He is the terror that flaps in the night. He is the widget missing from your easy-to-assemble swing set. He is Darkwing Duck! So a story before we get to the book. I was going to the comic shop, just checking in on an issue I ordered when lo and behold, I saw this book on the new comics rack. I couldn’t believe it. I was ten years old again. But the real question, was, nostalgia aside, is this book good?
The Book
Darkwing Duck #1
Written by Amanda Deibert
Illustrated by Carlos Lauro
Lettered by: Jeff Eckleberry
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Darkwing Duck opens up an infamous I am the terror line much like this one here, as he is rehearsing for an appreciation day speech, Launchpad and Goslyn join up to get him and right away the book feels nostalgic. Darkwing always takes himself a touch too seriously and characters like Launchpad tended to ground him and give Darkwing a sense of levity. More on Goslyn in a sec.
Once inside, We are regaled with a tale from a Darkwing character I’d never thought I’d miss. There’s a genuine smile when the word quackerware appears in the comic. Just when it looks like the big reveal of the statue is about to happen, everyone gets zapped by some mystical ray and now the people in the building are zombies under the whim of Megavolt. Megavolt is probably my favorite Darkwing villain and the perfect choice to be the first dastardly bad guy of the series.
Forced to flee, Darkwing and Launchpad realize that anyone with a cell phone seemed to be the victim of this mind control ray, and they proceed to head back to the mayor’s office to save everyone.
While this is going on, Goslyn and Honker, who also don’t have cell phones, come up with the oddest plan to distract everyone. They dress up as rock stars and start singing. This made me laugh and pop. In my opinion, Goslyn is the heart of Darkwing Duck. It is her energy, fearlessness, and ultimately the relationship with Darkwing that brings out his very best, and the very best in the book. Deibert understands this and embraces it.
Perhaps the funniest joke in the whole book is Megavolt, trying to undo the distraction created by the kids, who starts singing the lyrics to their song about Darkwing Duck while he reprograms the zombies. It’s hilarious.
Darkwing comes back and oddly saves the day. That’s the one thing I didn’t like about the issue. Saving the day felt very anti-climatic here. Reading this several times, I’m not sure exactly how that saved the day, and Megavolt conveniently disappears after that moment. Is there more to it? I hope so. At the end of the day, this gripe is very small potatoes compared to the bigger picture presented here.
For one thing, this book is a perfect nostalgia trip. People of my generation are going to be immediately comfortable with the book, presentation, and characters perfectly. The spirit of the cast of the hit show is captured perfectly with Deibert and Lauro’s storytelling skills. They get what makes these characters tick and why the book should work. It’s a funny, engaging, homerun of a read that feels very much like the hit show of my childhood. If you like Disney Afternoon (and you should, because Disney Afternoon ruled) this book will hit those nostalgia waves perfectly while telling a funny, engaging story in the process.
The Business
Healing Hands is coming to Youtube on March 2nd, 2023. Next week I’ll unveil the channel and the first clip. We have a bunch of episodes that have been filmed and the first two episodes are ready to go. In a month we’ll be over the halfway point of the series. I’m excited about this as this is not just my second series outside the podcast, but the first one I directed. I’m nervous about this and can’t wait to show you all just what I’m looking for.
Beyond that, if you need something advertised, whether it is a Kickstarter project, a book, music, or other, you can check out my advertising page here. Click the link for more info.
Finally, beyond this project, I’m hoping to Launch My Patreon in the middle of the month. I’m taking my show on the road starting in the summer, and when that happens, I’ll need all the help I can get. Stay tuned.
That will do it for this column. I got a certain book I thought was damn near perfect last year, and its newest issue is finally out. Can’t wait to talk about it.
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