Darkwing Duck Vol 1: F.O.W.L. Play

by Amanda Deibert, Carlo Lauro (Artist), Jeff Eckleberry (Letterer)

He is the terror that flaps in the night… He is the ferocious fowl who plucks the evil eye from the face of foul play… He is Darkwing Duck! Alongside his trusty sidekick Lauchpad McQuack, Darkwing hyper-vigilantly defends St. Canard from the dastardly, devilish demons who would wage wanton war! By night, our caped defender lurks in the shadows, striking fear (and maybe confusion?) in the heart of the criminal underworld…but by day, no one suspects that Darkwing is also mild-mannered Drake Mallard, a well-meaning father to his adorable adopted daughter, Gosalyn! Can Darkwing successfully navigate his two separate lives, all while looking incredibly cool and impossibly handsome? ( Probably not, but…) You’ll have to read to find out!

Collects issues #1-6.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good to see Darkwing Duck back in comics after a 6 year hiatus. The writing and art are a joy to behold for fans of D.W of old and so easy to pick up and enjoy as a new reader as well no matter the age. It’s lovely in this day and age to just be able to spend time reading like I did so so many years ago as a child. The art is pretty awesome, it matches the style of the original series quite well both in linear and colors, the Gothic blues and purples of St. Canard are all still here. The background characters are drawn more deliberately than you'd see in the original and mimic human clothes and hairstyles a bit more. Its different for sure but you'll get used to it. Theres a few nice nods to DWs continued canon including more modern stuff without giving anything away. Oh, and there's some solid laughs to especially if you are familiar with these characters. He's a true Disney icon like many of the classic characters who have passed the test of time for nearly a century now. While I don't think Carlo Lauro's version of the characters has quite the same pop that James Silvani provided, he still captures the classic feel of the show with plenty of monologuing and shameless self-promoting from our hero provided by writer Amanda Deibert.

[April Cole Ledebur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever love Duckwing Duck. This makes me want to go back and rewatch the cartoon. ;)

[Hank Mardukas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nostalgia was strong with this one, but I had a lot of fun.

3.5/5

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been 11 or so years since I read the Boom Studios Darkwing Duck books...and I gotta say, I miss em.
They were really dynamic, palatable art-style, had great plots with some really deep cuts, and so many Disney Easter Eggs it was frankly insane how much they crammed in there.
So this one?
Pretty mundane.
A little too mundane really as they ironically remind me more of the silly fanfic-like little comics we used to have in the back of "Disney Adventures" magazine.
But what's really baffling is that they incorporated some of the new Ducktales (2017 toon) stuff in there but that show made DW out to be a TV show on par with possibly Batman '66. But then again, that show also made multiverse a thing so this could just be how it works now at Dynamite.

[Mr. R · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wave of nostalgia! This was an absolute joy to read. The artwork was richly detailed, and the writing was so vivid that I could practically hear the cartoon voices in my head. Deibert did a fantastic job capturing the characters' personalities--it felt like they jumped right off the TV show and onto the page. The story itself was engaging and a fun trip down memory lane. My only critique is the pacing: some parts felt rushed, while others dragged a bit with more panels than necessary. Still, despite the uneven rhythm, this was a delightful return to a beloved part of my childhood, so thank you.

Grade: B-

[Peter Van Der Raaij · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun. Not wiggle your toes this book is so good fun, but fun nonetheless. I had expected several standalone stories but was surprised that one story is three issues long. And all six are connected by a big bad in the background. However, the climax of the overarching story was over much too quick.
In the back of the book are many of the variant covers. however, the images are only around 5cm by 8cm, way too small. Even half a page per image would have been better or a whole page for key variants would have been better.

[Jason Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

F.O.W L. Play is a fun, nice-looking all-ages book that is evocative of the cartoon. Light-hearted and silly but also self-aware, the book is especially good for youngsters, but it has enough charm for older fans of the show to enjoy. I personally was hoping for something with a little more layered storytelling, but it still made me smile. Would recommend to people with younger kids who are getting into comics.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as single issues