The latest Disney comics collection from Fantagraphics kicks off a new giant-size series of reprints from fan-favorite U.S. and European artists. For this premiere collection, the focus is on Scrooge McDuck’s rogues’ gallery, featuring many familiar villains along with a few rarely seen on our shores.
Buy Uncle Scrooge: “A Little Something Special” and Other Tales of Fiendish FoesThe book poses a bit of a conundrum for dedicated Duck collectors, because most of the material has previously been collected in the complete Carl Barks and Don Rosa artist series also published by Fantagraphics. In fact, if you’ve read the Barks books, you can skip the first 100 pages of this new collection since it’s all Barks up to that point. The rare stories from the European artists comprise just six out of the 15 total comics. There is a difference in paper stock, with the new book featuring glossy pages instead of the matte paper in the Barks and Rosa books. However, with only a third of the book focusing on non-Barks/Rosa works, it’s a bit of a tough sell to longtime fans already familiar with most of the content.
If you’ve read any Duck comics, you’re probably familiar with Scrooge’s most frequently recurring baddies such as the Beagle Boys, Magica De Spell, and Flintheart Glomgold. But have you heard of Tachyon Farflung, Velma Vanderduck, or Argus McSwine? Velma follows the typical template of wealthy duck antagonists, while Argus the pig originated in an unpublished Barks story before coming into his own in European comics. Tachyon is the most unusual foe, and also the most out of place in the Duck universe, since the space monkey originates from the farthest reaches of the galaxy. This makes his appearance somewhat off-putting, as he’s so wildly different from Scrooge’s other classic rogues that he seems like he’s from an entirely different comic.
In addition to the classic work by Barks and Rosa, other familiar artists are included, most notably Romano Scarpa and Daan Jippes. Scarpa’s work looks very close to Barks, but with more variable line weight and panel zooms. Jippes’ art is distinctively unique, echoing Barks but utilizing broader character expressions, especially in his depictions of the constantly frazzled Magica De Spell. Fleming Anderson contributes the least Barks-like art with his thick linework and sparse backgrounds in “Crash Course.” Writing is about as expected in each story, with only Rosa’s classic standout, “A Matter of Some Gravity,” gleefully experimenting with the form to truly impressive results.
In addition to the comics, each story is preceded by a full-page essay providing background on each villain and the publication history of the story. A few pinups are also interspersed throughout the book, along with a comprehensive introductory overview of the rogues’ gallery and a closing interview with veteran Disney writer and editor Byron Erickson.
At a whopping 352 pages, there are plenty of great comics in the new book. However, there’s not much new content for longtime fans, making this a collection that seems more designed for new enthusiasts. Still, all of the stories are top-notch, and it’s fun to see many of Uncle Scrooge’s most notable adversaries in one place.
