Despite being off the air for well over three decades, Darkwing Duck — like a lot of classic Disney cartoons — has an enduring appeal thanks to its goofy mix of duck humor, and extremely non-subtle references to vigilantes like Batman and The Spirit. Luckily (duckily?) that’s exactly what the team of Daniel Kibblesmith and Brandt&Stein capture in the brand new Dynamite book, Darkwing Duck #1.
In the series, we’re getting a riff on Darkwing Duck: Year One in an innovative way. Rather than purely retelling the origin of the title character, we get him telling stories to his adopted daughter Gosalyn that spin out and connect to the action in the “modern” era. It’s a neat way to create an instant connection between the two characters (and readers) whether you’re familiar with DD or not.
It also sets up a nice bit of real, emotional conflict for Darkwing Duck, and he strives to figure out who his arch-nemesis is, while also protecting Gosalyn, who might not need quite the short leash Darkwing puts on her.
Don’t worry, there’s plenty of humor here, too. Thanks to Kibblesmith’s pun-filled script, and Brandt&Stein’s perfect comedic pacing — a two-panel bit involving opening a window-shade is a perfect bit of visual comedy — the book is laugh out loud funny, and good for the whole family.
While I still have general questions about why Disney decided that children were all in on cartoon ducks in the ’90s, it’s paying big dividends to today, so what do I know. And rather than a simple slice of nostalgia, this new Darkwing Duck #1 revitalizes the series with heart, humor, and yes, plenty of ducks. Let’s get dangerous? More like, let’s get hilarious, am I right? I am not right.
Darkwing Duck #1 Rating:
Darkwing Duck #1 Official Synopsis:
He is the terror that flaps in the night! The fowl that felons most fear! A legend in his own time (and his own mind)! He is… DARKWING DUCK!
But how did this avian exemplar develop his redoubtable reputation? What lessons did he learn in his early days of crime-busting and foe-foiling? His legion of fans (or, at least, his adopted daughter, Gosalyn) want to know — and DW is more than happy to tell her the whole (possibly embellished) story in this unauthorized (and unorganized) autobiography!
Renowned writer DANIEL KIBBLESMITH (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Loki, Black Panther vs. Deadpool) and the double-headed art team of TED BRANDT & RO STEIN (The Mighty Captain Marvel, Tales of the Titans: Beast Boy) return to the rooftops of St. Canard with an all-new series that revisits (and likely revises) Darkwing Duck’s formative years — with a debut issue cover from artist TAD STONES, creator of the original Darkwing Duck animated series, as well as instantly iconic imagery from BRANDT & STEIN, MARK BAGLEY, NICOLETTA BALDARI, and CIRO CANGIALOSI!
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