I can see “The Duck Knight Return!” being a divisive episode. There’s a lot going on, not only in terms of the narrative, but in terms of the meta-narratives and the references to the Darkwing Duck show from the nineties that prop up that meta-narratives. Darkwing Duck once in a while did do meta-episodes. There was an episode where Darkwing was warped into the “human world” where his adventures were animated as a popular TV show for said humans. Another episode involved Darkwing Duck, as the “actor,” visiting the studio in order to fight against the bizarre changes that the executives wanted to make on his show. Knowing about those kinds of episodes may help to make this episode feel more palpable, particularly to those who may have felt “The Duck Knight Returns!” follows up the “Darkwing Duck is a show within the DuckTales” reveal in a fairly disturbing, off-putting way?
The thing that bothers me, personally, is all the superheroics criticisms. Yes, “you have to be crazy” to want dress up and fight crime, causing untold levels of property damage and harm to innocent civilians, which makes creeds like “Never kill” a stupidly low and irrelevant bar. (To briefly explain, those kinds of arguments never scale or are placed in context in relation to the supervillains–it often comes off like we’re just letting their escalations of destruction and injury pass.) So I wasn’t particularly enamored over the parts of this episode that satirized and ridiculed the concept of superheroism, which comes off the same as when the show does that to adventuring. I was a bit more accepting of the “grim and gritty” parody elements, although throwing shade towards overly-serious films is pretty much old hat nowadays. It works because “The Duck Knight Returns” bridges the gap by messing with the aesthetics of “dark” films (that trailer, Alistar Boorswan–voiced by a totally game Edgar Wright!–whining about Dewey ruining with his deep psychological masterpiece) while also delving into the terrifying, personal, dark deterioration of Jim Starling. Heroism–superheroism–is about saving the lives you can, and the inspiration that it triggers in those who witness it.
Those are the moments when “The Duck Knight Returns!” come alive. Drake Mallard’s story of how Darkwing Duck inspired him to fight off bullies and keep on getting up is one honest example. Launchpad’s reluctance with the crimes Sterling convinces him to do, and his end speech about true heroism, is another, no matter how silly it sounds. Those are the things that mean something, the rock upon which its characters hold onto steadily as Sterling grows more monstrous. It’s meant to be extremely off-putting when he suddenly grabs Drake, one of his biggest fans and just a really nice guy, and shoves him into a closet, turning to the camera with dangerous, hypno-swirl eyes. (Heck, when he knocks out the two security guards chasing him, it’s already meant to be an uncomfortable escalation.) There’s a thin, specific vocal tick that Jim Cummings switches to when that moment happens, a vocal tick that some people might be familiar with: the voice of Negaduck.
Recognizing that heel turn saves the episode I think. Dewey’s ridiculous “creative choices” are amusing shade towards the ideas that catering to children may be not such a good idea (he admits he has no clue if they’re any good.) The Scrooge/Boorswan arguments are the typical jokey interplays between rich, clueless exec and competent, if deeply conceited, director that’s been used in pretty much every Hollywood satire ever. But the Jim Sterling/Drake Mallard fight, especially against the backdrop of fire and rain, is the strongest and most intense moment of the episode. Watching Mallard get slammed, crushed, and zapped in order to reach Sterling, always “getting back up” so everyone else can escape, is the true instillation of heroism, while Sterling’s too far blinded by the image and facade of heroism to realize how far down the hole of villainy he has fallen. But for a brief, brief moment, during Launchpad’s corny but effective speech, Sterling does reflects on how far he’s gone, and there’s a moment that maybe his soul can be saved–and he even saves Mallard and Launchpad from an explosion as a final act of redemption. But it’s too late. He’s in too deep–figuratively and literally. Down in the sewer, the purple dyes of his suit melt away into a familiar shade of yellow and orange. Sterling is gone. Hello, Negaduck. And goodbye, DuckTales.
Stray observations
- Sorry this review is a bit late. The internet at this hotel is suddenly weirdly spotty.
- What sort of negates a lot of the superhero commentary here is that Lauchpad convinces Drake Mallard to maybe, actually, become a real masked hero. Establishing an actual Darkwing Duck outside the “show within the show” and into the Duck Universe is great, but it feels like the show is trying to have its commentary cake and eat it too. Just like what its done with adventuring.
