Darkwing Duck #6 Review
Welcome my friends to a very special Darkwing Duck review. We open this time around with Darkwing’s alter ego, Drake Mallard, accompanied by his sidekick, Lauchpad McQuack, taking his daughter Gosalyn and her friend Honker to St. Canard Comic-Con. Before we go any further, something just occurred to me. A lot of people presumably know who Lauchpad is and also know that he’s the sidekick of Darkwing Duck, so wouldn’t people assume that any guy who he hangs out with in his personal time is probably a likely candidate for Darkwing’s true identity? I know it’s cartoon logic and I shouldn’t be questioning it, but that’s kind of a risk to the ol’ secret identity there Drake. Also, what in God’s name is wrong with Gosalyn’s eyes. She looks like she just got punched in the back of the head by Sunny Chiba.
Anyway, after complaining about the parking fees, Drake and company enter the convention center, only to receive an unpleasant shock. It turns out, a vast majority of the convention-goers have opted to cosplay as members of Darkwing’s rogues-gallery, much to the utter irritation of the mystic mallard himself. Just as our hero is about to snap, in comes Lauchpad dressed as the one thing Darkwing hates more than his enemies, his competition. Yes, Lauchpad has opted to cosplay as Gizmoduck, fellow superhero and perpetual pain in Darkwing’s posterior. When Lauchpad asks how he looks, our hero glibly responds “like a sidekick who’s asking to be on the unemployment line.” Well, to be fair Drake, Gizmoduck is a popular cosplay this year. Just check out this pick from ConnectiCon this past summer.
I’d give credit to this cosplayer, but sadly, I never got his name. However, on the off chance that you’re reading this, thank you for being awesome.
Getting back on track, as Gosalyn goes off to get into her costume, Darkwing and Honker explore the Con together. It’s here that we see the comic book artist we saw a few issues ago who received the mysterious delivery of ink signing autographs. That ink turns out to be Splatter Phoenix, a villainess with art-themed super powers. Seeing this artistic archfiend, Darkwing suits up and springs into action. As the two battle all over the con, there’s one moment where three NegaDuck cosplayers consider asking “that guy in the Darkwing costume” to join their cosplay group. However, this idea is shot down when one guy says his costume is completely wrong because everyone knows the real Darkwing wears a turtleneck. Now this is curious to me. See, I know for a fact that writer Aaron Sparrow has read at least some of my reviews, and I’ve been very vocal about preferring Darkwing in the turtleneck to the collared shirt and tie, so… is this a shot at me? It would be Hubris to think so, I know, but if it is, I’m flattered. However, getting back on track yet again, one of Splatter’s powers is the ability to jump into pieces of art and so begins a montage of Darkwing chasing his foe through various comic book genres. From gritty, 90’s liedfeldian style books, to film noir, to minimalist cartoons reminiscent of Adventure time, sword and sorcery stories, and even a tribute to Frank Miller. Also, I laughed out loud during that scene when the Frank Miller-ised DW said, “Do your colors bleed? They will.”
Finally, the two foes return to the convention, Splatter seems to have given Darkwing the slip, when a cloud of smoke seeming to contain a second Darkwing appears before her. That other Darkwing turns out to be Gosalyn, who has opted to cosplay as her own dad because he’s her hero. So moved is our hero by this gesture of love that he and his daughter share a tender embrace. However, there’s no time to linger on this sweet moment, there’s still a dangerous criminal on the loose. Splatter almost surrenders, but decides not to when she realizes that Launchpad isn’t really Gizmoduck, much to Darkwing’s chagrin. Team Darkwing chases Splatter Phoenix into a manga and proceed to have an over-the-top Dragon Ball Z style showdown. Amidst the chaos, Honker comes up with an idea to stop Phoenix once and for all. To that end, they manage to lure Splatter into an homage to the old Hostess Fruit Pie ads in which Superheroes would routinely thwart the villains simply by distracting them with pastry. And so, with Splatter trapped within the pages of product placement, our comic ends with Darkwing being frustrated that Launchpad won the costume contest.
What Works: The Comic-Con setting allowed for a lot of great jokes and some creative set-ups, particularly with the battle across various comic book styles.
The scene with Darkwing and Gosalyn hugging was so incredibly sweet that it nearly brought a tear to my eye. I really appreciate that this comic can still bring out some genuine human (for want of a better term) moments despite being primarily a cartoonish comedy.
What Doesn’t: While I thought this comic was fantastic, I do have one major gripe. Now I get what they were trying to say with the cosplayers mostly dressing as the villains, but here’s the thing, in this universe, these villains are very real people who have hurt and even possibly killed innocent people. It’s not like someone in our world dressing like the Joker because as evil as the joker is, he’s still a character of fiction. Here, it’s sort of like dressing like someone who shoots up a school, by which I mean, in terrible taste.
Overall: 5/5
Despite my one complaint, this comic was nothing but fun from start to finish.