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A review by dr_matthew_lloyd
Howard the Duck, Volume 1: Duck Hunt by Chip Zdarsky, Ryan North
4.0
Howard the Duck is one of those comic book characters whose reputation precedes him - and not in a good way. Rumour was that the movie was an early indication that perhaps the genius of Star Wars was despite, not because, of George Lucas. When Howard was teased at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, it seemed to make more than a few people angry. Reading [b:Marvel Comics: The Untold Story|13623814|Marvel Comics The Untold Story|Sean Howe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1339631158s/13623814.jpg|19227562] it seemed like Howard was used largely for satire, a perspective that would have perhaps been interesting, but the Marvel of the twenty-first century, for better or worse, is not that of the 1970s.
It's perhaps the biggest problem with this volume that it doesn't really seem all that controversial. It's fun, much like Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, but it's nowhere near as silly; it lacks any kind of biting satire or dark comedy. It's just a solid, fun, not-quite superhero story where the 'hero' just so happens to be a flightless, talking duck, who, despite being a bit of a loser, knows most of the key players in the Marvel universe. The setting is cosmic in scale and draws in a bunch of heroes from across the Marvelverse, notably including the Guardians of the Galaxy, although not in the lineup familiar from the film (but still featuring precisely one woman). There were some jokes and some fun, although perhaps fewer jokes than I might've hoped. I found it to be pretty much the lighthearted fun that I had expected to find in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, without the little bit extra that comic book ended up having. This volume also features the Squirrel Girl/Howard the Duck crossover, which I think is what all superhero crossovers should be (i.e. short) but was a little better in the Squirrel Girl volume, I think.
It's perhaps the biggest problem with this volume that it doesn't really seem all that controversial. It's fun, much like Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, but it's nowhere near as silly; it lacks any kind of biting satire or dark comedy. It's just a solid, fun, not-quite superhero story where the 'hero' just so happens to be a flightless, talking duck, who, despite being a bit of a loser, knows most of the key players in the Marvel universe. The setting is cosmic in scale and draws in a bunch of heroes from across the Marvelverse, notably including the Guardians of the Galaxy, although not in the lineup familiar from the film (but still featuring precisely one woman). There were some jokes and some fun, although perhaps fewer jokes than I might've hoped. I found it to be pretty much the lighthearted fun that I had expected to find in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, without the little bit extra that comic book ended up having. This volume also features the Squirrel Girl/Howard the Duck crossover, which I think is what all superhero crossovers should be (i.e. short) but was a little better in the Squirrel Girl volume, I think.