The Right Way to Get Stabbed in the Eye

goonThe Goon is back and this time, he’s got an even better story to tell in “My Murderous Childhood.”

Continuing the story from “Nothin’ But Misery,” the second volume of the Goon’s adventures is a must-read for any fan of the series. The fact that it’s an origin story makes it a great place to start reading, but truth be told, it’s more enjoyable when read after the first.

Think of it like cheese and white wine; or in the case of Frank and the Goon, beer and pork chops.

Deciding to unravel a character’s origin after a handful of issues usually isn’t a smart thing to do, but writer/artist Eric Powell manages to weave it in almost seamlessly. Between an update an Buzzard’s status and few fun stories and new characters being introduced in between, we find out how the Goon got to become the man of action he is today. Intriguing to say the very least, readers who questioned the depth of this character before will find themselves more attached to him than ever before.

Those who’ve experienced some type of loss in their lives will have something in common with the wrench-swinging anti-hero, while those who have ever felt insecure about their own appearances and abilities for love will find themselves with a new favorite character.

When it’s all said and done, it’s safe to say there’s a little bit of the Goon in all of us.

Simply put, it’s easy to dismiss this series because of how funny it is, but beneath it all, there are touches of humanity, levity and wit in this work that make it one of the best original comics in the industry today. As far as Dark Horse comics go, no one but Hellboy himself can hold a candle to the Goon.

Because of that, you’ll be hypnotized while reading, and finish so quickly that you’ll want to run to pick up the next trade to find out what’s happening at Norton’s Pub.

As was the case in the first trade, the writing is hilarious but deeper than you’d expect. Powell doesn’t develop many new characters, but the ones he does are interesting and have plenty of room to grow. With this being the case, the series has a long shelf life ahead of it, with plenty of twists and turns that can and will take place. After reading this trade, you’ll be positive that Buzzard can hold down a series by himself; the same thing goes for Frank, a sidekick that, on his own accord, is not afraid to march to the beat of his own drum.

Seeing a cast this strong is something that’s not an average occurrence in a comic book, especially one that first reads more like a parody and tribute to the long -lost comic-noir and horror genres.

After some time, however, the trade maintains a comfortable and fun feel, thanks in part to a group of characters who, for the most part, are all leaders that look to someone special to lead them.

Nevertheless, in spite of the excellent supporting cast, finding out the tragic story of Goon’s origin is one of the best reading experiences a comic book fan can go through. Powell’s art only exacerbates this feeling more, as the remarkable splash pages and use of color are a feast for the eyes and a hailing reminder that comic-book art doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed or intelligent to be superb.

Never pompous, always gritty and whimsical and consistently thoughtful, “My Murderous Childhood” is a must-own trade that reaffirms Dark Horse’s ability to deliver the goods in a completely different way than the other companies in the industry.

Read it now, before Frank stabs you in the eye.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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