Myster Mask

Probably the best cartoon to come out of Disney in quite a while, Darkwing Duck was somewhat darker than the average Disney fare and managed to touch upon some serious issues. However, it also could be extremely funny, with Darkwing's over-dramatic entrances, his ego 'the size of a small planet' and his arguments with his daughter.

There's a whole new set of villains to be thwarted by the terror that flaps: NegaDuck, Megavolt, Quackerjack, Liquidator (a parody of Penguin from Batman) and Bushroot; collectively the Fearsome Five. Not to mention the evil F.O.W.L. and its chief agent, Steelbeak.

Fortunately, DW has help. DuckTales' Launchpad McQuack is on his usual form, performing some excellent crashes in DW's Thunderquack and playing a good sidekick; GizmoDuck occasionally shows up fresh from Duckberg to drive DW crazy; Gosalyn, his daughter (who has a greater capacity for getting into trouble than Huey, Dewey and Louie put together!); and, last but not least, Morgana McCawber, sorceress and one-time crook.

As you can probably tell, this is my favourite Disney cartoon bar none. A couple of videos were released in Britain, and DW played on the Disney Channel for a while, but it has been far too long since Darkwing graced our terrestrial screens. Any Americans who have the Disney Channel and/or Toon Disney should count themselves very lucky indeed to be able to watch this absolute gem.

Darkwing Duck is the most hilarious cartoon done by Disney! Darkwing Duck is a show that spoofs famous superheroes! Plus in this cartoon Launchpad McQuack from Ducktales is in this cartoon as Darkwing's sidekick and Gizmoduck is in it also who Darkwing is very jealous of for stealing his fame in St. Conard! My favorite villains on Darkwing Duck are Negaduck (my #1 favorite DWD villain), Megavolt, Bushroot, Liquidator and Steelbeak! I don't like Quackerjack because he is so annoying because he uses toys as weapons and his plans are not clever! Plus I liked a lot of Darkwing's gadgets he uses like his gas gun and other things. Darkwing Duck brings back a lot of my childhood memories, not to mention I dressed liked him once for halloween. It sucks how Disney now airs terrible cartoons that are just unoriginal and just crap, 1990's Disney Afternoon cartoons are the best and they're will never be a replacement for that! Overall awesome cartoon and hilarious!

This show represents the ultimate regret that I failed to tape more shows from the halcyon days when the cartoons were kings. I taped all of two episodes from that show and blindly placed my trust that the tradition of great cartooning would continue for me to enjoy even as an adult.

Now those cartoons are replaced by cable-channel reruns, cheap Japanese imports, or superfluous morning news programs, and I'm left with the slowly fading memories of those shows.

But the one show that refuses to be forgotten because of it's uniqueness and charm is the one, the only Dark-weeeeeng Duck!

I've heard of superheros who got into the business in order to defend truth, justice and - well, you know the rest.

I've heard of superheros who were inspired to do so because of some life-changing trauma they've experienced at the hands of a criminal.

But a superhero who gets his kicks because of an ego streak?

That's Darkwing Duck for you: the daring, death-defying duck-billed defender of the denizens against the evil forces of darkness, doom and any other grandiloquent alliterations that looks good in a comic book panel. Heck, who needs a comic book when you have a vainglorious vigilante who constantly provides his own narration - even while making breakfast (if he can achieve that in one piece!)

This setup makes for perhaps the most satisfying half-hour of superhero-based animation I have ever experienced. Sure, Superman, Batman, the G.I. Joes and other conventional heros in this genre are all good and well, but they are as never as full-rounded as Darkwing Duck. Those other heroes can be so. . .so. . .morally, ethically and methodically impeccable in such a way that it gets boring after a while. Hell, I frequently find myself rooting for the bad guys just so those darn boy scouts will be revealed as, well, HUMAN.

Not so with DW. The show successfully lampoons all those other superhero show by having Darkwing encompass pretty much all of the antihero qualities you aren't supposed to occur in a conventional animated superhero. He's obstinant, short sighted, short-tempered, impetuous, arrogant, imperious, clumsy to the point that recalls Inspector Clouseau. Did I forget to mention the "ego the size of a small planet"? At times, these traits get so in the way of his crimefighting that it becomes difficult to tell the "hero" apart from the villain.

When you think about it, the idea that superheros can constantly save the day without developing a severe ego streak is ridiculous on its face. So it's should be logical that that should happen in this case, especially when you are dealing with a character who tries deperately to compensate for his lack of actual superpowers.

We all know that in the end, even when he seems overwhelmed by his negatives, his positive attributes will eventually win over and help him defeat the villain du jour. When he's at his best, he really is daring, ingenious, resourceful and kindhearted to boot.

Darkwing/Drake Mallard's adopted daughter Gosalyn provides the heart needed for this show, plus she provides a worthy counterpart to DW's more explosive personality. She is also independent minded, hot-tempered and careless, yet at the bottom very sweet. Launchpad, besides providing a bridge to that other popular duckbilled show, makes up for his simpleminded ways with his unwavering loyalty to DW.

If there's a failing for this show, it would be the fact that since it's a children's show it can get peurile at times (plus it leaves me starving for more violence). But I won't hold that against them and give it the sterling accolades it deserves.

**** out of ****

In short........ DARKWING DUCK ROCKS! IT'S ONE OF DISNEY'S BEST! IT'S BRILLIANT!!!!! IT'S CRAZY! IT HAS SOME OF THE BEST SUPERHERO PARODIES EVER!

Who could forget the episode where we learned the "real," origin of Darkwing, which was a parody of Superman. Or the Spider-man parody episode? Or that Darkwing's rogues gallery mirrored other comic book supervillains?

This was hilarious, with of course due thanks to Jim Cummings, who provided Darkwing's voice. What can I say, he's a genius! It's so funny when Darkwing is constantly trying to get attention, but failing to do so, or losing it to someone like Gizmo-duck!

I have a question though: why'd they change the theme song? It was played on the Disney Channel when DD first appeared, but after it was moved to Fox, they changed it, and it has stayed that way since. I have an original episode that plays the first version of the theme song, and I prefer it much more.

BOTTOM LINE: A funny cartoon! A Disney great! Too bad now they're making junk like Teacher's Pet.

I love this show and I used to watch it during its short four-year stretch on ABC. Jim Cummings (Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, the guard from "Shrek") provides the voice of Darkwing Duck, a sort of equivalent of Batman for a duck world.

Along with his pilot sidekick, daughter and trusty motorcycle, Darkwing Duck fights crime with a vengeance -- and a pretty good sense of humor.

I love this show and I really hope they'll release the DVD so I can revisit them. I haven't seen an episode in years and I've love to see some again.

ABC/Disney, please release a DVD!