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Hillbilly #1
Hillbilly, Volume 1
The first four issues and the ComiXology short story of Eric Powell’s Appalachian fantasy series are collected here along with bonus sketch material!
132 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2017
About the author
Eric Powell
503 books272 followersEric Powell has contributed work on such comics titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, The Avengers, The Hood, MAD Magazine, Devil Dinosaur, Swamp Thing, the Avengers, She-Hulk, the Simpsons, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and Action Comics.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 30, 2017
Eric Powell’s back with a new series: Hillbilly, the story of a wandering Southern hillbilly called Rondel who hunts witches - and it’s not bad.
This first volume is more of a collection of short stories than a book-length narrative. Each chapter takes us to a different period of Rondel’s life and a different witch he fought. We see his origin story - why he hates witches, how he got his weapon, The Devil’s Cleaver, and why he has such weird eyes and a black tear-stained face. There’s even a crossover with Powell’s signature series, The Goon, as Buzzard makes an appearance in one issue.
The stories are folksy in tone and veeeerrrry wordy - tons of lengthy captions appear on each page and it’s slow reading for the most part, especially as the stories aren’t that gripping. Some of the chapters are mildly entertaining though almost all I’d say are forgettable - I can just about recall a couple of them now having just finished the book but in a week? Probably not. They’re just not very impressive and feel like Goon B-sides rather than something different.
Powell’s art though is so good. He’s such an accomplished draughtsman and Hillbilly is a beautiful book. The pencils are superb, the colours are tastefully applied throughout - sometimes the pages are practically black and white and washed out, sometimes a burst of colour appears - and the character designs are remarkable. I’ll remember the art more than the stories, definitely.
The idea of a magical ye olde world-y mythical South of talking monsters and trees, witches and shape-changers, and a strong-man character walking among it all is an appealing one but it turns out to be an overly familiar and somewhat forgettable experience. It’s another variation of the tragic loner tough guy main character that Powell made his name with except not as great or original as Goon was. Hillbilly’s worth a look if you’re an Eric Powell fan but don’t expect much from it.
This first volume is more of a collection of short stories than a book-length narrative. Each chapter takes us to a different period of Rondel’s life and a different witch he fought. We see his origin story - why he hates witches, how he got his weapon, The Devil’s Cleaver, and why he has such weird eyes and a black tear-stained face. There’s even a crossover with Powell’s signature series, The Goon, as Buzzard makes an appearance in one issue.
The stories are folksy in tone and veeeerrrry wordy - tons of lengthy captions appear on each page and it’s slow reading for the most part, especially as the stories aren’t that gripping. Some of the chapters are mildly entertaining though almost all I’d say are forgettable - I can just about recall a couple of them now having just finished the book but in a week? Probably not. They’re just not very impressive and feel like Goon B-sides rather than something different.
Powell’s art though is so good. He’s such an accomplished draughtsman and Hillbilly is a beautiful book. The pencils are superb, the colours are tastefully applied throughout - sometimes the pages are practically black and white and washed out, sometimes a burst of colour appears - and the character designs are remarkable. I’ll remember the art more than the stories, definitely.
The idea of a magical ye olde world-y mythical South of talking monsters and trees, witches and shape-changers, and a strong-man character walking among it all is an appealing one but it turns out to be an overly familiar and somewhat forgettable experience. It’s another variation of the tragic loner tough guy main character that Powell made his name with except not as great or original as Goon was. Hillbilly’s worth a look if you’re an Eric Powell fan but don’t expect much from it.
February 23, 2018
Eric Powell's new series after the Goon is decent but nothing to loose sleep over.
Rondel's a hillbilly haunting the Appalachian mountains with a giant talking bear called Lucille in search for witches to cut with his so-called Devil's Cleaver.
This first book is nothing but a collection of short stories introducing Rondel- not the more upbeat guy around- and the magic that surround his environment.
As I said it's decent but certainly not mind-blowing in any way. Very wordy in a late 19th century fashion it presents the monster-of-the-week episode without much at stake- Rondel seems near unkillable- and without much of the humour found in the Goon.
What puts this series above the lot is Powell's impressive art and notably his colours. His beautiful washed-up greens, greys and browns definitely set up the bleak tone of the book. Sometimes put directly on pencils- Powell doesn't ink everything, just main characters and features, adding weight to them- they make the few spots of bright plain colours shine even more.
Hillbilly is a good if not great series that'll appeal to Goon fans but I'm not convinced it'll drag a bigger audience in the long run.
