Eric Powell has one of the most imaginative mind in the comics/Graphic novel industry. Like his previous works, like The Goon, the art is vivid and over the top, and the writing is plain outlandish and hilarious at times. I highly recommend this title to those who like their graphic novels to be both bizarre and filled with zany.

'Hillbilly Volume 3' with story and art by Eric Powell is a graphic novel about a group of supernatural heroes based out of the Appalachians.

Rondel and his big devil killing cleaver knows that an army of witches is coming. He's recruited some unusual help, but he knows he needs more people to just stand up if they are going to win this fight.

The reason to read anything by Eric Powell is his spot on art. He's got a unique and professional style. The story here isn't the strongest, but it's worth it just for the art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Albatross Funnybooks, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Visually this book is stunning. Powell's creatures are fantastical and original. The character designs are stylized, yet perfect. I love the washed out, almost sepia tone coloring. But the story is pretty mundane and the folktales that appear at least once an issue are boring as sin. I'm not sure why this isn't nearly as good as Goon. Maybe it's the humor that's missing, but there's definitely a spark that just isn't there.

There are many tales of Rondel, and this is but one. Which is a relief, as I really didn't expect something as good as this, having got used to four bitty, monster-of-the-week styled stories in each volume prior to this. The longer form here still has variety, but much stronger narrative force, even if it ends rather bluntly. Visually the books are still wonderful, but the sense here is of the author more firmly finding his feet with this material and the options for telling tales about it. The other books before this were good enough, this is bordering on the really great. A strong four stars.

I have seen the Hillbilly series of graphic novels by Eric Powell described as "Appalachian folk fantasy", "Conan the Barbarian meets Grimm's Fairy Tales" and "Apocalyptic American Gothic" ... as well as in a bunch of other intriguing and interesting ways.

Having finally sampled the series with Volume 3 I can't say that I disagree with any of those descriptions to any great extent. The artwork has a very vivid yet primitive style that compliments the story quite nicely. There is almost no color and when there is it is very muted, almost unnoticeable.

The weak point in this particular case, at least for me, is that the story and the plot are not particularly original. It's the basic good vs evil in a battle of the ages type of thing. We've seen it in one form or another hundreds of times and this version doesn't really do all that much that other variations on the theme haven't done before.

I thought it was okay but nothing spectacular. Granted, it is part of an ongoing series so it could well be that there are nuances and "Easter eggs" that I missed out on from not being familiar with previous entries in the series. I would definitely take another look at the series: Either with previous volumes or future offerings.

All in all Hillbilly Volume 3 was something of a pleasant time waster... I would stop short of giving it a high recommendation but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it either.

***Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a complimentary digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

There’s no doubt Eric Powell can draw – the pencils, inks, colours in this book are top tier, beautiful, so skilful. The myriad character designs in this book are brilliant too from the Tailypo to the witches to the many monsters: the cyclops, the rock monsters, the dragons – so imaginative and detailed.

But, goddammit, Hillbilly is such a boring series to read! Rondel and his pals fight some witches… and that’s it. Guess who wins? Amidst the predictable, dull fighting (basically a fantasy version of the standard guff you find in most Marvel/DC books), there’s one tedious, nothing story about down-home whatever after another. Some kid whines at his mom to tell him a dreary story and she obliges, etc. – why, Eric Powell, WHY???

Besides the amazing art, I kinda liked Powell’s warped take on Hansel and Gretel – it’s like something you’d see in a Mike Mignola comic. Otherwise I found absolutely nothing interesting about Powell’s writing and totally unengaging tales of Rondel, the monotonous Hillbilly. I’m definitely done with this title now - if you want to see Eric Powell at his best, check out his Goon books instead.

This is volume 3 of the Hillbilly stories. Rondel, a man with magic and a quest manages to unite the villages of humankind to fight against the witches, goblins and monsters who are seeking to destroy.

The story tells short stories within the main story and the drawings are excellent. I wish this had been a bit more colourful but it is still a good story. I haven't read the previous volumes, but the storytelling is so good I was able to understand and I enjoyed it.

I really like the feeling of adventure and dangerous quest and how the story holds the different aspects together.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Copy