Howard the Duck #1

By Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones and Rico Renzi

While you were looking over the new releases this Wednesday, you may have noticed a book that seems out of place on the shelf. Howard the Duck got a new series, most likely stemming from his cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy. Before you scoff or joke about the title, you should probably read it first; you may end up surprised.

From a character stand point; Howard the Duck is on the same level as Peter Porker the spectacular Spider-Ham. He’s a character that isn’t taken very seriously and you probably won’t find too many people who disagree. With this re-launch, Chip Zdarsky gives us a fun book, but it’s also got some depth to it. Zdarsky allows this book to be as ridiculous as it sounds, but he also is crafting a solid detective tale. Howard is on the case of a stolen necklace and he’s up for the challenge. Zdarsky give us a plethora of sweet cameos from Spider-Man to She-Hulk. What really makes this book good is the fact that Zdarsky makes Howard a sympathetic character that the world sees as a joke. He’s out to prove he’s more than a lame talking duck, and Zdarsky is a great captain of the ship.

The pencils on this issue were done by Joe Quinones with colors by Rico Renzi. The art in this book is very similar to an old school comic strip, and that is effective. Quinones’ art adds to the fun of the read and honestly makes you feel like a kid again. One of the best panels in the book is a full-page montage of Tara and Howard working out to 80’s style montage music; if that doesn’t put you in a good mood, you are a shrew. The colors by Rico Renzi are also pretty spot on. They have a lighter feel to them and are almost pop-arty. The pencils and colors add to the overall feel of the book and allow it to be extremely friendly. The wrong art has killed books before, but that’s not a problem here.

Howard the Duck will probably surprise you with how good it is. Chip Zdarsky turned in a really funny script that will make you cackle and smile at least a few times. The art by Joe Quinones and Rico Renzi fits the story telling well and really makes you nostalgic. Overall this was a good read and more importantly, it was fun.