Rondel's a hillbilly haunting the Appalachian mountains with a giant talking bear called Lucille in search for witches to cut with his so-called Devil's Cleaver.
This first book is nothing but a collection of short stories introducing Rondel- not the more upbeat guy around- and the magic that surround his environment.
As I said it's decent but certainly not mind-blowing in any way. Very wordy in a late 19th century fashion it presents the monster-of-the-week episode without much at stake- Rondel seems near unkillable- and without much of the humour found in the Goon.
What puts this series above the lot is Powell's impressive art and notably his colours. His beautiful washed-up greens, greys and browns definitely set up the bleak tone of the book. Sometimes put directly on pencils- Powell doesn't ink everything, just main characters and features, adding weight to them- they make the few spots of bright plain colours shine even more.
Hillbilly is a good if not great series that'll appeal to Goon fans but I'm not convinced it'll drag a bigger audience in the long run.
August 1, 2018
I bought this book because it has beautiful monsters in it and I love monsters - simple as that. I have to say the art is wonderful, but storywise I found it lacking. With all the witches and monster-trees and Death himself you would expect to read something mysterious and foreign. However, the motivations of characters seem pretty straightforward and the stories are very linear. Maybe because the book is composed of different short stories, so there's not much room for surprise? It's a nice read - or rather a nice viewing - but nothing exceptional in terms of narrative.
July 20, 2017
Hillbilly is sort of Ruth Ann Musick's Appalachian folk tales in graphic novel form, with a twist of Kung-Fu's wandering stranger mixed in. The dialogue and the stories represent the region without mocking it, and the art carries a hazy, magical realism feel to it. One minute you're in a dank cabin on the frontier, and the next you're talking to an animal. There's a bit of wit and humor I didn't expect. All this is the more impressive considering that Powell did the writing, the artwork, and the publishing himself. The non-linear approach to the stories (each is spread apart in time) leaves some gaps in the narrative, ones that we can only hope are filled during Volume 2.
August 27, 2019
The other day I was leaving the gymnasium, and I dropped my water bottle.
My instincts were good enough that I managed to catch it by trapping it against my body before it hit the ground. However, my instincts were also bad because I trapped it against my ballsack, smashing said ballsack.
This was a high/low moment for which I only had myself to blame.
My instincts were good enough that I managed to catch it by trapping it against my body before it hit the ground. However, my instincts were also bad because I trapped it against my ballsack, smashing said ballsack.
This was a high/low moment for which I only had myself to blame.
July 19, 2018
Completely unexpected comic.
Strong plot and the characters are interesting and compelling. The main characters are complex enough to keep the story moving forward with enough steam for a long time (s(
What I enjoy most is the setting. Witches and witch hunters in Appalachia.
The hyperbolic style of the characters and animals has a supernatural bend that isn’t surprising, especially given some of the tales the emerge from the area. Steeped in mystic rituals and tales handed down through the ages, it’s not surprising that such a tale of Hillbilly would originate.
What is delightfully surprising and refreshing is how tight and well thought out this series has become.
It’s a fun and thoughtful read.
It’s definitely not stale.
The art is impeccable, and I couldn’t imagine the story going a different way.
It’s definitely a solid 4-4.5. I personally loved it enough to give it a 5. Dang emotions.
Hard to be objective when you’re family is originally fromAppalachia..
Strong plot and the characters are interesting and compelling. The main characters are complex enough to keep the story moving forward with enough steam for a long time (s(
What I enjoy most is the setting. Witches and witch hunters in Appalachia.
The hyperbolic style of the characters and animals has a supernatural bend that isn’t surprising, especially given some of the tales the emerge from the area. Steeped in mystic rituals and tales handed down through the ages, it’s not surprising that such a tale of Hillbilly would originate.
What is delightfully surprising and refreshing is how tight and well thought out this series has become.
It’s a fun and thoughtful read.
It’s definitely not stale.
The art is impeccable, and I couldn’t imagine the story going a different way.
It’s definitely a solid 4-4.5. I personally loved it enough to give it a 5. Dang emotions.
Hard to be objective when you’re family is originally fromAppalachia..
April 16, 2017
In short: a must read -it combines everything I love in a Powell comic.
June 15, 2020
Powell's Hillbilly is the right combination of North American Folklore and comic book action. It is a wonderful story and makes good use of humor. Good female characters too.
October 15, 2018
Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, but it turned out to maybe be one of my new favourite comics. The story follows a man named Rondel, born without eyes and wielding a cleaver. After losing his mother, he vows to kill every witch in the hills, and he does exactly that in this volume.
