It has been a few years, but Howard the Duck is back this week with a special anniversary issue. Celebrating his 50th year, some of Howard’s greatest creators return to explore the multiverse of Howard the Duck. He’s joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, serving on the X-Men, and even saving the world as the president of the United States! All three gigs are nothing a duck can’t handle, especially when comedy is the key ingredient.
Kicking things off is a story that bookends the collection and sets up why Howard the Duck is checking out other multiverse versions of himself. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Joe Quinones, Howard is trying to stay alive during the Great Hero War VII of 2025. Soon, he meets a Watcher known as the Peeper, and away the story goes to explore the multiverse. The Peeper is pretty creepy, and Zdarsky gets plenty of zingers in. If Quinones’ clean lines and Zdarsky’s sense of humor don’t make you want more, you can kick rocks.
The first multiversal story features Howard as president. Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Annie Wu, the story introduces an alien invasion. Kibblesmith leans into Howard’s superpower of being underestimated. Plenty of humor works, and Wu draws the strangest aliens. It’s a delightful story that may be my favorite of the bunch.
Next up is Jason Loo and Dereck Charm’s tale of Howard the Duck becoming an X-Man. Filled with montages and iconic X-Men characters, it’s a real visual treat. You can tell Loo has a great handle on X-Men history with some fun jokes here and there.
You’ll never guess what his superpower is.
Credit: Marvel
Last, Merritt K and Will Robson turn toward Star-Lord, or at least the leader of the Guardians, while Star-Lord is away. This story brings back a wacky villain who has only shown up once before. Similar to the other stories, we see Howard isn’t appreciated by many, but he’s also not the best at working with others.
The issue ends with a fun message board for Howard written by Kibblesmith with art by Quinones. The single page of quotes allows Kibblesmith to throw in a few barbs from various Marvel characters and Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski himself.
Howard the Duck #1 is a fun treat for fans looking for a bit of humor and a reminder of why Howard the Duck has lasted 50 years. At $5.99, this issue feels a touch overpriced since it’s only four short tales, but it’s also a love letter to Marvel in some respects and an easy add to your buy pile.
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