Sunday, March 31, 2013

Darkwing Duck, Season the Second One, Episode Thirteen: "The Merchant of Menace"


Ever wonder what Herb Muddlefoot does for a living?  It's an obvious question.  Turns out he sells "Quackerware" (ie, Tupperware) door-to-door.  And not only that, but he's the best salesman ever, with all kinds of trophies and people willing to buy all his stuff just because they're starstruck by his awesomeness.  I really like the idea that this doofus should turn out to be really good at something--though I'd also like to note that I was contemplating what the DW version of Death of a Salesman would look like well before it transpired that the villain's name was "Weasel Loman."  Hell, Herb and Binkie have two sons, so most of the cast is in place.  Hey!  I think I just came up with the perfect story arc for the next Darkwing Duck comic!

Anyway, what happens is that SHUSH has determined that a jewel thief who's just hit St. Canard is actually--dramatic music--HERB HIMSELF!  OMG!  Drake doesn't believe it, so when Grizzlikoff is put on the case, he goes with Herb on his rounds to protect him--and turns out, naturally, to be a monumentally shitty salesman.  

This takes up the first two acts, which I quite liked; I was a bit less enamored of the third bit, where, having been unmasked, it's necessary to do a fairly standard villain stand-off with Weasel (who, in an Herb disguise, was stealing stuff by secretly selling people robotic Quackerware that takes the loot and brings it back to him).  Also, if the episode's going to feature Grizzlikoff, it really should've made the villain look less ursine; I didn't know he was meant to be a weasel until his name was mentioned.  I had assumed there would be mistaken-identity hijink here to go along with the ones surrounding Herb, but nope.  Still, we do get to see Herb in his "One-Man-Quackerware-Defense Squad" outfit, which is kinda great.  

Generally, this was good; I like the fact that we get to see more of Herb's character.  The idea that he's unaware of Drake's secret identity becomes less and less plausible by the minute, however.

1 comment:

  1. Well, well, well.. Looks who's finally back reviewing cartoons :)

    Good for you GeoX... Good for you...

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