Check out the rest of my review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
Check out the rest of my review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
January 17, 2018
Graphic novels are a fair bit like movies. They depend on the talents of a diverse cast and crew. It’s most evident in the writer/illustrator link, but it extends to other elements as well: inking, lettering, layout, cover design, and even marketing. It takes people who are expert in all those dimensions to pull the whole together. We can assign someone the “starring role” – the writer usually has the status of a film director while the artist is more like the cast of actors – but it’s still generally a collaborative effort.
Eric Powell may be the most significant double-, triple-, or even quadruple threat in graphic novels. He writes with an entirely distinct rhythm, somehow referencing 1930s slang (in The Goon) or Appalachian lyricism (here), and creating flawed heroes with compelling agendas. Everything is simultaneously over the top and understated, with characters who are both archetypes (the toughest and meanest hombres) and yet subtle in their interactions with others. Add to that Powell’s being arguably the most talented artist in the business, and it’s no wonder no other one-man band can touch him. Now, with Hillbilly (and I admit to not knowing all the details) he’s back into self-publishing as well.
I love The Goon, and if you haven’t read all or good-sized chunks of it, I recommend starting there. There’s a flamboyant joy to almost every page. The big, bright illustrations pull you in, and then you find yourself talking like Frankie or the Goon. There’s something primal in it, something that makes you think it was always there and Powell simply uncovered it for the rest of us to see. It’s as brilliant in its way as Krazy Kat.
The Hillbilly is promising – I’ll certainly try to check out Volume two which I understand came out a week or two ago – but it falls a bit short of that organic whole. The art is as strong as ever, at times even more brilliant. The story seems a bit more contrived (though “contrived” isn’t necessarily a complaint since both Hillbilly and The Goon turn on short episodes that come to us out of chronological order). The Hillbilly hates witches for what they did to him as a child, so now he’s pledged to destroy them all. That means, so far, a certain sameness to each situation.
But the biggest difference is in the general dark wash across the whole work. In place of the technicolor of The Goon, we get a subdued color tone. There’s a grey that pushes against the fundamental fun, the basic joy, of Powell’s art. As beautiful and inventive as this is, it’s a little less fun than The Goon. In keeping with that, the one character who returns from The Goon to this series is The Buzzard, an intriguing but somber creature who, beginning as a human sheriff, evolves here into Death itself. So, yeah, interesting but not quite as joyful as something like Frankie promising enemy mobsters a “knife in the eye.”
I have no way of knowing how much of that is Powell’s decision and how much is the result of his using different collaborators in things like inking. In any case, if the result is slightly below average Powell, it’s certainly well above average as a graphic novel. What’s here is good. If Powell can expand the premise and recover some of the humor, this could be great.
Eric Powell may be the most significant double-, triple-, or even quadruple threat in graphic novels. He writes with an entirely distinct rhythm, somehow referencing 1930s slang (in The Goon) or Appalachian lyricism (here), and creating flawed heroes with compelling agendas. Everything is simultaneously over the top and understated, with characters who are both archetypes (the toughest and meanest hombres) and yet subtle in their interactions with others. Add to that Powell’s being arguably the most talented artist in the business, and it’s no wonder no other one-man band can touch him. Now, with Hillbilly (and I admit to not knowing all the details) he’s back into self-publishing as well.
I love The Goon, and if you haven’t read all or good-sized chunks of it, I recommend starting there. There’s a flamboyant joy to almost every page. The big, bright illustrations pull you in, and then you find yourself talking like Frankie or the Goon. There’s something primal in it, something that makes you think it was always there and Powell simply uncovered it for the rest of us to see. It’s as brilliant in its way as Krazy Kat.
The Hillbilly is promising – I’ll certainly try to check out Volume two which I understand came out a week or two ago – but it falls a bit short of that organic whole. The art is as strong as ever, at times even more brilliant. The story seems a bit more contrived (though “contrived” isn’t necessarily a complaint since both Hillbilly and The Goon turn on short episodes that come to us out of chronological order). The Hillbilly hates witches for what they did to him as a child, so now he’s pledged to destroy them all. That means, so far, a certain sameness to each situation.
But the biggest difference is in the general dark wash across the whole work. In place of the technicolor of The Goon, we get a subdued color tone. There’s a grey that pushes against the fundamental fun, the basic joy, of Powell’s art. As beautiful and inventive as this is, it’s a little less fun than The Goon. In keeping with that, the one character who returns from The Goon to this series is The Buzzard, an intriguing but somber creature who, beginning as a human sheriff, evolves here into Death itself. So, yeah, interesting but not quite as joyful as something like Frankie promising enemy mobsters a “knife in the eye.”
