Andrew Newton reviews Disney Magic Kingdom Comics #1…
IDW’s Disneyland 60th anniversary anthology is here… collecting decades of Disney’s park-themed adventure comics! Carl Barks’ Scrooge McDuck travels from the Mark Twain Riverboat to a Beagle Boy battle; then Donald and Mickey investigate the strange disappearance of the Country Bear Jamboree!
SEE ALSO: Check out a preview of Disney Magic Kingdom Comics #1
There have been Disney parks for 60 years, that’s 60 years of fulfilling peoples dreams and creating happiness and magic for millions of children. In celebration of such an achievement IDW have produced a limited series showing stories of the magic and adventures that our beloved Disney characters have had there themselves.
The first issue in this mini series brings us four classic stories with the opening story written and drawn by the legendary Carl Banks and first published in Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland #1 from 1957. This story sees Uncle Scrooge recall his paddle steamer captain days and a particularly wealthy assignment that sees him in competition with the notorious Blackheart Beagle. Carl Banks was the creator of Uncle Scrooge as well as many of the characters and villains we see in Donald Duck stories.
The second story in this issue by Pete Alvarado and first published in 1972 brings us a story of Mickey and Donald, titled Donald and Mickey in Frontierland. This story dates from when the ‘Grizzly Bear Hoedown’ first appeared at Disney World’s Frontierland and sees Donald and Mickey in pursuit of a couple of wayward bears.
Red Rogues Treasure is the third story this issue and makes it’s first appearance in a comic book available in the United States. First appearing in Danish Anders And & Co 9/1992and written by Paul Halas and Unn Printz-Påhlson. This story sees Magica De Spell up to her old tricks in the lovely Disneyland Paris but her antics lead Scrooge and his nephews halfway across the world. This story is wonderfully drawn and written although Scrooge seems uncharacteristically generous with treating his nephews to a trip to Disneyland Paris.
Finally, another legend of Disney, artist Al Hubbard, brings us the short story Goofy in Fantasy Land. Written by Don R. Christensen and first appearing in Donald Duck Goes to Disneyland issue 1 back in 1955, Goofy in Fantasy Land sees Goofy and Pluto on a weird and wonderful adventure in Fantasy Land that sees them encounter the Queen of Hearts, Jiminy Cricket, Peter Pan and many more classic Disney characters.
This issue of Disney Magic Kingdom is a wonderful collection of tales from the last 60 years. All of which are guaranteed to bring entertainment to children young and old alike. The stories are well written, well drawn and the characters, just like in Disneyland itself, come to life and for a short time become magical. Well worth a space in your collection.
Rating – 9/10
Andrew Newton
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Originally published May 26, 2016. Updated November 10, 2019.