- There’s a lot of references here to the classic Darkwing Duck show (Sterling’s and Mallard’s inherent hatred of Gizmoduck being one thing), but I can’t possibly name them all. Let loose, commenters!
- I do like how the episode creates a solid avenue that takes Launchpad’s fanboyism of Darkwing Duck and leads him to be the masked hero’s actual sidekick.
- I was weirded out with the Launchpad/Drake fight in the trailer, but in retrospect, it’s meant to foreshadow Drake’s end fight and his eventual acceptance of being the new Darkwing Duck. It showcases that Drake is actually a decent fighter, but not a great one, which is exactly what the original Darkwing Duck was.
- Another bit of foreshadowing? The “final” episode of the Darkwing Duck show revealed the villain Darkwing was fighting was… himself!?
- I’m pretty sure that Dewey was doing “the perfect cast” against that green screen.
- And that’s it for the DuckTales bomb! Thanks so much for following me these past nine days. It was tricky to accomplish these reviews while on vacation but I think I managed pretty well. It was a pretty mixed bag of episodes but they were all fun in their own specific ways.
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It’s weird looking at Frank Angones’ Twitter and seeing all the people raving about this episode. I wonder, did any of these people actually GROW UP with Darkwing Duck? Do any of them actually have a lifelong fondness for this character? Or are they just bandwagon fans who will ditch the show the moment another plot-centric cartoon shows up…?That said, watching one of my favorite characters of all time descend into madness and become Negaduck was kind of painful to behold. It hurt to see a character I love not only be as barely remembered as the Muppets were in the 2011 movie, but to have become a jerk.Yet, that simultaneously wasn’t the Darkwing I grew up with. That was Jim Starling (Sterling? I’m not sure which). Instead, now Drake Mallard is an entirely new character voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos… which also bugs me. Part of what made the original Darkwing Duck so endearing was Jim Cummings’ performance. So much of Darkwing’s personality was developed from Cummings’ innate ability to ad-lib on the fly. Without Cummings behind the cape and cowl, it just doesn’t feel like Darkwing.Yet, there were things in the episode I appreciated. Despite being barely remembered, the way the new Drake talked about Darkwing was almost listening to myself because the things Drake mentioned were the some of the same qualities I always found endearing about Darkwing: that no matter how many times Darkwing was flattened, squashed, electrocuted, or fried… he always got back up and strove to do what’s right— even if his motivation for doing so could sometimes be self-serving.And then Cummings’ portrayal as Negaduck was just INCREDIBLE! That laugh at the end gave me Scar vibes from “Be Prepared!”I’m definitely conflicted with the new Drake, and watching one of my favorite characters descend into madness was painful to watch. But I’m also eager to see where the show goes next with this. I’m hoping Gosalyn will come into play soon. She’d make a far more interesting foil if pitted against Webby or Louie, giving how conniving Gosalyn could be in the original series. She’d definitely give Louie a run for his money.
I’d definitely watched Darkwing Duck back in the day and this episode filled me with glee. I’m definitely giving the Drake voice actor a chance. At times I wondered if Cummings was voicing both characters. I think Starling’s descent in to madness was painful because it was supposed to be. I caught much of setup for Negaduck. Though when it happened I thought, “Wow they really went there. That’s awesome.”
Also keep in mind that this Darkwing never had a Gosalyn and Launchpad to keep him from his worst impulses, like the original show always implied would happen without them around.
Whoa. Good point.
The old DW show had quite a few episodes dealing with “what if DW went too far” so this episode is par for the course. There was the Negaduck episode (technically there were 2 Negaducks in the show) where DW got split into negative and positive versions of himself. Then you had the Negaduck we got more of, who was an alternate dimension version of Darkwing which was the same as his world but everyone was morally the opposite. Then you had the “I went to the future and the future sucks because I wasn’t there” episode where Gosalyn gets accidentally sent to a future where Darkwing goes too far(because his daughter disappeared) and turns the city into a police state. I love the setup of this episode: You have Darkwing the character in a TV show, played by a guy who was never a hero, just a guy playing a part. But the ego and narcisism is still there, so when he gets a chance to shine again he goes too far. He isn’t bound by a moral code; he is just in it for the fame and fortune. Then you have out in universe Drake Mallard who is inspired by the character he grew up with and first tries to emulate him in film but gets to shine emulating him in reality. Using Cummings as both a passing the torch to the new Darkwing and the birth of a villain was an awesome twist. The moment he started doing the maniacal NegaDuck laugh I was giddy and only now realized in hindsight he started using a chainsaw during the fight, one of NegaDuck’s signature weapons from the original show. Loved this episode so much.
