Groo: Death and Taxes

June 2, 2003
Aragonés's blundering barbarian has been creating mirth and defining mulch (one of Groo's
many running gags) for nearly 20 years, but the humor remains as sharp as ever. Aragonés, best known for his work in Mad, has created a classic comic character. In this episode, it looks like Groo the Wanderer has reformed. After happening on a village while collecting a "Groo tax" for protection against the barbarian, Groo decides perhaps it is better to be liked than feared, and makes a vow to slay no more. His long-suffering canine companion, Rufferto, is horrified by the news, as is the local mortician. What happens next recalls, in gloriously twisted fashion, the films Yojimbo
and A Fistful of Dollars. However, where those movies rely on a savvy drifter playing various factions off each other until none are left standing, Groo
has only Groo, a hapless hack-and-slasher whose sudden conversion to nonviolence inadvertently triggers a multi-front war. Aragonés's art is terrific; his basic style is simple and cartoonish, propelling the story forward while never getting in the way of a good gag. At the same time, he doesn't skimp on detail; his vivid crowd scenes contain dozens of subtle jokes. Longtime collaborator Evanier's script saunters through delightful style changes, from minstrel rhymes to sage proverbs to Groo's ever-fascinating thought processes. Aragonés and Evanier have written a satire that is both timely and funny.

August 1, 2003
Adult/High School-Groo is a mindless, barbarian swordsman whose moronic exploits are typically funny, and occasionally a little thought provoking. At the beginning of this book, he approaches a town. The people panic, for where he goes, death follows, and the undertaker invests in more coffins, rubbing his hands with glee. But Groo takes a vow to slay no longer, and the mortician then travels from town to town inciting wars so that he may somehow recoup his investment. Death happens despite the barbarian's vow, and taxes get raised to pay for the needless conflicts. In the process, the authors satirize the propaganda machine needed to cause nations to go to war, and the willingness of ordinary people to echo the spin doctors. People who formerly wanted Groo and his swords to stay away now beg him to fight, and his loyal dog, Rufferto, desperately wants the old Groo back. Aragones's drawings are comical and expressive, evoking chaos while never descending into gore. In an afterword, Evanier discusses the authors' reactions to 9/11-the stories in this volume were written before the disaster. They are of topical interest today, but the enduring presence of both war and taxes will continue to make this graphic novel meaningful.-Paul Brink, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

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