Howard the Duck 1: Duck Hunt

Comic Info

Howard the Duck #2 Variant

Reprints Howard the Duck (2) #1-6 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2) #6 (January 2016-June 2016).  Howard finds himself headed back to space when he is merged with the Nexus of Realities and teams with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Silver Surfer in a quest to free the prisoners of the Collector’s museum.  Plus, Howard and Squirrel Girl find themselves in the middle of a hunt where they are the prey!

Written by Chip Zdarsky (with Ryan North writing parts of the Squirrel Girl crossover), Howard the Duck Volume 1:  Duck Hunt is a Marvel Comics superhero collection.  Following Howard the Duck Volume 0:  What the Duck, the collection features art by Joe Quinones, Veronica Fish, and Erica Henderson.  The Squirrel Girl crossover was also included in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 3:  Squirrel, You Really Got Me Now and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl—Volume 2.  Not included in the collection are Gwenpool back-up stories from Howard the Duck (2) #1-3.

I love Howard the Duck and once wrote a college paper on the character.  Howard the Duck is extremely tricky to write.  When Howard the Duck (Volume 2) was cancelled I was bummed because that generally means a change in writers and artists.  Fortunately, Howard the Duck (Volume 3) launched soon after with the same team…and Zdarsky gets Howard.

Howard the Duck #4 Variant

The best Howard the Duck not only gets inane but it generally does it within the Marvel Universe which is always funny.  In this volume, you have Howard gaining the powers of the Silver Surfer, fighting cosmic entities, and teaming up with some of the big names in the Marvel Universe…and he’s just a humanoid duck whose life has gone to hell.

The book also smartly teams Howard the Duck with Squirrel Girl.  Like Howard, Squirrel Girl deals in the absurd.  She often feels like a direct descendant of something like the original comic of Howard the Duck and instead of being a crossover that doesn’t fit either of the characters, the two comics blend perfectly.

Each issue of Howard the Duck is great, but it is also bittersweet.  With a smart, quirky comic, you know that Howard the Duck isn’t long for this world.  Comics like Howard the Duck generally can’t survive in the big comic market and they are often niche titles.  I wish I could read Howard the Duck and know that month after month a new issue would exist.  Comic books are a ruthless business, and Howard is trapped in a world he never made.  Howard the Duck 1:  Duck Hunt is followed by Howard the Duck 2:  Good Night, and Good Duck.

Related Links:

Howard the Duck 0:  What the Duck

Howard the Duck 2:  Good Night, and Good Duck

Howard the Duck (1986)