I have no way of knowing how much of that is Powell’s decision and how much is the result of his using different collaborators in things like inking. In any case, if the result is slightly below average Powell, it’s certainly well above average as a graphic novel. What’s here is good. If Powell can expand the premise and recover some of the humor, this could be great.
May 10, 2024
eThe Goon - Kolekcja. Tom 1 to jeden z moich absolutnych topów komiksowych. Jednak nie był osadzony w settingu który kocham. Parodia na apokalipsę zombi to jednak nie do końca mój klimat. Hillbilly to litteralnie to samo co Goon ale 1000% bardziej w moim stylu. Mroczna baśń z nutą weird fiction, kocham te połączenie.
Ciekawa fabuła i interesujące, przekonujące postacie. Główne postacie są wystarczająco złożone, aby utrzymać historię w ruchu z wystarczającą ilością pary na długi czas.
Fabuła dzieje się w Appalachy, tam, gdzie spotykają się czarownice i łowcy czarownic. Postaci są tam wykreowane dziwnie, baśniowo najprościej mówiąc magicznie. Appalachy są na tyle magiczne(przypominające mi te z sesji Cthullu), że emocjonujące rytuały i mistyczne legendy przekazywane z pokolenia na pokolenie są tu czymś powszechnym, więc nie ma się co dziwić, że tego typu opowieści o Hillbilly mają tu swoje korzenie.
Powell to mistrz satyry i cynizmu. Absolutnie kocham jego humor. Komiks był przezabawny. Jednak Humor Powella opiera się na absurdalnych żartach i obrazowaniu absurdalnych rzeczy w rzeczywisty sposób.
KOCHAM KOCHAM ABSOLUTNIE KOCHAM TO CO SIĘ TU DZIEJE. Nagle ma wydać 2 tomy w tym roku więc wyczekuje 10/5
Ciekawa fabuła i interesujące, przekonujące postacie. Główne postacie są wystarczająco złożone, aby utrzymać historię w ruchu z wystarczającą ilością pary na długi czas.
Fabuła dzieje się w Appalachy, tam, gdzie spotykają się czarownice i łowcy czarownic. Postaci są tam wykreowane dziwnie, baśniowo najprościej mówiąc magicznie. Appalachy są na tyle magiczne(przypominające mi te z sesji Cthullu), że emocjonujące rytuały i mistyczne legendy przekazywane z pokolenia na pokolenie są tu czymś powszechnym, więc nie ma się co dziwić, że tego typu opowieści o Hillbilly mają tu swoje korzenie.
Powell to mistrz satyry i cynizmu. Absolutnie kocham jego humor. Komiks był przezabawny. Jednak Humor Powella opiera się na absurdalnych żartach i obrazowaniu absurdalnych rzeczy w rzeczywisty sposób.
KOCHAM KOCHAM ABSOLUTNIE KOCHAM TO CO SIĘ TU DZIEJE. Nagle ma wydać 2 tomy w tym roku więc wyczekuje 10/5
March 28, 2022
Holy Moley this comic surprised me. If you mix Conan the Barbarian with DnD and Appalacian folk tales with hints of The Witcher, you get this comic. The basic premise is about a man born without eyes wandering the Appalachians while carrying Satan's meat cleaver and using it to help him fight witches and other monsters. Oh, his best friend is a talking grizzly bear which is awesome. The dialogue is incredible too; There were moments in this story that was both hilarious and tragic at the same time. Also, the artwork is amazing as always, Eric Powell is an absolute master in the art department. Highly recommend this.
July 21, 2017
Maybe I'm biased because of how much I love The Goon, but I found this to be a worthy companion. Eric Powell takes things to the Appalachian mountains, where we meet a blind hillbilly who carries Satan's meat cleaver and uses it to help him fight witches and other monsters. Hillbilly takes a lot of humor and creatures (and even a character) like what we see in The Goon and uses them in really fun ways. I think the only major problem I had was that each issue was just a vignette of sorts, making this first volume not really have an over-arching story.
September 9, 2018
Four-and-a-bit stories of a sort of Appalachian Hellboy, tasked with wandering around and righting the wrongs of witches. The artwork is really good – well, the colouring is a bit crap at times but at least there's some wonderful inking and character work – but the stories as far as they stand are a little bit of a let-down. It wants to have this arch, all-ages horror feel, with a real down-to-earth rural feel, but it can't disguise the monster-of-the-month quality. Entertaining enough while it lasts, but not one that ever felt like a keeper.
