Review: Uncle Scrooge #384

You can go back again

As a young tyke running around the vast expanse of the family farm, I had was limited to the types of comic books I was allowed to read. When I got older and was allowed to drive it became anything goes, but when you’re a kid and your parents are buying you comics to read, you can’t go wrong with Uncle Scrooge. Twenty-seven years later, Uncle Scrooge is once readily available to children of all ages thanks to Boom! Studios, and it proves you can relieve your childhood.

Uncle Scrooge #384
Written by Erik Hedman
Drawn by Wanda Gattino
COVER A: Tino Santanach
COVER B: Daniel Branca
Diamond Code: AUG090755

Of all the Disney comics I read as a kid, Uncle Scrooge was the one that always fascinated me. For one, Scrooge is insanely rich, so rich that it’s a mere drop in the bucket for the world’s richest duck when he decides to buy a castle in Germany. For another, he, his nephew Donald, and great nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie were always having wild adventures akin the great movie serials of yesteryear. It was a slam dunk all those years ago, and it’s a slam dunk once again, as the duck crew head to Germany in search of a missing treasure.

The one catch, that always seemed rather forced was how the writers were able to get the villain of the month into the issue. Generally, it featured some OCD compulsion of Scrooge, and once readers figured out what Scrooge item matched up with which villain, it was pretty easy to figure out where the story line was going to go. This issue features Scrooge’s number one dime, which means one thing – Magica De Spell can’t be far behind.

For someone who loves all the tropes of the haunted castle with a secret treasure story, Uncle Scrooge #384 delivers as not only is there a spirit haunting the corridors, there are also hidden trap doors and secret passages that give Donald and Scrooge a chance to work out their comedic skills.

The art harkens back to the Carl Barks style, and Wanda Gattino deserves kudos in keeping with that style. I much prefer Donald and his nephews wearing the classic black outfit with color highlights than the Duck Tales red, green, and blue sweaters that helped viewers differentiate between the wee ducks.

With a mystery to solve, action to show, and a treasure to find all in a single issue, there’s not a lot of time for intricate story development, so things do seem a tad rushed, with a great deal foreshadowing and hint dropping going on in nearly every panel. It comes off as cheesy fun for the 35 year old, but for the 7 year old, these story drops may not be as easily recognized, which only adds to the fun for the younger set.

The one thing I’ve never considered in any of the Scrooge adventures was how much actual economic and financial action takes place in the story. Instead of just buying the castle for the hidden treasure, Scrooge actually makes a point to say he’s planning on turning the entire place into a luxury hotel. That’s a good message to send to kids; don’t waste money to make money, make an investment that will pay off in the future.

This issue really took me back to my childhood, and I believe others who grew up on the Disney comics will also enjoy this issue. In addition to the main story, there is also a back up tale featuring Gyro Gearloose that will conclude in the next issue, but the main story and the wonderful art of the main story, are more than enough to earn Uncle Scrooge #384 a 4 out of 5 Stars.

Boom! Studios provided a complimentary electronic copy of this issue for review.