The battle with the Magpie Witches escalates. This issue blends gangster styling with occult overtones as The Goon agrees to offer protection for a man named Rory in exchange for hired guns. We start out with a flashback to Kid Gargantuan’s past.  From that interlude we get the backstory of the fallen pugilist and his dysfunctional childhood.  In the present, tension arises as the word gets out of Rory’s presence in town.  The Goon offers a diversion by setting up a false safe house.  Ramona, however, provides a greater diversion to The Goon when the witches’ army marches down on The Goon and his men.

A most interesting revelation from a startling source puts Kid Gargantuan in a position to make a grave decision.  The ending of this issue will leave your jaw ajar and your breath expelled.

The first reason why this book should be an automatic monthly pull is due to Powell’s art.  Monsters look unique yet still fuel nightmares.  One attacking menace is a tall, gaunt creature with bony hands and wooden flesh covering sunken, empty eyes.  If that doesn’t fuel a trip to the therapist, then nothing will.  Additionally, characters convey emotions clearly.  The shrugged shoulders and shadowed outline look of utter defeat when Kid Gargantuan hears of a life-altering secret will send shivers down your spine, goose bumps of emotion equal in power to the shudders of horror from the book’s menagerie of monsters.  Finally, the action comes through clearly.  In the panel where The Goon jumps the stairs and wields his ax to attack the tall man monster, Powell includes a montage image of the creature’s face.  Balancing those three images effectively proves that Powell deftly deserves your sacrificed cash that you would have spent on beer but smartly purchased this comic instead.

The second reason for this book being a must buy comes from the story.  Powell really shouldn’t be so talented as an artist AND as a writer.  That’s just jealousy inducing voodoo.  Nevertheless, we all receive the benefits of his hard work.  This issue blends mob handlings with poignant storytelling and finds openings to inject humor.  With the additional undercurrents of horror, the book delivers maximum entertainment. So many plot threads subtly unite in outstanding ways.  For instance, The Goon’s love affair with Ramona means the hero finally gets some well-deserved rewards, yet that may not be as simple as that.

Although I keep awarding this book high praises and scores every month, I never run out of positive things to say.  People look back on comics in the 1990s and remember poly-bagged gimmicks.  When people look back on comics in the early 21^st century, they will remember compelling stories, magnificent illustrations; The Goon will be the first example to define that era.

Score: 5/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Eric Powell Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 10/29/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital