Groo: Minstrel Melodies

The Minstrel and his daughter Karli are wandering from town to town singing about the exploits of the man named Groo.  And there are so many to choose from!  Such as the time he tried to help out some towns by converting them into scenic ruins.  Or when he accidentally consigned a bunch of kids to being forced labor and soldiers.  Then there was the period where he finally learned to read and decided to become a teacher to spread his newfound knowledge.  Finally, how could we forget about the man who looked just like Groo and managed to profit from it – for a time.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a decent “Groo” story around here.  You’d have to go back to “Friends & Foes” for that, which was four volumes ago (five if you count the “Tarzan” crossover).  I wouldn’t say “Minstrel Melodies” marks a return to form for this long-running series, but its return to done-in-one tales of Groo’s epic adventures, which always involve his epic stupidity is a definite improvement.  Where his previous adventures felt stretched out in telling their stories over multiple issues, the pacing is a lot better here.

I just wish the stories themselves were funnier.  Parts of this volume did make me chuckle, yet the vast majority of the jokes present are as predictable as the character’s title nature.  Sergio Aragones’ art is as lively as it has ever been and it’s genuinely impressive to see him do something like deliver three consecutive double-page spreads just to sell the idea that people are frightened of just hearing stories about Groo.  I just wish that his efforts were in service of better jokes.