Andrew Newton reviews Oni Press’ new one-shot comic The Goddamn Tragedy…
Oni Press’ The Goddamn Tragedy is exactly what the title promises, a slow-burning, sorrow-drenched Western that lingers in the mind long after the last page. Chris Condon (best known for That Texas Blood) brings a different kind of bleakness to this story, trading sun-scorched crime for snowbound desperation, while Shawn Kuruneru’s watercolour art paints a haunting, emotional landscape that matches every grim beat.
The story opens with an angered Ellen Jones, now an older woman and the sole survivor of the infamous Janson party, confronting an author over his sensationalised account of her tragic past. What follows is her version – raw, personal and terrifying. As a child, Ellen, along with her parents Leo and Irene, breaks away from a wagon train to take a shortcut over the mountains. That choice, as in many great tragedies, becomes the catalyst for all the suffering that follows.
What makes The Goddamn Tragedy especially gripping is how it handles emotion with subtlety. Condon doesn’t rely on big, dramatic moments or overwrought dialogue to sell the horror of what happened. Instead, the story unfolds with a quiet intensity. The heartbreak, the madness, the hunger, the isolation—it’s all there, but it’s delivered in a way that feels raw and honest, never forced or overly theatrical. That restraint actually makes the impact stronger, letting the reader sit with the weight of each moment rather than being told how to feel.
Kuruneru’s artwork really stands out, using watercolours not just for aesthetic effect but to mirror the emotional beats of the story. The journey across the plains is painted in dusty browns and earthy tones, evoking the dry, worn-out vastness of the frontier. But once the family becomes trapped in the mountains, the palette shifts dramatically—cold whites and icy blues dominate, capturing the stark, unforgiving grip of winter. When emotions boil over through anger, violence or fear, the colours turn deep red, bleeding across the panel. It’s a simple, expressive style, but incredibly effective. Many faces are cast in shadow, adding a sense of mystery or emotional distance, whether the memory itself is struggling to recall or something darker left unsaid. But just as often, certain faces come through clearly, grounding the story with moments of raw human expression amid the gloom.
There’s a scarcity of Western-themed comics these days, which makes The Goddamn Tragedy feel like a breath of cold, fresh air. It’s a bold, harrowing tale that doesn’t glamorise the frontier but instead reminds us just how unforgiving it could be. Here’s hoping we get to see more from this creative team in the future; Condon and Kuruneru are a pairing worth watching.
Rating: 7 out of 10 — A chilling Western that stands out in a genre that doesn’t get enough love.
Andrew Newton
