#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. From the October 1997 edition with a theme of "Tough Critters":

FROM THE BACKLIST

GON #1-4 (DC Comics: Paradox Press)

Godzilla is the largest, butt-kicking dinosaur on the planet, right? So, how about the smallest? After all -- as the cliche goes -- size doesn't matter. Well, I'm certainly not going to nominate Godzilla's little buddy, Godzookey. Or the Flintstones' Dino. Usagi Yojimbo's pet, Spot, might have had a chance, but he got himself killed. No, the title definitely goes to Gon, a foot-tall dinosaur of the butt-kicking order.

Like Godzilla, Gon is a Japanese import. The brainchild of writer/artist Masashi Tanaka, Gon is one of the more unique manga I've seen in a while. The high-level concept: Gon wanders around the world beating up much larger predators. There seem to be no other dinosaurs on the planet. Also, there are no humans and no dialogue. It's just Gon and the very realistically depicted world of nature.

Basically, Gon is a bully -- a very fickle bully. His ways might be mistaken as noble at first, as he seems to hate any predator which preys on smaller or defenseless animals. Indeed, he goes out of his way to humiliate lions and tigers and bears. (Oh, my!) He also picks on dingoes, sharks, and snakes. Despite his size, Gon's indestructibility, intractable tenacity, and monstrous bite make him the runaway winner in any of these predator confrontations. Yet, he'll occasionally befriend predators like wolves or eagles. And he's also as likely to focus his temper on smaller animals. However, if he decides to hassle a chipmunk or a tick which has annoyed him, his fearsome abilities turn into so much slapstick. In the end, I guess he's forced to bully predators because of his inability to tackle anything smaller. And I guess some predators are better than others. And, mostly . . . there doesn't seem to be any rationale behind Gon.

This is a series carried entirely by the art. Gon's antics are tolerable simply because he's so darn cute. The lack of dialogue is not noticed because the narrative flow of the pictures is easy to follow. The depiction of the other animals in Gon's world is breathtakingly realistic. If you put your thumb over Gon in any given panel, you might think you were browsing a comic book nature documentary with very expressive animals. I might buy a book like that. While I'm sure Gon's presence makes this book commercially viable to the rest of the world, I found myself quickly resenting him after the third story. The most beautiful artwork in the world couldn't make Gon any less a jerk.

So my limit for Gon is about one book. Of the four books released, I'd recommend #2, GON AGAIN. It features wolves, penguins, and beavers -- three of my favorite animals. GON #1 has one pretty good story about a noble dingo who won't give in to Gon's bullying and keeps a shred of dignity in face of utter humiliation. I really like the way Tanaka draws. Too bad Gon had to wear his welcome out so quickly.

GON (#1) - Grade: C+
GON AGAIN (#2) - Grade: B+
HERE TODAY, GON TOMORROW (#3) - Grade: C
GOING, GOING GON (#4) - Grade: C

Overall Grade: C+ ( )