Good catch on the chainsaw being a signature Negaduck weapon.
I slapped my forehead after the episode when I started to think about it
I was born in the 80’s, so I watched DW in its original run. I also watched Batman TAS of the DCAU universe as well, along with Disney’s other great series “Gargoyles”. So yes, I am an original fan.For me, the episode was enjoyable as a nostalgia trip and in essence a good pilot episode that allow a shared universe to exist in Disney Channel. Jim Starling voiced by Cummings was a great nod and I did feel for him. It reminded me of Batman TAS episode “The Grey Ghost”, where Adam West played a Batman-esque character, who was a typecast actor with very little to show for it. That episode was a type of passing the torch between campy Adam West Batman of the 1960’s to the gritty dark knight of Kevin Conroy’s Batman in 90’s. At different points in this episode, I almost felt like the writers were paying several levels of homage to both Darkwing and classic Batman tropes.
Cummings portrayed a vain, selfish, and more selfish version of Darkwing Duck’s alter-ego from classic cartoon well, he was an actor who had seen better days. The idea of a fallen hero works for him on many levels including his current marital issues, where his ex-wife is revealing unknown details of his darkness.
I have no problems with him playing Negaduck, in fact I can see no one else doing that role properly other than the former Darkwing Duck.
As for Drake Mallard, voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos, he’s a new voice for a new generation. I’ve got no problems with a new voice for Darkwing, the torch was passed and despite nostalgia, you can’t keep the same people in the same positions forever. He needs time to grow and interact with the Duckverse, maybe a team up with Fenton/Gizmo-Duck will help like a “World Finest” type of thing (Please dear God don’t think Batman v. Superman). Give the new voice actor a chanceBeyond that, Scrooge being a movie studio owner opens up a lot of ideas. I’d love to see Ducktales use this idea and have Dewey create a parody of “The Avengers” and make MCU jokes. That would be an original concept for this show.
This is a very late reply, but I grew up with Darkwing Duck…it was my favorite show as a child and I would never miss it if I could avoid it. I loved watching them reboot the series in this way. It was a nod to the fans of old and a way to establish a new origin for Darkwing Duck. Whether one is a fan or not has nothing to do with accepting change. I want a new Darkwing Duck show and I’m okay with a new spin on the characters, because why would I want it to be the same when there is already an existing series I can already watch? I’m excited for the upcoming hour long Darkwing Duck special in hopes that they are giving us a pilot to a possible spin-off. Even if it doesn’t lead to one, I’m glad that I can watch it with my kids.
I was a kid in the 90s, and I absolutely loved Darkwing Duck. So I squealed a bit during the episode, particularly at the Drake Mallard name, and the final reveal.I hope they’ll be announcing a full new Darkwing Duck series soon.
I love that everything’s kinda come full circle now. And, this does kinda feel like a backdoor pilot to greenlight a Darkwing Duck spin-off for the new universe, which, given how well Ducktales has been received in Disney’s eyes (with its fast renewals), might be a great thing to pair it with. Disney’s losing at least one show in their lineup with Star vs the Forces of Evil ending on Sunday, so if there wasn’t already a new show set to replace that for next season (or the season after, depending on if production was going on in secret) – maybe we’ll hear something at SDCC?
When they announced this DuckTales reboot I said at the time I’d prefer a Darkwing reboot. So if DW ends up being the 1st spinoff I’m down.
