Monday, October 28, 2013

Trade Marks: The Goon - Chinatown

I have read a number of Goon stories and, while I have always enjoyed Eric Powell's work on the series, I can't say that I ever loved it. This has changed with Chinatown. With this tale, Powell has found the right balance of action, humour and emotional impact. Much of this has to do with the flashbacks presented here, as they fill in certain gaps in the Goon's past and help the reader to better engage with him as a character. The character design is also very strong here, as Powell pays homage to Eisner by filtering both the good guys and the villains through a fun house mirror of sorts. I'm not sure if this is a great introduction to the character, but it is not a bad place to start and fans of pulpy action will find a lot to like. Trade Mark: A-

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