The second issue of Daniel Kibblesmith, Ro Brandt and Ted Stein’s Darkwing Duck takes a different look at Drake Mallard’s life: namely, his relationship with his adopted daughter Gosalyn. Gosalyn is trying to score the lead in her school play, and Drake couldn’t be happier. But when Gosalyn unwittingly becomes part of the plant-manipulating Bushroot’s latest scheme, Darkwing does battle in an unlikely location: a elementary school theater.
It’s a stroke of genius on Kibblesmith’s part to have Gosalyn’s goals run parallel to Darkwing’s. Even though she’s his adoptive daughter, it’s clear that Drake’s love of theatrics — and to a lesser extent, his love of the spotlight — has rubbed off on her. So when someone tells her they can help her with getting the lead role, of course she’d jump at it.
I also love that Kibblesmith continues to keep the humor of the series intact. A sarcastic barb from Darkwing flies right over Launchpad’s head. When Bushroot, who’s trying to keep a low profile, enters a room, the sound effect “Ominous Music” literally follows him (kudos to Jeff Eckleberry for making it extremely ominous.) But the best part comes in the opening, where Gosalyn decides she wants to be the lead rather than the damsel in distress; she even cracks wise about how the dialogue hasn’t aged well.
Once again, Brandt and Stein rise to the challenge by actually depicting the scene as if it was taking place in the play that Gosalyn and Darkwing are rehearsing. That means costume changes for everyone; Darkwing takes on the frilly pink dress of a princess while Gosalyn wears a swashbuckling hero’s costume. As if this wasn’t funny enough, Gosalyn’s friend Honker Muddlefoot has to play a whole variety of parts, leading to him filling up the screen – and his protests multiply as well.
Believe it or not, the artistic duo manages to top themselves with a final fight scene pitting Darkwing – and by extension, Gosalyn and her classmates – against Bushroot. This scene is equal parts action-packed (Darkwing fighting off the plant people Bushroot’s created), hilarious (Darkwing, like any parent, grouses about anyone that isn’t his kid) and most importantly heartwarming (Darkwing and Gosalyn having a heart to heart.) The fact that it’s all in rich, vibrant color courtesy of Dearhbla Kelly doesn’t hurt either.
Darkwing Duck #2 continues to keep the action and the humor of the first issue, but adds plenty of heart as well. Darkwing and Gosalyn’s relationship is the beating heart of any Darkwing Duck story, and this issue is a reminder of that.