As a huge Donald Duck fan, I prefer Ducktales over Darkwing Duck. I like Darkwing, but I hope they don’t use anymore Ducktales episodes to focus on it. Ducktales is about Donald’s family and their adventures…and yet after he’s been captured on the moon…four episodes later and we still don’t even a clue or hint as to what’s happening to him.It’s rather strange that Season 2 ended with a Darkwing focus instead of explaining what’s happening to an integral member of the Duck/McDuck family. Especially since Della just reunited with them. I can only hope Season 3 arc will be dedicated to Donald’s predicament.
In the last few days I’ve noticed your Donald fanboyism and shall we say we have differing opinions on it.
Season 2 isn’t over yet; the show is just going on another mid-season hiatus. That’s Disney Channel for you.
Season 2 isn’t over, they release episodes in bursts. If I recall this season will have 25 episodes or so.
Traditionally, “DuckTales” has been about Donald’s family having adventures…without Donald.
Then it must suck that they are giving an entire hour long episode to Darkwing Duck in Season 3. If that doesn’t scream “Backdoor Pilot!” I don’t know what does.
Disney’s got Amphibia (with disney channel alum Brenda Song voicing the main protagonist) as a Star vs Forces Evil replacement which has already been picked up for 2 seasons.
Man , SvTFE is really going out on a high..
They are, but whilst I’ve enjoyed the serialised story of seasons 3 & 4, i do miss the fun car-free individual eps of the first 2 seasons.
*care-free
Especially the reveal of Negaduck at the end, it definitely gave a “to be continued” vibe. I would love for a spinoff to be official, but would bring his entire supporting cast back? Or just create a new supporting cast for the show? DuckTales is kinda loaded right now, so I wouldn’t be 100% surprised to see him leave DuckTales to be DW’s sidekick.
I kept wondering why the fan/new-DW never introduced himself. When the reveal happened I got a huge smile.
They gotta be leading to a spin-off right? – does Disney animated even still do that (i don’t know that Milo Murphy really counts as a Phineas & Ferb spinoff as they spent most the 1st season establishing Milo’s world as its own thing b4 doing the Dr Time is Doofenschmirtz reveal). I’d also watch spin-offs of either Gizmoduck’s escapades or Mrs Beakley & not-Jarvis-butler as a supernatural mystery-solving duo.
I’d say Milo Murphy counts, sort of. There was a flashback in an earlier episode featuring the rollercoaster from Phineas & Ferb, and some other smaller bits. More of a shared universe thing, though, cause of the establishing it seperate first.
So they have Darkwing and Gizmoduck, but will they bring in the rest of the Justice Ducks?
Can wait to see The Rubber Chicken again.
I can see “The Duck Knight Return!” being a devisive episode.C’mon man, it’s the first sentence. At least proofread this one.
Holy fuck! The other day I was watching this for the first time at a pizza joint and went “I’ll start buying episodes once Darkwing Duck shows up.”Boo. Never mind.
It’s a bit of a surreal experience watching Jim Cummings playing a guy who suddenly descends from hero to villain, so soon after the real life bullshit around him started really popping up. Disney’s in a bit of a pickle here regarding whether to keep him on, and I don’t envy the person in charge of that decision.One especially great touch is that while Boorswan is mostly a Zack Snyder riff, he also has Christopher Nolan’s accent and hair, reminding us who truly got this trend rolling.
That’s off my radar. Oh bother.
Did you use oh bother on purpose since Winnie the Pooh is a character he voices?
Yes, that was the joke.
Are you talking about Cummings’ divorce? That’s not exactly the best time to make a #MeToo accusation if you’re demanding money and property as well. Also, Cummings got custody of his 2 daughters so the allegations were likely unproven.
There’s also the part about abusing the dog, which he admitted to.
Well that’s not cool.
As a fan of Darkwing Duck but not Nolan’s Batman, I feel like this episode was made just for me!Tad Stones, DW’s creator, voiced the gate guard.
I may love The Dark Knight Trilogy, but I still found this hilarious.I saw him on the cast list but couldn’t figure out which side character he was. So thanks.
