4 out of 5

While ‘Goon’ started off as somewhat random series of gags with an undercurrent of continuity that, as surprising moments, would expose some intention of deeper plotting depths, the issues in volume 4 comprise the turning point – where we can see Powell itching to create something a bit heavier and consistent.  When leaning more on the random aspects of Goon, Powell’s writing can truly be inspired.  But his grinning playfulness with genre cliches starts to sound / feel heavy-handed when the smiles are stripped away.  It doesn’t really make anything in volume 4 particularly unenjoyable, however, it is notably not as much fun, overall, to read.  Just by a little bit though… just enough to make me want to draw attention to it by docking a star.  You still get the origin of The Unholy Bastards, more El Hombre de Lagarto, and a particularly hilarious tale from Goon’s past.’

Issue 1 tells a Goon version of the underdog sports-hero tale, with Goon heading a team of thugs to become the leg-breaking ‘Dockside Fighting Fish Canners.’    Issue 2 gives us a Goon telling of The Spirit of Christmas, with Dr. Alloy as the warning ghost, Franky as Past, Goon as Present, and Buzzard as Future, teaching The Zombie Priest… something something something.  Issues 3-5 starts tells the tale of Dr. Alloy’s physical deterioration, which causes him to request Franky and Goon’s help in retrieving a cure… which inadvertently turns Alloy evil… and in stopping him, both Goon and Alloy get tossed in jail.  This tale starts off ridiculous and turns rather grim while Goon is imprisoned, despite some shark punching and a great villain in the warden (whom I can’t remember if we see again), Hagenbeck.  The tonal imbalance I mention is apparent in that issue divide – two random issues, then three rather linear ones – and also in the art style.  Issue 1 sticks with the pencil / paints mix of volume 3, but post the XMas story, the art becomes completely painted.  It still looks fantastic, but it weighs things down a bit more and just doesn’t feel as ‘fluid’ as the pencil / paint mix.

Also, randomly, some pages seemed to be lettered all in bold for no reason, giving the feeling that everyone was shouting.  Then, next page, normal lettering.  No idea why, but it happened a couple times in the book.

The trade, besides some sketches, also gives us an original Franky prose story by Thomas Lennon, spot illustrations by Powell.  It is, at points, hilarious, and captures the hillbilly randomness of the series, but it also goes out of its way for a joke sometimes.  Lennon’s a comedian, so that’s what happens.  But we still get our solid binding, thick paper stock, and a low price of 16.95.