DARKWING DUCK #5, from Dynamite Comics on 5/24/23, finds Darkwing and Launchpad enjoying a spa day from an anonymous benefactor. Unfortunately, rest and relaxation turn into fights and felonies.
The Details
- Written by: Amanda Deibert
- Art by: Carlo Lauro
- Colors by: Carlo Lauro
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Leirix Li (cover A)
- Comic Rating: All Ages
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 24, 2023
Is It Good?
DARKWING DUCK #5 demonstrates why St. Canard might look like a happy, cheery place, but you wouldn’t want to live there because it seems to attract every nefarious criminal and organization on a regular basis. This time, Darkwing Duck faces two villains for the price of one, and while the issue feels a bit oversimplified and rushed, you get plenty of Darkwing action for your dollar.
This time, Darkwing goes up against Hydrator and a second villain we won’t spoil here, who work together to take over St. Canard. On the whole, Darkwing’s buffoonish charm is entertaining, so you enjoy figuring out the mystery along with our hero, even if he fumbles his way to the finish line. There’s plenty of Darkwing acrobatic action to keep the energy up, and the ending establishes a reasonably dangerous cliffhanger to keep readers invested to find out how it plays out in the next issue.
That said, getting two villains for the price of one leads to a few shortcuts in this issue. Hydrator comes out of nowhere without much explanation. The bigger threat is predicated on a stealthy takeover of St. Canard, so it doesn’t make sense for Hydrator to suddenly go on the offensive. And Darkwing dispatches Hydrator too quickly, making Hydrator seem less imposing than he should.
Carlo Lauro’s art is fantastic. Lauro adheres to the Disney style perfectly, so you get the full experience of reading an “official” Disney comic. Lauro’s coloring looks great, and the fight choreography is imaginative. That said, the art also suffers from the shortcuts in the script. Some panels transition from one to the next by taking hard cuts in the action, so the fights don’t flow as smoothly or make total sense.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our DARKWING DUCK #4 review to find out how DW defeated Bushroot.
We begin with Darkwing Duck and Launchpad enjoying a day at the spa, gifted to them by a mysterious benefactor. All amenities in the spa are labeled by a conglomerate company, the Natural Organic Good company, providing products for the entire town. Launchpad suspects something is off about the spa, but Darkwing is too busy enjoying himself to question the gift.
Suddenly, a familiar-looking statue in the soaking pool area crumbles away to reveal Hydrator hiding inside. Darkwing manages to fight Hydrator long enough to trick the watery villain into a bottled water freezer.
Later, Darkwing receives a frantic call from Gosalyn that Principal Flosi has been fired, and the school will be renamed the Natural Organic Good Elementary School. Darkwing makes the connection between the school and the spa attack and flies into action. We conclude the issue with bad candy, bad principals, and a bad game of dodgeball.
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Final Thoughts
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DARKWING DUCK #5 gives readers two villains for the price of one, with excellent art and plenty of Darkwing hijinks. That said, two villains may be too much for the page count as the script (and action) feels rushed.
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