4 out of 5

The tenth anniversary issue and a wordless one-shot that was part of a push from Dark Horse of a month where issues could be jumping-on points for new readers.

Post a prolonged break after the monthly-published Goon Year of issues, #32 finds Powell unwinding at a gloriously comfortable pace, delivering what is, without exception, a Goon classic.  Every aspect of the issue displays the simple gleeful inspiration of when the book started, while still managing to eke the ongoing plot along significantly.  You’ve got a rape gorilla, a T-Bot 5000, some uncomfortably funny / unfunny satire (this happens in Goon from time to time, and as long as Powell leans more toward random than direct parody – such as the case here – it works), and a nursery rhymin’ hobo god Goon gets to knock out.  The pinups don’t feel like a waste of space because Powell has owned these characters for a decade, and it’s really rewarding to see them – for the first time, I believe – rendered by some genre greats like Wrightson and Mignola.  Reprinting the genesis of our leads from the Rough Stuff trade is a bit of a page waste, but, fine, you’ve bought the issues and not the trades and so you deserved that.

Issue #33 is what it is, a tale of dames and fights told without words, but it works to Powell’s love of physical comedy, and due to his polished hand when it comes to telling a story with art (combining it with narrative is where Eric can get into trouble), the book ends up being a pretty prime how-to example of the wordless one-shot.