Review: Super Duck #1

There is a myriad of well-known fictional Ducks out there: Donald Duck; Howard the Duck; Darkwing Duck but as far as comic book heroes, not many know about Super Duck the Super Duck the “Cockeyed Wonder”. Created for MLJ/Archie in 1943 by veteran funny animal cartoonist Al Fagaly, Super Duck the latest pre-code era character, that Disney has chosen for a restoration in Super Duck #1 courtesy of Archie Comics and its brand new four-issue series.

Super Duck the “Cockeyed Wonder,” is the hero of Ducktropolis. Super Duck originally got his powers from a prescription for vitamins, much in the manner of Hourman, and the Blue Beetle but now he was unbeatable”¦ or almost. Thankfully Ryan Jampole went with an updated version of the Jolly Jingles costume, because there were 17 year where Super Duck was rocking a pair of lederhosen and a little feathered hat for every day American urban life.

His archnemesis is Dapper Duck is a Maximilian, High-Class Glass rich duck who wears a monocle perhaps to demonstrate his wealthy background. Dapper also struts about in a large robot very reminiscent of the time Mark Bezos piloted the Method-2. The Method-2 robot is a 1.5-ton 14-foot-tall monstrosity controlled by a pilot who sits inside a cockpit in the robot“s torso. Developed at Hankook Mirae Technology“s lab near Seoul in South Korea. Dapper Duck’s appearance as rich and pretentious is quite the departure from what we’ve seen in the past, the association of monocles with a stereotype of the rich, and as a Tongue in cheek, displays Super Duck’s own vanity as he tries to stop Dapper Duck from destroying a statue of him.

Let’s be clear here, though this is a funny animal book, in no way is this for children. There are some panels that are not for what I assumed was a family audience, harking back to Super Duck’s Jolly Jingle days when Funny Animal comics was socially acceptable for Adult consumption. Disappointing though was Super Duck’s Kink Shaming character. From Dominatrices bound to dungeons in PVC boots, and yelling at their submissive here it is portrayed as nothing more than cosplay characters doing bad things. I find it to be a letdown because if you go back to the Super Duck’s Uwanna character the Cockeyed character had a kink for fishnets, clamdiggers, walking shorts, and tight off the shoulder sweaters. Or is Kink Shaming his new kink?

So, there is a recognition of the older material, but Frank Tieri & Ian Flynn want to steer that character’s legacy in a different direction. I was hopeful that it is not in the same direction as Spider-Ham, but the appearance of a Nick Fury type character has squeezed that hope out of me.

Jolly Jingles #10-(1943) First Issue-First SUPER DUCK-First SNOWBALL-Rare-1st Woody the Woodpecker -1st Snowball-African American.

Cover A Regular Ryan Jampole Cover; Cover B Variant Derek Charm; Cover C Variant Andy Fish; Cover D Variant Adam Gorham; Cover E Variant Erica Henderson.

SCORE: 3/5

STORY BY: FRANK TIERI & IAN FLYNN
ART BY: RYAN JAMPOLE
LETTERING: JACK MORELLI
PUBLISHER: JON GOLDWATER