a much later one than the two ones I have read previously, having come out around 2010. Because this was a much later volume, it deals with a lot of themes I hadn't really encountered before in Groo, and a few characters I didn't recognize, but which were well-established characters in-universe. Rather than a collection of several smaller stories like I expected, it was one big parable about the interconnectedness of global commerce with most of the factors destabilized by Groo's destructive nature. I knew him as kind of bumbling, but not quite so much of a walking disaster as this, so it was a bit jarring, but I was able to accept it after a fashion, and it was a pretty in-depth look at the topic with humor along the way. Just the same, it was quite dense, and didn't make me laugh quite as much as earlier Groo books did. This isn't a good early book or introduction, but it was a fairly interesting story that showed a great deal of insight.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read any Groo in a while, so this was fun. Based on when it was first published (2009-2010), I assume this story was inspired by the 2008 recession. It's really pretty timeless though.
I've been reading Groo since his first series, back in the early 80s, and he never really changes much. I always enjoy his adventures. There's really nothing else quite like Groo in comics.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Groo never disappoints! This one's a hilarious exploration into economics, nation-states, trade (and their accompanying wars), and international relations, and it is laugh-out-loud funny. All of the standard Groo humor is here, along with the typical wisdom Aragones tends to impart. A must-have GN.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a Groo fan since the very first issue way back when. I have purchased about 98% of every issue that has been published (strangely I am missing a few of the last issues published by Marvel/Epic). I've read every joke into the ground. I've seen countless armies slain, towns destroyed, ships sunk, gallons of cheese dip eaten...and yet I am still just amazed that Sergio and Mark can continue to bring such smart insight of this strange world WE live in through a humor magazine about a man with little brains to call his own. While I am no longer into comics like I used to be - books like Groo remind me of just how brilliant they can be. Some company needs to collect the entire run into a collection of omnibus editions. This is stuff to be enjoyed again and again. Thank you Sergio and Mark, for...yikes...has it really been 30 years?!! of entertainment unlike any other. See you next time!

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Groo, and I have realized that is because I myself am very Groo-like. He wants more out of life than he has, he loves his dog, he is always willing to help, and when he tries to do something good it often ends up being the wrong thing (or at least done in the wrong way).

This graphic novel is all about greed, and marketing, and foreign labor. Sergio and Mark always manage to work in some great social satire in a very comedic way that is nonetheless also quite serious.

I wish I could be hanging-out friends with Sergio. I imagine he is quite a conversationalist.

[Ahimsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Groo was always a thinly veiled satire, but at this late point the veil is pretty much cheesecloth. (Er, cheesedip cloth?) Still it's great to see everybody's favorite little mendicant used to criticize the neoliberal status quo.

[Ilib4kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

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