Hard as it may be to believe, here at Shiny Shelf we do have good intentions, plans for scheduled updates and lists of things that we really should write about when they’re still topical.

But forget all that, because I just read this comic that’s from four months ago, which I ended up with because it was in a grab bag I got from a comic store bargain bin, and I’m going to review it anyway, by way of tempting you to go and find your own copy.

‘Golly’ is the name of the book, and British readers will be glad to know it’s not about offensive condiment mascots. No, lead character Golly Munhollen is a mulleted repairman with a travelling carnival, who starts receiving visions from God telling him to go sort out various demonically possessed types. He does this with the help of various carny folk and the talking ashes of his dead best friend, which Golly keeps in a beer can as per said best friend’s last wishes.

‘Golly’ is a redneck religious horror black comedy with snappily vulgar (and hilarious) dialogue and a real affection for its freakshow cast. If you like ‘The Goon’, which you should, then this has a similar line in pitch black lowlife humour and fantastical nastiness, although its set in a very different universe with a very different underlying world view.

Writer/creator Phil Hester has had an eclectic comics career taking on very mainstream superhero work as an artist, while also turning out very distinctive creator-owned work. Of late, he’s been doing more writing work for Top Cow, and I can kind of see how you get from the real world/supernatural horror mix of ‘The Darkness’ to ‘Golly’, although only just.

Art is by Brook Turner, who I’ve never heard of before but who reminded me of a halfway house between your standard ‘realistic’ comics linework and the more grotesque, expressive figures of a Sam Keith or Kyle Baker. His character work is subdued, almost deadpan in the way it avoids overselling either the gags or the fantasy. Very impressive.

I got this comic by accident, in a grab bag with some other cheap comics, but I’ll definitely be tracking down the other issues, and on the basis of this issue I strongly recommend you do the same. ‘Golly’ is is a hearteningly sick, highly entertaining and inventive comic, and there are nowhere near enough of those around. Yee-haw.