Howard the Duck Tpb

by Steve Gerber

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785109315
• ISBN13: 9780785109310
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.7" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Scathingly brilliant

Years after the funniest character to come out of Marvel comics disappeared off the face of the Earth after the ungodly George Lucas produced film tanked, original creator Steve Gerber brings back Howard the Duck under Marvel's mature readers MAX line. Giving Gerber complete freedom to do what he wants, this relaunch of Howard the Duck finds our cigar chomping hero and his human girlfriend Beverly down and out and living near a junkyard. Things change however after Beverly lands a high paying job, only to learn that it's run by her ex-husband and Howard's arch nemesis Dr. Bong, and a devious plot is uncovered. Loaded with scathing satire, Gerber spares no expense at poking fun at boy bands, modern politics, Oprah and Dr. Phil, and religion; while even going a step further in spoofing other comic characters. After doing a wonderful spoof of Witchblade, Gerber orchestrates Howard and Beverly checking into the Boarding House of Mystery where he deliriously pokes fun at Vertigo comics like Preacher, Hellblazer, Transmetropolitan, and Sandman. Look around and you'll even find John Constantine, Spider Jerusalem, and Morpheus and his family; which frankly is surprising that Marvel agreed to go along with Gerber's ideas. There's art by Phil Winslade and a guest spot by Preacher cover artist Glen Fabry to boot, which makes an already great package even sweeter. All in all, Gerber's MAX look at Howard the Duck is one of the best things to carry the MAX banner, and this is a real treat for older readers who have fond memories of Gerber's old comics, and maybe, just maybe, we can all put those old bad memories of that movie to rest.

Waaaugh of art

Who'd have thought it. Decades after the darkest and funniest mainstream comics-book character was banished to the outer limits by that film, he's back and hasn't lost any of that world-weary invective and sarcasm we love. Gerber's got a lot to say about the state of the consumerist world we live in and there's plenty of targets to have fun with. The artwork is excellent, especially Fabry's contribution. I'd give it 5 stars but it's too damn short.

Witty? You Don't Need to Look VeryFar!!!

Howard the Duck to me was a movie. A very bad, dumb, never should have been made movie. Howard the Duck in real life is a comic book produced by Marvel Comics that first appeared in the 1970s. A comic so successful, it burn out into cancellation. And it took people some 30 years to bring back the foul mouthed mallard back into the foray in he MAX line of adult comics produced these days by Marvel.Gerber, the creator of Howard, is an angry, very frustrated writer who wants to bash anyone in his way. And he does get his chance to in this comic. Who's in his way, you might ask? Well everyone and his mother. Gerber smashes boy bands, Donald the Duck, The Witchbalde, Garth Ennis's and Steve Dillon's Preacher and even religion itself to name but a few. What you get is a myriad adventure to adventure starring Howard the Duck and his human girlfriend, Beverly.Phile Winslade is an artist of the worst comic joining Daredevil and Spider-Man. His art was bad there, but where he fails there, he makes up for here. His art is atounding and Howard never looked better and cooler. He manages to make his art very realistic and simple. No big muscled, perfect anatomy super heroes, but he does get to draw naked women. His art works well with the realistic, yet out of the world plot and script by Gerber. Both bring out a story that is as excellent as it is outrageous.In all, it's a wonderful book to have if you didn't have the individual comic of the miniseries. The MAX lise is great and I wonder who gets to be showcased next. I just hope Howard comes back for an encore.

As good or better than Shakespeare -- I'm serious!!

Yes, I agree the movie was awful. It sucked rocks! But the original comic book was The Greatest Work Of Literature In The Latter Half Of The 20th Century, and helped to make me the man I am today. Steve Gerber's writing is better than ever in this new book, which is a compilation of a series that was released under the Marvel MAX line earlier this year. MAX is a special line of comics Marvel publishes especially for adults, featuring naked female breasts, curse words, and (especially in the case of HTD) captiousness, cynicism, political incorrectness, and a general lack of respect for everything society holds dear. We need more books like this. Marvel -- how about another Gerber-authored HTD series? Heck -- just sell him the gosh-darned character already! It's not worth anything without him!!!

Comics don't get better than this.

Howard the Duck was written by Steve Gerber at the height of his powers. And Steve Gerber, for my money, stands on the pinnacle of comic creators (and this is coming from someone who has read thousands of comics over the last thirty years). If I had to list one feature of Gerber's writing that stands out above all others, it would be characterisation. This may be a comic book about a talking duck and his girlfriend, but these two are more vivid and realised than nearly all the characters you'll find in comics, film or TV. However, characterisation is just for starters - Gerber puts more care and intelligence into his comics than you'll find arguably anywhere. Howard the Duck is no exception, and in addition to all of the above, you'll find a weird, penetrating and possibly disturbing take on the decadence of modern society, pop psychology, religion and a lot of other issues not usually addressed in the comics. Phil Winslade and Glenn Fabry's art is also gorgeous. Very, very highly recommended for anyone who still likes comic books, but wishes they were more intelligent. The Essential Howard the Duck and Nevada are likewise very highly recommended.