Post by That Duckfan on Jul 9, 2020 14:43:57 GMT
Next batch, 1944-47.
Frozen Gold
A fairly standard adventure that borrows from Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold. Much of the comedy is devoted to Donald's snowblind walk across the Arctic, a gag that works much better in animation. The same is true for his confrontation with the bear in the igloo. This whole section reads more like a storyboard than a comic book. This story also showcases some of Barks' simplest backgrounds.
Verdict: C
Mystery of the Swamp
I'd never read this one up till now, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The Gneezles in this story prefigure the Terries and Fermies, as well as the Peeweegahs. It's also strongly reminiscent of the latter half of The Secret of Hondorica. I'm not a fan of the amnesia at the end, but it's clear Barks hits on an interesting new formula here.
Verdict: B+
The Terror of the River!!
This is Barks' first attempt at a real original villain, and he doesn't sit right with me. This guy's a nut, a sociopath with no compunctions about murder. I find it jarring with the tone of the story. The other original part of the story is the various rules of the houseboat Donald and the nephews learn, which is just twee. The tone for this story is all over the place.
Verdict: D-
The Firebug
Another story with tone problems. Donald becomes an pyromaniac after a hit on the head, and is suspected to be a major arsonist. Not only is this entirely inappropriate behavior for Donald (the bump on the head does not count in this assessment), it follows Terror of the River casting a person with mental health problems as the villain. Barks had a disdain for psychology that's typical of his time and place (see also: Prof. Pulpheart Clabberhead, AKA the original Dr. Spock). But that doesn't make reading it in our day and age any easier.
Verdict: D-
Seals Are So Smart!
Donald falls for a classic seal replacement trick, apparently not noticing the size difference between the pup and his pop. Inconsequential story.
Verdict: C-
Volcano Valley
What am I to do with a story that runs for 50% on the same tired old siesta jokes? The only reason this doesn't read as horribly racist as Land of the Totem Poles is that Vulcanovia is such a surreal environment that it's impossible to link it with any existing Latin American country. The butter, popcorn, and airplane gags stretch reality even further. There's some nice visuals in it, and Texas Tex is kinda funny, but this ain't Barks' best work.
Verdict: D
The Ghost of the Grotto
This story has a lot going for it. It's atmospheric, it's got a solid mystery, and it's set in an interesting location. I also love the attention to detail; the Ducks eating (when do characters ever eat on an adventure?), Montmorency the heroic mouse (what a guy). My main problem with it is that the resolution of the mystery isn't as strong as Barks claims it is, with many questions left unanswered. I do like the idea of the changing of the guard, generations of young boys groomed to think like a 16th century ship captain. It's an idea with many eerie implications.
Verdict: B-
Adventure Down Under
This story recently caught some flak in this forum for its depiction of Australian Aboriginals. Granted, they're pretty bad. They never quite claim to be cannibals, but the story never does anything to dispel Donald's notions about this either. There's also the fact that this story's 'adventure' is apparently an animal hunt for some rich white Australian. On the upside, there's some psychological depth in the character of Mournful Mary, and the way she adopts Donald as her missing presumed dead son, even after he's clearly shown her that he's not. She's probably the most sympathetic character in this whole volume --- but that's not a high bar!
Verdict: D+
Next up, 1947-49: Christmas on Bear Mountain to Lost in the Andes!
Frozen Gold
A fairly standard adventure that borrows from Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold. Much of the comedy is devoted to Donald's snowblind walk across the Arctic, a gag that works much better in animation. The same is true for his confrontation with the bear in the igloo. This whole section reads more like a storyboard than a comic book. This story also showcases some of Barks' simplest backgrounds.
Verdict: C
Mystery of the Swamp
I'd never read this one up till now, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The Gneezles in this story prefigure the Terries and Fermies, as well as the Peeweegahs. It's also strongly reminiscent of the latter half of The Secret of Hondorica. I'm not a fan of the amnesia at the end, but it's clear Barks hits on an interesting new formula here.
Verdict: B+
The Terror of the River!!
This is Barks' first attempt at a real original villain, and he doesn't sit right with me. This guy's a nut, a sociopath with no compunctions about murder. I find it jarring with the tone of the story. The other original part of the story is the various rules of the houseboat Donald and the nephews learn, which is just twee. The tone for this story is all over the place.
Verdict: D-
The Firebug
Another story with tone problems. Donald becomes an pyromaniac after a hit on the head, and is suspected to be a major arsonist. Not only is this entirely inappropriate behavior for Donald (the bump on the head does not count in this assessment), it follows Terror of the River casting a person with mental health problems as the villain. Barks had a disdain for psychology that's typical of his time and place (see also: Prof. Pulpheart Clabberhead, AKA the original Dr. Spock). But that doesn't make reading it in our day and age any easier.
Verdict: D-
Seals Are So Smart!
Donald falls for a classic seal replacement trick, apparently not noticing the size difference between the pup and his pop. Inconsequential story.
Verdict: C-
Volcano Valley
What am I to do with a story that runs for 50% on the same tired old siesta jokes? The only reason this doesn't read as horribly racist as Land of the Totem Poles is that Vulcanovia is such a surreal environment that it's impossible to link it with any existing Latin American country. The butter, popcorn, and airplane gags stretch reality even further. There's some nice visuals in it, and Texas Tex is kinda funny, but this ain't Barks' best work.
Verdict: D
The Ghost of the Grotto
This story has a lot going for it. It's atmospheric, it's got a solid mystery, and it's set in an interesting location. I also love the attention to detail; the Ducks eating (when do characters ever eat on an adventure?), Montmorency the heroic mouse (what a guy). My main problem with it is that the resolution of the mystery isn't as strong as Barks claims it is, with many questions left unanswered. I do like the idea of the changing of the guard, generations of young boys groomed to think like a 16th century ship captain. It's an idea with many eerie implications.
Verdict: B-
Adventure Down Under
This story recently caught some flak in this forum for its depiction of Australian Aboriginals. Granted, they're pretty bad. They never quite claim to be cannibals, but the story never does anything to dispel Donald's notions about this either. There's also the fact that this story's 'adventure' is apparently an animal hunt for some rich white Australian. On the upside, there's some psychological depth in the character of Mournful Mary, and the way she adopts Donald as her missing presumed dead son, even after he's clearly shown her that he's not. She's probably the most sympathetic character in this whole volume --- but that's not a high bar!
Verdict: D+
Next up, 1947-49: Christmas on Bear Mountain to Lost in the Andes!