Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.50
To understand the controversy of this very special issue of The Goon, called Satan’s Sodomy Baby, one has to come to the realization that sometimes a vivid imagination can be a disturbing and hilarious thing to possess. Eric Powell in his Goon series has delivered more insanity with heart than any comic creator working today. What Satan’s Sodomy Baby does is that he sees how far his audience can go both with the opinions in the story and the comedy of the Goon series pushed to an extreme rarely imagined in any medium.
To describe the plot, in as clean a manner as possible, a hillbilly in turpentine filled frenzy tries an intimate action with a farm animal. Instead of that action, The Devil goes and molests the hillbilly and said man is made pregnant with the dark seed. This man gives birth to a devil baby and the Goon and Franky have to stop Satan from bringing the end of the world. What transpires is the funniest, most obscene humor comic ever put into print.
Eric Powell’s The Goon is a comic that dares to be funny even if he’s gross on the way to the punch line. The book’s cover carries a hilarious parental warning that basically warns people of the intentions in this “very special issue” The content, which goes on to make humor on religion, sodomy, ignorance, racism, and gender inequality in a manner that could be seen as obvious, but how Powell works the humour in a manner that it tells the story and brings comedy is the true hallmark of Powell’s talent.
The writing in Satan’s Sodomy Baby may be Eric Powell at his funniest. In it The Goon and Franky are still themselves and the story fits into the context of the series and also can be read as a standalone tale. Knowing who the Goon and Franky are adds extra humor when Franky goes off and finds religion and comes back singing the opening chorus from the film Inherit the Wind while foaming at the mouth.
As this is an Eric Powell solo production, he goes and draws, letters and colors the book and it looks as beautiful as ever. Powell can do horror and comedy in a simple line where other talents wish that they had his skill. The line art is never heavily inked, but it has a hand crafted feel that makes the story feel like it’s owned by Powell entirely. When the Baby comes out, you see the filth and it looks dirty. When the reader meets the Baby, he is presented is a happy go lucky child that is misunderstood by the world. Powell’s most powerful comment in the book is the disproportionate view on nudity in art. So here is the Satan baby with no pants on and the penis grows as the book progresses. The penis is used as a joke and it works.
So in closing, this very special issue of The Goon: Satan’s Sodomy Baby may be the funniest thing any comic creator can do, but the humor is not for everyone, so if you laugh at the disturbed thoughts in life, this book is for you.
- Francis Davis a career drunk with a love of comics and movies, lives in and works for the City of Chicago. Confidentiality agreements prevent him from saying exactly what he does, but it is important.