Welcome to our third weekly roundup of the mad biznezz we’ve read recently. Wait…third roundup?!? Them dogies be wylin’ up in here!

I’m not really sure what that means…and I’m pretty sure no cowpoke ever said it. But hey, if you have any recommendations (and we know you do!), feel free to plug them here. We’re always looking for good stuff to read/be opinionated about.

Some really good stuff recently:

The Goon Volume 4: Virtue and the Grim Consequences Thereof
Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
$16.95
A veritable fruit smoothie of pulp fiction genres (Lovecraft + tough guy noir + Evil Dead + Dead End Kids + 1950s B-movie sci fi + etc.) and consummate smart assery, The Goon is one of the most consistently enjoyable books out there. Powell’s fine art — a &*#$ing unbelivable hybrid of some can’t-go-wrong influences: Wood, Kirby, Wrightson, Frazetta — is impressive by any stretch of the imagination, and the book is home to one of most unpredictable and fully realized worlds in recent comics.

There’s more science fiction and less zombies than usual in this fourth volume of Goon stories. Also, in a move I’m not sure works completely, Powell’s turned his pencil shading up a notch. Sure it makes everything look smoother — but sometimes it’s a bit too fussy. Still, the book’s a genuine riot, and effortlessly entertaining. To be frank, if you aren’t reading this, there is something missing from your life.
A

Ganges #1
Writer/Artist: Kevin Huizenga
$7.95
Huizenga’s first work for Fantagraphics is a superb group of five short stories about the life of Glenn Ganges (some may find the surname’s symbolism obvious, but it actually works really well with Huizenga’s writing style). The best of these stories are easily the first three, which find Glenn pondering time, littering, and reading with music on, respectively. While still worthwhile, the other two stories drag a little and wander into indie comic preciousness.

Huizenga seems to be pegged as something of a rising star by the amorphous internet whatever, and truth be told, he does nothing here to prove anything otherwise. I really liked his two-toned art, which utilizes the expressive, careful simplicity and effective storytelling techniques of comic strip artists like Charles Schulz and Bud Fisher. I found his obsession with artistically decompressing the human thought process a wonder to watch unfold, and his easygoing depiction of suburban life refreshingly angst free. Surprisingly addictive.
A-

Shaolin Cowboy #5
Write/Artist: Geof Darrow
$3.50
Mind-blowing and weird as usual. Darrow is magic. Although I can’t help but wonder if it would be even better without dialogue…?
A-

Spread the word!