Oh my freaking gosh did I absolutely love this episode. I’ve already watched it twice and I’ll watch it again when I get back home tonight. This is probably my favorite episode (ironically dethroning “Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!”). Episodes earlier this week did make the theory that the show was a SHUSH cover story seem far less likely. Then this destroyed it. I’m sure I’ll miss something on what I liked but here goes. The various DW callbacks I caught. The Batman references that weren’t to my knowledge preexisting such as the Nolan callouts and how this turned the great BTAS episode “Beware the Gray Ghost” on its head. How Jim Starling’s transformation in to Negaduck was setup the whole episode. The Drake Mallard reveal (which I saw on the rewatch the subtitles spoiled). LaunchPad nuff said. When they made DW a show within a show I had faith they wouldn’t do that without a good reason. This exceeded my lofty expectations.
Here’s something I forgot. The sight gag at the beginning when the sign said someone from Ottoman Empire was originally going to be there.
I really love how there’s clearly this whole huge saga going on with the Ottoman show in the background. Kind of a Zeppo vibe.
Yeah, I wonder if that’s actually setup for something or just a fine side bit.
Kevin or well anyone else, any idea when we get some more episodes?
Following broadcast on Disney Channel, they ran an ad promising september. Which might point to another weekday afternoon run, if the October season 3 premiere date hasn’t changed.
Makes me wonder what all is going to air during the summer. There’s the new Amphibia, and I imagine more Big Hero 6, but that seems light for summer scheduling.
I loved Launchpad instantly blinding himself with the disc-launching hat.Will Drake fight crime in his movie suit or switch to the classic?
Webby needs to meet Gosalyn.
Right now it looks Drake Mallard needs to meet Gosalyn. Which reminds me, I wonder if this Drake Mallard is from St. Canard?
Unless they reveal Drake already has a stepdaughter in his next appearance.
They could, but he sure didn’t seem like he had already adopted a daughter. Also at least to me having to adopt Gos at the beginning of his hero journey seems like a weird thing to change.
This Drake is less egocentric than the classic so he doesn’t need to adopt Gosalyn to learn humility. (Original Drake did it by the end of episode two, so it’s not like it was a slow burn either.) She could already be another part of his life that keeps him grounded.
True but that also means her origin is different too. Which they could totally do and do well.
Webby and Goslyn forever!!!
Pretty deep one — the “Replace the Water Cooler!” poster that LP hides in features a dog pushing water. DW villain the Liquidator, maybe? He was a salesman looking to unload chemically unsafe water — until he fell into a vat of it, of course!
If this episode was a backdoor pilot for a revitalized DW series, consider me completely sold. A bit surprised that they didn’t go for a bit more star-level casting for the new Drake Mallard, given that this has been the M.O. for this whole revival series (and the showrunners seem to get pretty much whomever they want for these characters), but Chris Diamantopoulos can do a credible Darkwing Duck voice. This is especially important since all of the stuff that’s swirling around Jim Cummings likely means Disney is dodging a bullet by not having Cummings reprise the role in a starring fashion. Also, by slotting Della into the Launchpad role leaves them free to move him to DW’s full time sidekick. I’ll be interested to see how they update the show’s tone to the modern times. Duck Tales is uneven sometimes, but they’ve done a great job of making it fresh for modern times. I also hope they follow the animation style of Duck Tales in the DW reboot.Oh, and I realize how little I’m talking about Duck Tales in this comment. That’s about how much this was a Duck Tales episode. The Scrooge and Dewey make a movie storyline seemed pretty bolt on just to tie this in as a Duck Tales episode. A few funny moments, but more of a contrivance. Still, I’m fine with that. I’m super excited about the prospect of a proper DW series, and not just a few tongue in cheek references to a show within a show.
This was totally a backdoor pilot and I’m here for it.
I’m 32, got a huge nostalgia hit from this, and lost my damn mind with a legitimately funny love letter to 90s kids. In this Episode, Launchpad represents my generations’ love for our time. We’re the generation that holds these old things so dear, the generation that supports these types of “come back movies” that seem to pop out of no where because they are MADE for us. We’re the generation that rallies to protect the source and attempt to protect it from the out-of-touch nature of the old and the “so random” era of the new.I’ve rather liked this whole season and find the ratings I’ve been seeing a tad low for my liking, not to say everything has been perfect… but still. This particular episode struck all the right cords. The return of Jim Cummings to voice the role, the nostalgic references and call-backs, and the clue-in point where you start think “Oh man I really hope they go there with this…” and then THEY DO!? I basically forgot I was a 32 year old with a job and bills and taxes while watching this and just… had fun again.I’d give this an A+. Easily.
