Howard The Duck #3 Review

Howard the Duck #3

writer- Chip Zdarsky

artist- Joe Quinones

Since his end scene cameo in the blockbuster movie, Guardians of The Galaxy, Marvel comics fans have been waiting for the comic-book return of Howard The Duck.  This time, Howard is back in his own action packed series and he's making a big splash.

After being rescued from space prison by the Guardians of The Galaxy, Howard has returned to Earth to work as a private investigator. He's been on the case of a stolen necklace for the mysterious Mr. Richards, and even though he's found the necklace, one of the most sinister forces of the Marvel Universe has pistol whipped him and taken it. That sinister force is none other than Peter Parker's Aunt May. Now Howard has to draw his attacker out and once again retrieve the necklace.

Let me start off by saying, I really like this book! I'm a fan of Steve Gerber's Howard the Duck, and I even enjoyed the movie from the 80's. This title has all the humor and all the thrills that a great comedic comic-book should have. And the nice thing is that Zdarsky and Quinones not only capture the charm of the original comics, but they add to it.

Chip Zdarsky has the tongue in cheek humor down perfectly. His kooky writing begins on the cover and doesn't stop until after the letters page. And Zdarsky even brings in some great cameos like the afore mentioned Aunt May. Then there's Spider-Man, Rocket Raccoon, and She-Hulk. All of which are characters designed to get big laughs. Here's a little something without giving too much away... “Laugh of The Month Award” goes to Howard's execution of the plan to get the necklace back from Aunt May. I won't tell you what it is, but the duck is a genius.

As a writer, Zdarsky is well complimented by Joe Quinones' art. A little different than the original concept of the character, Quinones gives Howard a more humanoid look. And when the duck is flinging around his Quack-Fu moves, a more humanoid framework helps him pull it off. There's another thing I really like about Quinones. In funny books like this one, the art is often intentionally cartoonish. Howard the duck is definitely a cartoon duck, but his mannerisms make the reader forget it. And the supporting cast is far from looking cartoonish. Three cheers for Joe Quinones as artist on Howard The Duck. His art is subtle but masterful.

There you have it. Thumbs up all around for Howard The Duck #3. The writing style, the art style, and the duck himself are three great reasons to read this series regularly. So run to your nearest comic shop and grab a copy now. And tell them Eblison Grun sent you.