Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 3, Issue 26

And here we are--the halfway point of 2011. Wow. 26 weeks in...and it feels a lot like 2010, actually. Comics-wise, though, plenty has changed--and will continue to change--in 2011, but, happily, they're still publishing the funny books and they still come out on Wednesdays.

And they haven't yet gone completely digital. So there's that.

The biggest changes that we'll see in the comics industry for 2011 are yet to come, as DC's relaunch doesn't start up for another couple of months. We'll get a real feel for what that's going to mean for the industry by the tail end of this year.

As for this week, though, there's really only one book that needs talking about, and, really, it's the only book that's going to make my week any good.

So far I've managed to have two days wherein I didn't see the sun (and it's summertime, so that's tough to do), and I have a pretty major deadline looming next week.

So, yeah, not much of a 4th of July weekend for me.

But all that is okay, because today...well, today we get a new issue of Eric Powell's The Goon! Issue 34, to be exact. And this marks the first Goon single issue in...ya know what? I have no idea how long it's been. I think maybe around Thanksgiving of last year an issue came out?

I don't know.

What I do know is that it's been way, way too long since I've visited Franky, Goon, and the rest of the inhabitants of Eric Powell's delightfully insane world of delightfully insane people.
Readers of the blog know that The Goon is to me what Mega Man is to Nathaniel, and it's truly the only comic on the shelves that gets me antsy about getting to the comics shop.

I need my Goon fix and, finally, today I will get it.

Here's the solicitation information from Dark Horse about this week's issue:

The Goon’s been away for a while, and he’s horrified by what’s been passing for horror in his absence!

When a bunch of gothy vampires summon some of the new generation for revenge on the Goon, they discover just how little tolerance he has for sparkliness. The Goon returns to its bimonthly schedule, and nothing beloved by ten-year-old girls is safe!

* The Goon is back--and bimonthly!

* Tired of sparkly vampires? Dark Horse does vampires right!

“The Goon is the product of a contentedly demented mind.” --Comic Book Resources

I'm glad to see that the book is back on a bi-monthly schedule. I know there are some very cool plans for the title this year, including a crossover with Steve Niles' Criminal Macabre series and a collaborative issue featuring the work of Evan Dorkin.

But issue 34 is the launching point, and I suggest that anyone looking to jump on board this title try this week's issue. It looks to be self-contained (as the majority of Goon stories are), and frankly, it looks pretty hysterical.

So, yeah.

That's all you'll get out of me today, on this very special Goon Wednesday. Before I throw on my helmet and get back to work, though, what are you Waiting for?