I couldn’t believe they would actually turn him into Negaduck but they did. I said this in my main comment, but this is my new favorite episode.
Agreed. I’m 39 and feel exactly the same. Well said.
This was a cool episode and all and it was a creative and unique way to reintroduce the Darkwing characters and leave open the possibility of having a Darkwing Duck series, but one MAJOR thing bothers me: what on earth is happening to DONALD?! It’s annoying that we spent one and a half seasons focusing and getting hints about what happened to Della and now that she’s back, Donald’s been sent to and captured on the moon and yet four episodes later…and we STILL don’t have even a hint on what’s happening to him there! Not a even a few seconds of a clip at the end of an episode (like Della’s been having). As a huge Donald fan, I can only hope that Season 3 will be a whole arc dedicated to him because so far, the series is really short-changing Donald. This series is supposed to be about HIS family! He was the original mighty duck and adventurer. Duckburg and all the other characters, even including Scrooge, were created for him by Carl Barks. And yet he’s been in fewer episodes than Ducktales-only characters like Webby, Beakley, and Launchpad? And all of whom have already met his sister before he was able to reunite with her. I just wish we had some sort of clue as to in which direction this series is taking Donald. We saw that he did have some badass scenes, but they’re using him for slapstick and comedic relief too much still which is really annoying because it almost deconstructs his character. I really hope that gets fixed next season. Darkwing, Gizmoduck, Launchpad are all great, but Donald was not just the original adventurer…he was also the original duck vigilante (Paperinik/Duck Avenger) too and I hope we see that side of him too.
If this ends up being a backdoor pilot for a new Darkwing Duck, I wonder what that means for the future of Launchpad on DuckTales? They did hint a couple episodes ago that Della’s presence might make him a bit redundant as the family’s pilot.
When the show revealed that Darkwing Duck was just a TV show in this universe, I was annoyed. Then this episode came along. Now, I’ve been very vocal about my dislikes about this show as a whole, but overall I’ve enjoyed it.This was the first episode to legitimately piss me off. I really, REALLY wish they had never made Darkwing a TV show in-universe and just made him another superhero elsewhere in town who pops in occasionally. Hell, they could have introduced the Rescue Rangers and the TaleSpin crew and actually done an adaptation of The Legend of the Chaos God. But now I hope that we never see Darkwing or Negaduck ever again. I despise how “Jim Starling” was written. I hate that Drake Mallard is not the OG Darkwing and is not voiced by Jim Cummings. I hate that they didn’t even give him his gas gun. It’s not QUITE at the same level as “Ethon” from Stargate SG-1 for me, but I will probably never voluntarily rewatch this episode ever again.Though it wasn’t all bad. Scrooge and Dewey making their version of the movie was pretty hilarious. I loved Scrooge’s running gag of not being able to tell who the bad guy was without his mustache. Wish the episode had been about them instead.
Your complaints are literally that the episode didn’t slavishly copy the old series, and a major one is that Drake didn’t get the gas gun…on screen, when he’s literally an actor who is fighting with props. Ask yourself; why the hell would a movie set contain an actual weapon as a prop?
Be glad that we have a new voice for Darkwing, because given the crap about Cummings we’re learning, we likely wouldn’t have a new Darkwing at all if we didn’t sneak in a reason for him to sound different.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but feel that the episode acknowledges how much love that fans had with the entirety of the DW franchise.
I’m not just talking about the show or comics, but even the toy scene made me well up a little bit because it reminded of how cool it was having a piece of heroism for me to collect.
And when they showed that toy scale version of the Thunderquack on Drake’s desk, I couldn’t stop smiling and remembering how I thought it was the greatest toy I ever had.
13 minutes in to this episode, we see a comic strip version of Drake Mallard and his lunch box. At the end of it, clearly visible in the right hand side corner is written ‘Peraza’; this was so obvious that I had to look it up. It’s the name of Michael Peraza who did the concept artwork for DW. Also DW creator Tad Stones voices the security guard (I put it in Wikipedia for this episode, but it got deleted )‘:
Those comic panels were such a great style choice for that flashback. I also appreciated the cinematic black bars later in the episode.
