‘Rough Stuff’ Indeed

The only more aptly named trade paperback in the Goon library would have to be “Chinatown.”

But that’s not a bad thing.

Collecting the first three issues of the series, before it was picked up by Dark Horse, “Rough Stuff” is indeed a bit dog-eared around the edges, when compared to the uber polished piece of work the series is now, but overall is still an engaging read full of the wit, carnage and hilarity that make Goon and his pals who they are.

With this collection, series creator Eric Powell has given his hardcore fans a great gift, allowing them to see how his characters have changed since he’s added a handful of Eisner awards to his mantle place. Add in the always superb color work of Dave Stewart and a handful of early sketches and strips and this compilation is a must own for anyone who calls themselves a fan of Powell’s work.

Like any dedicated writer and artist, Powell put this book together to show the world just how far he’s come over the years. With Goon and Frankie joking through the first few pages that the whole book is a ploy to make more money, you’ll immediately have a smile on your face. After you witness Frankie bludgeon the duo’s butler, you’ll instantly feel at home.

Because seriously, it wouldn’t be a Goon book if Frankie didn’t get to stab someone, preferably in the eye.

What follows afterward is an interesting tale that serves as the groundwork for the future of the series. Intriguing is the fact that in spite of this being more of an origin story, Powell alludes to some of the major events in the series, making the reader think he’s a mad scientist that had this vision for the character all along. While the art design has changed a bit, leaving more of the Robert Crumb elements to the side in favor of a more retro look, you can still see these changes and that makes for a different type of feel overall.

The same thing goes for the characters, as some have changed entirely from the way their shown here. For example, the Nameless Priest is simply hilarious here, while in the main series, is much more diabolical. The same thing can be said of Merle the Werewolf, who exposes his devious and backstabbing side much quicker than you’d expect [especially considering what his fate in the series eventually is]. Changes like this show how Powell has refined his storytelling ability over the years and make “Rough Stuff,” a more than fulfilling read.

On his worst day, Powell is still one of the best in the world at what he does. Because of that, seeing his literary and artistic vision for this beloved series unfold through these three early issues is a rare treat.

Unlike many people in the comic industry, Powell has not forgotten where he came from; this trade is living proof.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14225 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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