Comics Briefly: Avengers Academy #10, Darkwing Duck Annual #1


Favorite Book this Week: Darkwing Duck Annual

All books were new in stores on 3/2/11


Avengers Academy #10
Writer: Christos Gage, Penciler: Sean Chen
Inker: Scott Hanna, Colorist: Jeromy Cox

The art is more consistent this month, thank goodness. This was a good issue, in which we got more of Veil and Hazmat, both intriguing characters who I am happy to know more about. I liked the cute conceit of seeing bits of the kids' various classes: Superhuman Ethics, Extraterrestrial Culture, Applied Chemistry... Plus, hey! It's Leech! Hazmat's plotline verges on melodramatic, but I found it well done.


Darkwing Duck Annual #1
Writer: Ian Brill, Artist: Sabrina Alberghetti
Writer: Tad Stones, Artist: James Silvani

Fantastic! This double-size, two-story issue hit all the right notes for me. The first story, “Toy With Me” focuses on the return of Quackerjack. He's got a new plan, a new “friend”, a new weapon, and a dangerously dark outlook on life. It's a good adventure, and a nuanced portrayal of a cartoon villain's mind. It's actually kind of tragic. The second story, “The Untimely Terror of the Time Turtle” is short, fun, clever, and just plain good. Plus it's written by Tad Stones, creator of Darkwing Duck! The number of sly Disney references in the background of Silvani's art is awe-inspiring, as always. The story starts in a pet shop, and just about every Disney animal has a little cameo by the end. Both stories are wonderful, but the best part might be the essay in the back from Tad Stones, detailing the creation of the Darkwing cartoon show.

This issue stands alone from the ongoing series. If you're a fan, but haven't tried any of the Darkwing Duck comics yet, this is a great one to try.

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