In 2010, Drake Mallard from St. Canard, also known as Darkwing Duck, reappeared in US comic shops thanks to the synergy between Boom! Studios AND Disney. The glory of the cartoon, broadcast from September 1991 to December 1992 (in Italy since 1993), is long gone, but the editor Aaron Sparrow he didn’t give up on sketching out the plot of a story that could mark the return of Double D. That’s how he was born Darkwing Duck – The Duck Knight Returns From Ian Brill AND James Silvanithe first storyline of a two-year series.
As the title suggests, the authors refer to The Dark Knight Returns From Frank Miller, first introducing the context in which Mallard lives—an Orwellian St. Canary free of criminals and vigilantes thanks to the technology of the Quackwerks corporation—and then upsetting the diegetic balance to facilitate the hero’s entry. From four chapters collected Panini Comics in hardcover, complete with interesting editorials, the most successful is the third, in which Drake returns to the track, leaving behind a trail of angst, disappointment and misunderstandings with his faithful Jet McQuack. From the pages, in addition to criticizing the society of control and overwork, an attempt to problematize the relationship between the main character and his friend emerges, attracting attention much more than the machinations of the villains.
Through his art, Silvani is adept at managing a large cast of characters, particularly the Cynical Five (Darkwing Duck’s historical enemies), making them act dynamically and theatrically. There’s no shortage of striking scenes, and the artist goes all out with panels of ducks sitting inside specially shaped planes and double-action title cards.
Volume Darkwing Duck – The Duck Knight Returns for fans of the purple champion, this could be an opportunity to reclaim a story that deserved a prestigious re-release after its appearance in the anthology. Superhero Club.
We were talking about:
Darkwing Duck – The Duck Knight Returns
Aaron Sparrow, Ian Brill, James Silvani
Panini Comics, 2023
96 pages, hardcover, color – 11.50 euros.
ISBN: 977278578500730003