I enjoyed it. It’s not OG Darkwing Duck but, if we ever did get a reboot, it wasn’t going to be the same as the original anyway. We know that if we cling to just wanting what it once was we’re going to end up disappointed. As such I think this was a good homage to the nostalgia while also setting how, if it does become a series (since this is clearly a backdoor pilot), the tone and style will differ. It won’t be the original but I think the new Darkwing Duck, if it does happen, has potential.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Gotta say, this episode works wonders when you’re high.
Is there a spin off in the works? I could see a Darkwing Duck reboot being truly spectacular.
Great article, Kev! Thanks for your insight. I really enjoyed reading it. I loved this episode on so many levels. This should be studied as a way to honour the original while making something new and exciting. I love that they’re giving the fans what they want in unexpected ways. We have to be willing to accept new takes on nostalgia because it can never be, nor should ever be, the same. As long as you respect the source material and show you love it in your rebooting, I’m a happy duck!
This season has been a real delight. I about lost it when I heard the Moon Theme earlier. Then an episode dedicated to Darkwing Duck that leaves the door open for a spin-off. Hell yeah!Can we also talk about the PizzaHut Darkwing Duck promo poster in Drake’s t myrailer. I had that same poster in my childhood bedroom
So speaking of things that take themselves too seriously, how about this review of freaking Ducktales…
The thing that bothers me, personally, is all the superheroics criticisms. Yes, “you have to be crazy” to want dress up and fight crime, causing untold levels of property damage and harm to innocent civilians, which makes creeds like “Never kill” a stupidly low and irrelevant bar. (To briefly explain, those kinds of arguments never scale or are placed in context in relation to the supervillains–it often comes off like we’re just letting their escalations of destruction and injury pass.) You seem to be having trouble differentiating between superhero stories, which are real (and usually have severe problems as described), and superheroes, who are not real.If the bad guys in those stories invite what appears to be a proportional response that involves mass destruction of inhabited areas, that rigged game is part of the problem.
1) superheroicsDarkwing Duck is not a superhero.
2) causing untold levels of property damage and harm to
innocent civilians.Not every superhero causes property damage and harm to innocent civilians.
DW is more superhero parody than superhero.
And btw. the origin of this Drake really mirrors the origin of Drake in the original show.Remember, where he got back to the past, met himself as a kid and inspired the young Drake to become Darkwing Duck. The young Drake was also bullied and tossed around.This makes it an even better reboot. Also: Launchpad also was a big fan of Darkwing in the original pilot.So many inspired choices. If this won’t become a series, i would really be disappointed. You see with every second how the producers are fans of the original.I wasn’t happy, when they originally revealed DW to be a show in a show. But now i can see, what they wanted to accomplish. Really great big picture thinking. And a good reminder to never judge a season by one episode 😉
So I didn’t know “new episodes in May” meant a bomb, rather than one new one every Saturday. But I finally caught up!I thought this one was a lot of fun, from Scrooge’s cluelessness to that action-packed third act. I don’t remember watching Darkwing Duck as a kid, but was still sad to see Jim Starling’s decline. This was certainly Launchpad’s finest hour, though. I noticed a more-heartfelt-than-usual quality to Beck Bennett’s line readings during his conversation with Drake at the end.Other bits I liked:- Dewey’s hashtags (#Celebrity? #IWasntAliveinthe90s #TimetoJumponRecliners)
– The safety video posters starring Donald
– The Jim Gordon duck in the trailer- “Any questions?” “Seven.” “Pick the most important one!”
– The comic panel backstoryI will keep a better eye out for news of the next episodes and hopefully see you all back here in a more timely manner!
The comic panel backstory was drawn by Darkwing’s other co-creator.
The Darkwing trailer was basically this:
Great episode with a few nods to classic Darkwing Duck, Nolan Batman films, Snyder DCEU gritty dark stories, and even some narrative nods to Batman TAS “Beware the Gray Ghost”. where Adam West did what Jim Cummings is doing in this episode, portraying a forgotten actor who inspires a hero in a meta concept story of bringing in someone who used to play the hero.