Boogeyman

“Groo” by artist Sergio Aragones and writer Mark Evanier is probably one of the greatest one-note premises of all time.  In my opinion, of course.  While it’s a “Conan” parody on the surface, with its dumber-than-dumb barbarian protagonist causing untold destruction wherever he goes, the concept has also allowed its creators to slip in clever moral lessons or tackle the ills of society.  These are always done with a laugh, and that usually mitigates the preachiness of their message — though it hasn’t been as effective of late.  

With “Boogeyman” they take a step away from their usual joke-oriented approach, and the shift isn’t entirely successful.  We’re told tales of a ruthless dictator, an uncaring logger, an unsuccessful magician, a boy scout and more and shown how they react to their worst fears.  The problem is that these stories aren’t very scary or funny.  They’re also fairly predictable as each has a twist that you’ll be able to spot before they’re over.  Aragones can do serious stories (check out his issue of “Solo” from DC Comics for proof, and to see how he killed Marty Feldman), but it’s not clear what the intended tone was for this series.  The most interesting part of this collection is Evanier’s afterword where he talks about how “Boogeyman” came together through a misconception and the tightest of deadlines.  It’s a case where reading about the making of a comic is more interesting than the finished product.