Wednesday's New Things: The Goon Runneth Over

Man, I just love the Goon...

The Goon: Once Upon A Hard Time #1 by Eric Powell

In Eric Powell's recent Reddit AMA, he suggested that things were about to change for the Goon
Once Upon a Hard Time is the climax to everything I’ve done in the Goon so far. In fact, it may be the last story entitled “the Goon” I ever do. The mythology I’ve created will keep going. But I’m creating new characters to interact with the old ones, shifting barely used characters to the limelight, and putting everyone in different environments. The next mini-series I do involving this mythology will have a different title and will feature a large cast of characters including several who survive the last Goon series.
All that's very exciting, but I'll be a little sad if this is the last we see of him. I'm way behind, and now seems like a good time to catch up on what I've missed, maybe even to fill up my bookshelf and start from the beginning. I just love the Goon.

 
Love and Rockets New Stories #7 by Gilbert Hernandez and Jamie Hernandez 

As always, Los Bros speak for themselves


Nameless #1, written by Grant Morrison, art by Chris Burnham

It's good to see that Morrison and Burnham, who together concluded Morrison's Batman, Inc. story line, are still working together. Although is a little unfair to Burnham, I think part of the reason that Morrison likes working with him is that he works with a thin, hairy line that makes color is the dominant art element on the page, a style that very closely resembles Frank Quitely's (with one of the differences being that the colors in Quitely's work are often slightly darker and more muted than the ones that Burnham uses). That style seems perfect for what Burnham has called "the ultimate horror comic," so the key here is going to be which Morrison shows up, which side of what Jon calls "cuckoopajamapants" is the book going to be on. The preview has me a little worried, but new Grant Morrison is always worth a look.



Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1, by David Lapham
Saga #25, art by Fiona Staples, written by Brian K. Vaughn

Two Image series returning from short breaks, each of which I need to catch up on (well, in the case of Stray Bullets, which I need to read any of at all). The question, as always, is in what form? 

Velvet #9, written by Ed Brubaker, drawn by Steve Epting, colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser 

Velvet is the best espionage comic on the market right now. It just comes out... so... slowly...



Captain America: Fear Him #1, written by Dennis Hopeless, art by Simon Kudranski and Mast & Geoffo, colors by Andres Mossa

I thought I would always buy Captain America, but Rick Remender runs so hot and cold I just couldn't take it anymore (I think it was the issue long straw man argument between Captain America and Nuke that really did it in for me). I'm waiting out the rest of his run on the character before I give it another shot, which is too bad because I think putting Sam Wilson in the flag is a fun and interesting idea, and I expect by the time we get a new writer that we'll have Steve back to full strength That's why this is sort of exciting, even though I don't really like to buy mini series and the art looks a little goofy. I don't know if it's a buy. But it's certainly worth a look.


Jungle Jim #1, written by Paul Tobin, art by Sandy Jarrell


As part of a celebration of King Feature's hundredth birthday, Dynamite put together a small run of series featuring characters from the syndicate's strips, which I think is a pretty cool idea. I haven't seen any of these out in the world, and $3.99 seems like a lot for a comic book that seems to be largely written in the stilted dialogue register comic strip... but it also looks kinda nuts. If the trade is more reasonably priced, I think I'd like to give it a shot.