January 3, 2020
I don't normally go into a new series like this without getting recommendations or reviews first. But considering the name and fictionalized version of where I grew up I decided to give it a shot.
I enjoyed it. There were some genuinely funny moments in, and I enjoy the characters and their relationships with each other. I feel in the beginning though, the story isn't as fleshed out as I would like it to be, but I'm interested in it enough to keep going with the next volumes.
I enjoyed it. There were some genuinely funny moments in, and I enjoy the characters and their relationships with each other. I feel in the beginning though, the story isn't as fleshed out as I would like it to be, but I'm interested in it enough to keep going with the next volumes.
May 24, 2020
The concept of a hillbilly in the Appalachians with black holes for eyes and permanently black tear stained cheeks who kills witches is so up my alley you wouldn’t believe it. The stories in this collection may not be quite as developed as the Goon, yet, but they’re still wonderful. It’s the artwork that does it for me, though. Eric Powell is an absolute master. His dialogue is always incredible too; funny and tragic in equal measures. Fantastic.
August 20, 2020
What a truly awesome comic! Great artwork and a story and characters that keep you turning the pages. Powell's characters evoke the spirit of a fantastical Appalachia that has a resemblance to the worlds of Manly Wade Wellman. I bought volume 1 after reading the Free Comic Book Day offering, Hillbilly, The Lizard Of Rusty Creek Cave. After that story I was hooked! I am definitely looking forward to more!
June 4, 2023
Fumetto fantastico. Immerge il lettore in atmosfere oniriche e da incubo, con giusto una punta d'ironia per alleviare la tensione. Si tratta di storie brevi e autoconclusive, in cui una scrittura rapida e dall'effetto fulminante riesce a coinvolgere completamente il lettore nella straniante ambientazione. I disegni di Powell sono semplicemente magnifici: uniscono semplicità di tratto e accuratezza del dettaglio come solo lui riesce a fare. Splendido.
April 22, 2024
When I was first trying to doo a little bit of a deep dive into Appalachia folklore, I came across this comic online of all places, and decided that I must have a copy for myself! It was only recently that I was able to obtain this volume and I loved every second of it. From the dialogue, to the characters, to the art style, and the aesthetic that the author and artist was trying to portray. Very well done comic in my opinion. Very well done.
October 3, 2022
Dark, gritty, and distinctly Appalachian, Hillbilly Volume 1 is a remarkably charming collection of folksy stories. Our protagonist, Roland, brings hope, justice, and tragedy in equal measure across the woods and hills. All of this is illustrated in deep, dark colors that really, truly bring the adventures of Roland to life.
I loved my time spent with these pages and I hope you will/did too!
I loved my time spent with these pages and I hope you will/did too!
November 20, 2017
Eric Powell's first new series after "The Goon" is an authentic, folk-horror, tale of an Appalachian witch hunter. Not as funny as some his other work, but the art is as beautiful as ever.
Very Promising.
Very Promising.
December 24, 2017
Fun series of short stories about rhe mountain wandering Hillbilly name Rondel with hia devil cleaver.
While I enjoyed the many different storys and am excited for the secons volume, I hope it sticks to a more overarching storyline instead of one shot stories, whivh i still loved. 4 stars!
While I enjoyed the many different storys and am excited for the secons volume, I hope it sticks to a more overarching storyline instead of one shot stories, whivh i still loved. 4 stars!
February 7, 2021
What fun this was! Part cartoon, part dark horror fantasy. Think Conan or Solomon Kane but in a backwoods Appalachin setting with witches and monsters. Great artwork to boot. Overall, high entertainment.
September 28, 2022
Its...maybe too weird. The Appalaches plus random Conan style fantasy plus Christian mythos do not work so well together and some parts are too stupid, but hey, its still a great thing from Powell, read that!
May 20, 2017
An offbeat variation of Solomon Kane. I only wish Goodreads had more than a 5 star rating system.
July 26, 2017
This is a hilariously awesome series, I can't wait for more.
November 3, 2017
Happy to see Eric continue his beautiful art style and funny story telling
November 18, 2017
everything that a comic should be. worthy companion for the goon.
January 14, 2018
4.5 stars
October 4, 2019
Loved the premise, art, and story but could not stand the overly dramatic old timey dialogue
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews