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Favorite Long Story
Fatal Distraction - Byron Erickson & Massimo Fecchi
The Blot's Birthday Plot - Byron Erickson & Joaquin Sanchez
The Black Orb - Andreas Pihl & Massimo Fecchi

Long modern Mickey stories from this era are ten times better than anything we got during the Disney periods (barring The Big Fall/APhantom Blot Bedtime Story and Return to Blaggard Castle, the latter of which was sadly never reprinted. But IMHO, quite a few writers over at Egmont with the exception of a select few, still don't quite "get" or match up to what Gottfredson achieved with the character and how he made the mouse work and become interesting. Some however - were decidedly on point. My favorite one by far had to be the first story on the list. I've always said that Byron Erickson is one of my favorite Mouse writers. He gets it. While I am not a fan of "Take over the world" style melodrama from the Blot, at least here the stories he writes give The Blot that machiavellian panache that makes him Mickey's greatest foe.

The first two stories read like Scarpa Mickey tales done in a modern design with Gottfredsonian flair and I can really appreciate that: the first story, because I genuinely couldn't solve the mystery before the reveal and the second because The Blot was a grade A threat to everyone around him - which is what he absolutely needs to be to work.

The Black Orb, I listed because it really impressed me. Donald, Mickey, Goofy stories that aren't gimmicks or imaginary tales are rare in comics for whatever reason. So seeing one that wasn't "an adventure" and was just the big three having fun and doing something friendly while staying true to each character really appealed to me for some reason. There are stories that I liked better than this one mind you, but I felt this one needed mentioning.

Worst Long Story (over 14 pages):
Ring Thrice and I'll Clobber You, My Lad - Mark Shaw & Toni Bancells

The DCML really lit up when this one was printed and I can see why. Honestly the story is awful. Toni Bancells is my least favorite artist on the ducks and unfortunately, for the first year or so we were glutted with the stuff. This story also presents Daisy (whether she was possessed or not) as a mean, manipulative skank of a woman who makes you wonder why Donald even bothers tolerating her. Stories that present Daisy in this light are not my favorite by far and even Don Rosa has fallen into this trap once or twice. So dedicating an entire story to having Daisy be a **insert apprpriate curseword here** is certainly something I had no desire to read.

Favorite Short Story (under 14 pages):
Donald Duck's Fouled Up Fairy Tale

Dangit, this was just plain funny. :) And shoot, you can do no wrong with Branca anyway, so there ya go.

Worst Short Story (under 14 pages):
The Lost Suburb

This was terrible. Just. Terrible. We revisit Carl Barks' exotic location of Atlantis for THIS? There's nothing wrong with visiting Carl Barks' locations at all. Don't get me wrong but because, really, that's not the issue here. Just as I am not a fan of stories that pander to overage fanboys, I am also not a fan of stores that pander to the kiddie Barney set. I can't name a single Barks story where, after I read it I felt like I should have been embarrassed for having done so. The story itself was nonsensical and silly (the bad kind) on a molecular level and just read to me like wild kiddie fluff. And while the kids are whom ducks and mice are supposed to attract no matter what, by that same token adults should be able to enjoy it too and not wince when reading it. The only saving grace of it was Vicar's wonderful art.

Best Multipart Story:
Mythos Island

I really liked this story. It was much more "jointed and together" than The Fighting Sword of Shambor and Orb Sagas. It had the whole crew participating, and each chapter sort of made sense when you connected one to the other. Every character played a part and I appreciated that. Even if I prefer my multiparters with cliffhangers and that sense of "wanting to pick up the next chapter to see what happens next" like Murry or Gottfredson serials, this one really wasn't that bad at all and was a much better attempt than the earlier stabs at it IMO.

Worst Multipart Story:
The Orb Saga

I really WANTED to like this, but I just could not. Don't get me wrong - the ending and resolution of it is absolutely great! Especially those last couple of chapters. But the beginning and the middle is so barely held together as a coherent story with chapters that it just kind of flounders about for a while before it decides that it actually wants to go somewhere - something like a fish out of water. Took waaaaay too long for the story to get steam and make you really care anything about it. The ending worked, but everything else up to that simply did not. :(

Best New Character:
Atomo Bleep-Bleep

Atomo Bleep-Bleep is the new Eega Beeva. Something so silly that it just works and adds a new wrinkle to Mickey at the same time - that of, what I suppose, is making Mickey something of a "mentor" that isn't blatant hero worship. Atomo is charming, precocious and loveable without being a Scrappy Doo.

Worst New Character:
Sam Simian...maybe...not really sure.

The robot wrangling stories are OK. Not great, not awful. Just....OK. See it's not really the character I don't like. Sam Simian is actually kind of interesting as a braggart engineer and works better and looks more interesting as a "friendly oversized rival" for Mickey than Muscles McGurk did when we got him during Gladstone II. But his gimmick - the robot wrangler bots - are just so....eh?!?!?!!?

It feels so out of left field - even for Mickey, and I just praised Atomo Bleep-Bleep - that it doesn't work. Funnily enough, when Disney had a villain use giant robots I could get behind that. But a rival who just uses them for glorified UFC matches and nothing else of importance? Nah.

Best New Idea:
Multipart Stories that WORK & Ducks and Mice Crossing Over

Disney's attempts at multipart stories in Duck Tales were disastrous. Only the second one worked that's only in a loose way. The Mystery Weaponeer was actually a really decent story, but Mickey read like he was being written for Marvel Comics. That's why I really liked seeing Gemstone print Egmont's attempts at doing shorter serialized stories.

While I realize that Egmont's Denmark audiences do not have the same taste in serialized stories and thier approach as US audiences would I can very much appreciate what was done and enjoy what was attempted. I don't think I would have handled some of the stories EXACTLY as they would have done but I'm glad they did something new and interesting all the same.

Furthermore - I am glad to see an "extended universe" of Ducks and Mice interacting with each other. It never made any sense to me as to why they didnt and Egmont's writers do it in a plausable way. MUCH better than attempts that have been done at it before IMO.

Worst New Idea:
"Duck Overload"

WDC&S should not be a duck book with Mickey randomly popping up to say hi in the middle nor should it be a Mickey book with the Duck's letting us know they should still be there. It should be a variety book showcasing ALL the characters that don't have thier own outlet and headed by those that do (Donald) or deserve it (Mickey). Having the settlement characters pop up in there once or twice while the ducks pad it out is unacceptable also. There was absolutely no variety in almst 70-80% of Gemstone's WDC&S and that proved my biggest pain of all with it. Cancellation forcing stories to go in there or not, even Disney did it better.

I like the ducks, but I don't need them in EVERY FREAKING BOOK I CHOOSE TO READ especially when most of the stories we got in the earlier days of Gemstone weren't really that good. Yeah. I said it.

Best Trade Paperback:
World of the Dragonlords & Life and Times Companion

Dangit, I liked this. I liked this a LOT. I just freaking did. The Life of Times Companion comes as a close second and the ONLY reason it did not get first IMO was because A) most of it was partially reprint and B) it was Don Rosa revisiting his own story multiple times to add chapters to it, rather than doing something entirely new. Not knocking him for that, but I appreciated Dragonlords a heck of a more because it was heftier, meatier and wasn't a revisit. I'll probably be in the minority for that, but darnit I simply do not care. :)

Worst Trade Paperback:
Scrooge's Quest

There's already been a thread on this here. This is what happens when a mainstream comic writer who knows nothing about the characters outside of "Carl Barks wrote a few things I liked" and "Ducktales" gets a hold of the characters. This was the equivalent of Disney's Mystery Weaponeer Saga - the ducks done Marvel style. At least, as a kid, I remembered the Gold Odyssey being interesting to read. This one simply does not have that luxury. =\

Best Overall Issue:
WDC&S 690 - http://coa.inducks.org/issue.php?c=us/WDC+690

VARIETY

Worst Overall Issue:
TIE: Donald Duck Adventures #2 or Just about any WDC&S issue from the start of Gemstone

It's funny because when I made this category I instantly knew that this was the issue I'd pick. DDA2 was an embarassment and the sole issue that made me selective about what pocketbook issues I'd spend my money on. There was nothing in that issue of value. A badly drawn alien story that didn't even try to make sense or look halfway decent, Mickey Mouse as the Mad Max Roadwarrior (I HATE STORIES THAT PUT THE CHARACTERS IN ROLES THAT THEY ARE NOT AND HAVE NO RELATION TO THE MAIN CAST OR PLOT. IT IS CHEAP AND TACKY. STOP IT. STOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOPIT.), and Scrooge and the Ducks with badly drawn babyhead syndrome.

YUCK.

As for my other choice. See below.

Biggest Improvement and Biggest Dissapointment Concerning the Books:
Story Selection

At the start of Gemstone's matriculation, story selection from the Egmont side of the pond was extremely poor bordering on abysmal. I don't think this was done on purpose but many stories were the equivalent of reading black strap molasses. It's almost like Gemstone started out their line with the weakest stories possible. There is NO REASON WHATSOEVER that we should not have been getting Gottfredson, Scarpa, Branca, and other new talent from THE START.

None.

Best New Artist:
Lara Molinari, Miguel Pujol & Massimo Fecchi

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I really loved these three artists a *heck* of a lot. :)

Worst New Artist:
Toni Bancells & Spectrum Associates.

>8(

My Favorite story from the Gemstone Era is Mythos Island in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #657-661 because they used a lot of characters from the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Universes. It is the best multipart story in my opinion. My least favorite story is Skeptics and Sorcery in Mickey Mouse and Friends #283 because it showed Magica winning and that was the most disturbing story I have ever read. My favorite Tradepaperback is The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion because it has all the stories that have to do with The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck series. My least favorite tradepaperback is World of the Dragonlords because the storyline seems non traditional for a Disney Comic. I think the best new idea is adding Launchpad McQuack to the mainstream Duck Universe because he is a cool character. I think the worst new idea is limiting the comic books to the Prestige Format issues. They should have at least kept the standard format issues. I think the best new character is Sly K Switcheroo. He is a good antagonist for Scrooge. I think the worst new character is Sam Simian because he seems like a ripoff from Muscles McGurk. I think the best overall issue is Uncle Scrooge #350 because it has a lot of good stories. I think the worst overall issue is Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #666 because it has very few stories and I find the Mickey's Inferno story quite disturbing. I think the best new artist is Noel Van Horn and the worst new artist is Tino Santanach. I think the biggest inprovement was then they started making Tradepaperbacks and the biggest disappointment was when they cancelled most of their regular comic books.
There you have it. That's my list of the best and worst of Gemstone.

I kind of liked Duck Tales in Scrooge's Quest. It was an interesting storyline. It had Scrooge facing has his primary adversaries all in the same story. The only stories that showed them are in Ten Penny Opera (Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck) and A Little Something Special. I mean sure World of The Dragonlords had the characters act the same as they did but the universe they were in was so bizarre.
I don't think of Launchpad as a Gyro ripoff or a ripoff from any other character. He's his own character in a way. Of Course I can't change your mind. You're disagreeable about almost everything that I said.

Quote from user: Roger NorthOf Course I can't change your mind. You're disagreeable about almost everything that I said.
I never expected you to change my mind about anything and you're coming to a conclusion about the point of the topic (and my response to it) that wasn't meant to be. I wasn't being disagreeable at all, Roger. (Trust me, you'd know when I was being disagreeable. :P ) I was only discussing the points you brought up in reference to my own feelings and thoughts - comparing and contrasting. I wasn't trying to give the impression that your own thoughts were bad or wrong by any means. Discussing our likes and dislikes and defending why we agree/disagree on stuff is the whole point of a message board discussion - which is what I'm trying to jump start here. I.E. talking about each others likes and dislikes/ideas and thoughts on a forum of people who share the same interests rather than parrot the others all the time in a "me too" manner.

Nobody's snapping or being disagreeable at anybody for having a different opinion than the other. :P

Anyway -

What about Dragonlords was so bizarre to you? the human side characters? the sword and sorcery aspect or just the setting in general?