The Goon #9

Eric Powell's cover for The Goon #9 captures the big lug himself barreling through a chaotic old-timey football pile-up — clutching a football to his massive chest while several helmeted opponents get sent tumbling head over cleats in every direction. The painted artwork, which Powell notes as an homage to Rockwell, radiates a wonderfully absurd energy that perfectly suits a story promising dock-side brawling history and the fall of the Black Hand. Dark Horse delivered something genuinely fun with this 2004 issue — rough-and-tumble pulp charm rendered with real craft.