SpectralTime
Since: Apr, 2009
11/28/2019 00:00:00
Two suggestions:
First, I would break up this review into paragraphs instead of one brick of text. It makes it much easier to read.
Second, I would add a title, so as to make it accessible to people who locate it from the \"reviews\" tabs rather than the trope page.
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Some of the best comics ever written!
Though little known in the US, the stories of Carl Barks are some of the most popular comics worldwide and it is easy to see why.
Barks puts his characters in inventive situations and resolves them in equally inventive ways, like Donald raising a sunken ship by filling it with ping pong balls or Scrooge hiding his money by burying it in an oil well. His stories often contain hilarious twists and see the characters find success or failure in unexpected ways. His stories are filled with humorous background details that one must never overlook and even his one-shot characters are memorable, funny and well defined.
His major characters (Donald, Scrooge, HDL, Gyro, Gladstone etc.) all have very strong dynamics between each other and are all flawed and relatable. Donald can often be a selfish jerk but the effort and talent he often displays that is consistently ruined by his sheer amount of misfortune make him a very sympathetic character. Scrooge's extreme stinginess is but one of many idiosyncratic and unlikable traits but his love of adventure and treasure and his unflinching sense of honor make him a very heroic character. Gyro possesses unbelievable intelligence and technological ability but he deals with trifles with his inventions as much as anyone would with their job.
As for the works of his successor, Don Rosa, his stories may be the greatest fanfiction ever written. Rosa's stories contain many of the elements that made Barks's stories great but add certain elements Barks never used. Rosa uses a great amount of historical, geographical, cultural and scientific research while Barks mostly made stuff up. Rosa's stories follow a strict continuity, Barks largely treated his stories as one-shots. And while Barks's art style was very beautiful, Rosa's unique and vibrant art style allows for images Barks never would have been capable of.
There are other good writer/artists who have written Duck stories such as William Van Horn and Daan Jippes but none can compare to these two. I have seen these stories enthrall people of all ages and even if the Disney logo pushes you away, I implore that you at least try them out. I would recommend reading Barks before Rosa because Rosa's stories reference Barks's so often and are often direct sequels.