Disney-comics digest #651.

[ADEBLIEC@drew.edu]

"Horsing Around With History" just came out here in the States, and I
had a quick couple of comments to make. You can consider yourself minorly
spoiled. =)


I was actually more impressed with Van Horn's art than I was with Carl Barks'
writing.  I think I was expecting less of the art than I was of the story.
Quite honestly, the story falls flat.  It could have been easily done as a 
10 page story, and not the extravagant 24 pages or so it was done in.  It
kept leading up to something, but then only delivers in the last page.  And 
while it is a good last page - showing $croog's smarts - it isn't worth it.
It reminds me of some bad science fiction stories where the story rambles o
on for ten or twelve  pages for the sole purpose of introducing the twist
only in the last paragraph.  Not worth it.  
Art-wise, yes I would rather have had Don draw this, obviously.  But I'm glad
he didn't get his time wasted like this.  Van Horn did a pretty admirable job.
I feared his cartoony style would clash too well with a Barks script, but 
he seemed to tone down his style enough for the sake of the story.
Oh, and one last thing, story-wise.  Why have the new $crooge security system
in the story?  What's the point?  It is set up, but there doesn't seem to be
a pay-off, other than the painfully obvious horse connection.  And even that is
a stretch.
Oh, well...  I haven't read "Only a Poor Man Yet" which I'm sure I'll enjoy
better, nor the text piece accompanying the story, which I'm looking forward
to reading.  For some reason, I really enjoy reading about the techniques
artists and writers use to make their creations.

-Augie

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Augie De Blieck Jr. - "And I get so tired, cause I don't get much sleep,   
Drew University     -  I've got too many commitments that are too hard
(201) 408-8067	    -  to keep..."  -Billy Joel (Temptation)