Gabagool #3
By Mike Dawson and Chris Radtke
Published by Mike Dawson
Comics
My wife ran into the post office to pick up our mail yesterday, and when the only thing she came out with was a slim manila envelope, man, I was bumming. The weekend was upon us, and my reading stack is practically non-existent at the moment. It was only when I tore open the envelope that I realized that the cliche is apparently true, that good things come in small packages. At least, they do when they come from Mike Dawson and Chris Radtke.
This third issue of Gabagool, a funny and well-done mini-comic about a group of pals who decide to become bounty hunters, is the "All-Action Issue." You'd expect a comic about bounty hunters to have some action, but since the book is firmly grounded in real life (their first target was found drinking in a neighbourhood bar), there's usually not a lot of violence -- although there's always a lot of laughs.
There are two main moments of violent activity here -- one in which the bounty hunters try to reclaim Ace Frehley's guitar from a guy who stole it -- although they're not working for Ace Frehley (who nonetheless is depicted along with the rest of the gang in the mug shots on the inside front cover) -- and a somewhat more serious flashback to a high school bullying incident.
The bullying sequence, which explains how the gang came be to friends with Aris Samaras (the subject of the story's impressively moody first page), isn't serious in the way of From Hell or Age of Bronze, but it captures for a moment the random, stupid violence that can intrude in the day of a high school student at any second. The sequence lends even more depth to what has become one of my favourite series, which despite this all-action issue is still hilarious ("You fucking suck my balls!") and genuinely touching. It's a fascinating and unexpected combination to find in a mini-comic, especially one just finding its feet with this third issue.
I compared Gabagool to the work of Dylan Horrocks in my previous review, and I think the comparison is holding up nicely. The constantly-improving art is cartoony, but it can turn moody when it needs to, and the characters all have unique and quirky personalities that are memorable and delightful. If you haven't sampled this terrific mini yet, please do stop by the Mike Dawson Comics website and have a look. If you like what you see, throw 'em some cash (all three issues should set you back less than five bucks)and spread the word: Gabagool's one of the best mini-comics I've come across. Grade: 4.5/5