The Goon, Vol. 3: Fishy Men, Witchy Women & Bitter Beer

The Goon (2019 - ) #3

by Roger Langridge, Mike Norton (Illustrator), Eric Powell (Illustrator)

A stand alone Goon tale by acclaimed creative team of writer Roger Langridge (Fred the Clown, The Muppets) and artist Mike Norton (Battle Pug, Revival). When a brewing war between Mother Brewster's clan and Kaiser Fishhelm's Old Peculiar distillery breaks out, it looks to undermine the stability of the local unions. And the Goon can't have that, can he? Witches… Fish Men… and Beer! It’s a calamitous mixture as the Goon and Franky try to keep the Brewer’s Union in line and chaos from erupting in the streets.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Crime

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2021

About the author

Roger Langridge has been producing comics for over twenty years. Most recently, he has attracted critical attention for his work on the Harvey Award-winning Muppet Show Comic Book (Boom! Studios) and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (Marvel Comics); other works of note include Marvel's Fin Fang Four, Fantagraphics' Zoot! and Art d'Ecco (in collaboration with his brother Andrew), and the NCS, Ignatz, Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated comic book Fred the Clown. He currently lives in London with his wife Sylvie, their two children and a box of his own hair.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star is a bit harsh, but this just doesn't even feel like a Goon comic. The first volume where Powell wasn't involved even as a co-writer. Two beer companies in the town with no name start to compete with each other. It felt more like an all ages comic, a bit silly. It was worth a try, but I'm glad to see Goon went back to Eric Powell after this.

[Luke Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this new run of GOON books feels both like a cozy and charming return to the lower stakes of early GOON, and also a sort of lesser imitation of it's former self that can't really help but pale in comparison to the later big arc GOON stuff and the somehow even better HILLBILLY books.

This is probably the pale imitationiest one, as, I believe, it's the first collection with nothing but covers actually by Powell himself. I get that Albatross probably needs to keep making Goon books to keep the lights on, and I'm happy to read even a minor Goon, but I will admit it it feels a little extraneous at this point. I hope that Powell's trailing involvement in his own properties means he's moving on to new projects that he finds exciting and creatively fulfilling. Curious to see what comes of his Ed Gein book.

[Ben Brackett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very clearly not Powell writing, imitation of his humor that doesn't quite work and it's very wordy for a Goon book.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review is for three Volumes of the second Goon series read consecutively.

New numbering but the same old spirit, picking up right where the first line left off. (and with two uncollected issues hanging, I'm both eagerly awaiting more and fearing what the hold-up might be)