The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

[Victorian Squid]

I heard rumors that Johnston giving people the Clockwork Orange treatment to force them to read it. I'm sorry to hear that you were one of the victims.

Well, it serves me right for all the ultraviolence.

But if only RJ cronies review the books online, they will get only ridiculously positive reviews. Did you hear the review of the first one on BC? "OMIGOD this book is so funny I snorted milk through my nose!" (<--paraphrasing with creative liberties there).

Also, it sold for almost $20.

[BlueStreak]

Well, it serves me right for all the ultraviolence.

But if only RJ cronies review the books online, they will get only ridiculously positive reviews. Did you hear the review of the first one on BC? "OMIGOD this book is so funny I snorted milk through my nose!" (<--paraphrasing with creative liberties there).

Also, it sold for almost $20.

I will say that there is evidence that certain sites in the past have given the Avengfuls positive hype in hopes of receiving linkage from Johnston on his website. Unfortunately for them, Johnston didn't give them any linkage and I've noticed that there's been surprisingly little reviews of the book online.

[Victorian Squid]

I will say that there is evidence that certain sites in the past have given the Avengfuls positive hype in hopes of receiving linkage from Johnston on his website. Unfortunately for them, Johnston didn't give them any linkage and I've noticed that there's been surprisingly little reviews of the book online.

S. at the LCS tried to shame me for buying them, then I reminded him that actually he's the one who bought them in the first place and I was just giving him money to relieve him of a small part of that karmic burden.

[Stephen Day]

Oh how I've dreamed of this moment. At long last The Goon has finally been selected as the Review Group pick. I don't know who the other 4 are that voted for it in the poll because Jude has somehow made the public option completely not obvious, but I owe you guys handys... or maybe a comic with a chromium cover if you're insecure.

[Stephen Day]

I'll have my review up for this sometime this weekend.

[Stephen Day]

Just saw this in the store and I had to laugh at the Dark Horse logo there

Yeah, that's a nice little touch.

[S.F. Jude Terror]

The Goon #39 Review

I've never read a Goon comic before this, so I have no idea what the book is normally like, which may hurt my appreciation of this comic because, for all I know, The Goon could be worse than the stuff this issue lampoons. Or it could be the best book ever. But not already being a fan, I think some of the humor fell flat and even felt a bit petty, as I had no reason to cheer on Powell for making the same jokes people make on this message board every day.

That being said, I did like that the book was accessible to me, a new reader, and I really appreciated the essay at the end. I just didn't think the pages themselves were all that funny. It had its moments - "Red Goon. He's a commie!" - and most of the art and visual gags were funny - the panel design one was the only one to make me chuckle out loud - but what I found unfortunate is that the funniest part of the book was the cover. In fact, pretty much every gag and point made inside the books was made in a funnier, more potent manner on the cover itself, which leads me to say... what was the point? Unless, of course, the interior was a purposeful allegory for the decompression, redundancy, and lack of urgency in mainstream books, in which case, I guess it was brilliant.

Would I read the Goon again? Not based on the majority of this book, but based on the hints of the character's real essence and Powell's essay, I might give it another try.

2.5/5

A good concept, good art, some funny bits, but lackluster execution.

[S.F. Jude Terror]

Addendum (some stuff I was thinking about in the shower)

I don't know that Powell's writing itself is at fault for my failure to enjoy his book. I agree with everything he said. Squid I think called this parody timely, but I think it's ten years too late. Nowadays, the real stuff put out by Marvel and DC, like Before Watchmen, is a funnier parody than anything someone could make on purpose. The truths behind Powell's satire are obvious and well accepted, which takes a lot of he sting out of it. Mainstream comics are an easy target. And yes, despite this, I still read them, just like most of you. So that makes this one comic seem kind of insignificant, which itself is more sad than it is funny.

For making me think deep thoughts about comic books in the shower, I would like add a half point to this book's score.

3/5

[S.F. Jude Terror]

And yes, my original review was written while pooping.

[Victorian Squid]

Squid I think called this parody timely, but I think it's ten years too late.

The problem with that is that it is a parody, which is imitative by nature, and though most of the trends are long-term the actual examples he's parodying are much more recent than that, the DC relaunch for example. This is more like Mad Magazine, there's no claim to any real prescience here, it's making fun of what's been going on pretty recently.

The fact that you find these targets easy and even shop-worn is probably indicative of two things: 1, you read comic book message boards all day long every day. And 2, they are mostly good points made by many other critics too.

But why begrudge Powell using his platform to make his opinions known the same way you use the internet to constantly belabor us with yours?

There's always some defensiveness on the part of the reader in a book like this. ("Is it me he's talking about? Am I being made fun of here?")

[S.F. Jude Terror]

The problem with that is that it is a parody, which is imitative by nature, and though most of the trends are long-term the actual examples he's parodying are much more recent than that, the DC relaunch for example. This is more like Mad Magazine, there's no claim to any real prescience here, it's making fun of what's been going on pretty recently.

The fact that you find these targets easy and even shop-worn is probably indicative of two things: 1, you read comic book message boards all day long every day. And 2, they are mostly good points made by many other critics too.

But why begrudge Powell using his platform to make his opinions known the same way you use the internet to constantly belabor us with yours?

There's always some defensiveness on the part of the reader in a book like this. ("Is it me he's talking about? Am I being made fun of here?")

Well like I said, I think I'm not the best audience for this because I don't have any attachmentto Powell or The Goon, and so I get no thrill from seeing him hit these same notes I see, for instance, Twigglet hit. In fact, I have more of an attachment to Twigglet and so I'm more inclined to enjoy his parodies. And as you say, I'm on this website all the time so not only was none of this new to me, but it was routine. For a different audience, it might be hilarious.

Then again, my other gripe was that the jokes were great on the cover and then retold over and over inside to diminishing returns.

[Victorian Squid]

Well like I said, I think I'm not the best audience for this because I don't have any attachmentto Powell or The Goon, and so I get no thrill from seeing him hit these same notes I see, for instance, Twigglet hit. In fact, I have more of an attachment to Twigglet and so I'm more inclined to enjoy his parodies. And as you say, I'm on this website all the time so not only was none of this new to me, but it was routine. For a different audience, it might be hilarious.

Then again, my other gripe was that the jokes were great on the cover and then retold over and over inside to diminishing returns.

Well, I think I had certain advantages over most the rest of you when I read it. I meditated in for two days straight just to be in the perfect state of mind to receive this comic.

[Stephen Day]

Well, I think I had certain advantages over most the rest of you when I read it. I meditated in for two days straight just to be in the perfect state of mind to receive this comic.

You shouldn't do that so much.

You'll get hair on your palms and go blind.

[Victorian Squid]

You shouldn't do that so much.

You'll get hair on your palms and go blind.

I predicted you'd make that stale joke, please try to surprise me next time.

[Stephen Day]

I predicted you'd make that stale joke, please try to surprise me next time.

A goat and a cow walk into a bar.

The chicken walked under the bar and kept going.