Sunday, November 28, 2010

Comics Review: DARKWING DUCK #6 (November 2010, Boom! Kids)

No SPOILER SPACE needed here, remarkably enough. No violent jerks or jolts in the plot, no unexpected revelations or "unsolved mysteries," "daring-duck"-style or otherwise. Part two of "Crisis on Infinite Darkwings" simply shoves the story of Negaduck and Magica De Spell's plot to flood St. Canard with Darkwings of other dimensions forward a couple of paces. Well, that's not strictly true; we do learn that The Liquidator is not, in fact, responsible for the recent "violent water events" (though he did "get caught up in them," so to speak), but it's not yet clear how these events relate to the deluge of DWs, so that aspect of the plot is paralleling the main action at present, as opposed to being a main part of it. I also appreciate the additional "infor" on how Negaduck and Magica came to work together... and I especially appreciate the absence of any soap-opera "love interest" between the two malicious mallards. This appears to be a strictly mercenary match-up, which makes perfect sense given the characters involved.

The nature of the "infinite Darkwings" is as off-the-wall as you'd expect, showing a "commitment to diversity" that even the Green Lantern Corps would have a difficult time matching. Aside from the fairly standard spaceman, caveman, two-headed guy, etc. we are treated to a pack of flying monkey DWs (I guess they're considered to be equivalent to a single DW -- kind of like The Borg, only much cuter), a talking bowling ball DW, a one-eyed DW, a DW in a bizarre Stetson hat, a DW who looks like Fozzy Bear, a Silver Surfer DW... If it sounds like artist James Silvani has tried to toss in everything but the kitchen sink, well, he includes a kitchen-sink DW, too. Darkwarrior Duck and a DW dressed like The Quiverwing Quack (no worries, he's not in drag) also make what would have to be considered semi-canonical appearances. I've no idea how many of these... er... fellows will play major roles in the upcoming knock-down-drag-'em-0ut, but we're given heavy clues that "Gosmoduck" and the reformed Quackwerks "crimebots" will be joining Morgana in providing backup for DW, who seems to momentarily lose his sense of self (talk about something you thought you'd never see) before literally pulling himself together in the final panel. Let the battles begin!

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