The Goon: One for the Road (One-Shot) Review

Can a pub crawl be the answer to finding a missing sailor? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

Goon and Franky meet a sailor on the hunt for his buddy . . . but trouble ensues when the trio go bar to bar in genre-hopping pursuit.

The Goon is back! When both this one-shot and upcoming mini Occasion of Revenge was announced it was music to this fanboys ears as having missed Goon and Franky’s antics over the last year and a half (six months if you count the Spanish written Goon #44). In a story that oozes Goon humour we see our two beloved characters help a sailor search for his friend. With the search quickly becoming a pub crawl, along with other wacky antics I for one realise just what comic readers have been missing.

Eric Powell is a genius when it comes to writing these characters with the seriousness of Goon and the craziness of Franky complimenting each other perfectly. In this issue in particular Powell managed to give us tons of humour whilst also giving a well structured story. Which isn’t always easy for one-shots. Add to this the wacky development and crazy climax and you get everything you want from a one-shot Goon comic. To top things off Powell gives a cruel ending for the sailor making the events of the issue all the more entertaining.

Powell doesn’t just create great stories when it comes to the Goon as he always produces phenomenal art. The sensational layouts and quirky details have always appealed to me with the dynamic flow giving the exhilarating vibe that Goon is known for. Add the eccentric facial expressions and intense character interaction and you artwork just as humorous as the actual story. If this wasn’t enough Powell also gives fantastic caricature of famous celebrities as well as an vivid climax. The colours from Dave Stewart also gives a sleek and gritty finish to Powell’s magnificent art.

The Goon: One for the Road is the kind of one-shot that every Goon fan needs also acting as a brilliant jumping on point for new readers. It’s wacky story and comical dialogue also makes the long wait well worth it. Highly recommended.