Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #663

December 2, 2005

Quick Rating: Great
Title: The Magnificent Seven (Minus Four) Caballeros and other stories

The Three Caballeros ride again!

Writers: Don Rosa; Jen Hansegard; David Gerstein; Marco Rota; Daan Jippes; Sarah Kinney & William Van Horn
Art: Don Rosa; Cesar Ferioli; Maro Rota; Wilbert Plijnaar; Francisco Rodriguez Peinado; Don Gunn; William Van Horn
Colors: Egmont; Scott Rockwell; Kneon Transitt; Marie Javins; Barry Grossman; Susan Daigle-Leach
Letters: Willie Schubert; Marshall Dillon; Jon Babcock; Susie Lee
Editor: Arnold T. Blumberg
Cover Art: Don Rosa
Publisher: Gemstone Comics

Like its companion title, Uncle Scrooge, this month’s issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories has a healthy dose of Christmas stories that would make it a really suitable treat for the little ones on Christmas morning. Be warned, though – if you get them this one, you’re pretty much honor-bound to get the next two issues to finish Don Rosa’s newest masterwork, “The Magnificent Seven (Minus Four) Caballeros”!

This issue sports part one of that story, in which the pressures of working for Uncle Scrooge and getting dumped upon by his own girlfriend have started to crush Donald Duck’s spirit. Hoping to rescue their uncle, Huey, Dewey and Louie set up a courier job to send him south of the border, where they arrange a meeting with his two old friends Panchito Pistoles and Jose Carioca, those adventuresome poultry that make up the Three Caballeros! With all three of them feeling in a rut, they decide to set off on a good old-fashioned treasure hunt.

This story is mostly set-up, as it takes quite a while to get Donald to Brazil and bring the old friends together again, but Rosa doesn’t skimp. He’s got all of the heart and emotion, not to mention beautiful artwork, that makes him one of the best Disney cartoonists ever. I laughed out loud more than once while reading this story, and I can’t wait for next month and part two.

Next up is Mickey Mouse in “The Spirit of Christmas” by Hansegard and Ferioli. Mickey’s old adversary Black Pete has swiped Doc Static’s newest invention, a “dream beamer,” and on Christmas Eve no less. That night, though, a visit from some familiar spirits begins to work a change on the old villain. Well c’mon, guys, what’s December without a few parodies of “A Christmas Carol?”

Gerstein and Rota give us “Mightier Than the Sword,” an epic tale of the duck’s ancestor Arnold Wild Duck the famous Viking warrior. Plotting against his enemies, Arnold tricks them into wasting their energy on an art contest rather than warfare. When his foe ups the ante, however, chaos ensues. It’s an okay story, but not quite as enjoyable as those of our regular cast.

Jippes and Plijnaar give us the Big Bad Wolf in “On the Wrong Track.” When Lil’ Bad Wolf explains to his father the concept of following tracks through the snow, the wolf sees a new chance to hunt down the Three Little Pigs. It’s a short story with predictable results, but it’s fun.

Kinney and Peinado’s “Miracle on Main Street” is the best Christmas offering in this collection. When a little girl sees Goofy taking off his Santa Claus suit at the mall, she announces to all the children in line that there is no Santa. Desperate not just to save Goofy’s job, but the children’s faith, Mickey and Goofy put into works a wild scheme to prove there’s a Santa. This is a fun little story that places the characters in their classic context and has fun with the conventions of a Disney story, still managing to tell a satisfying Christmas tale in the process.

“Log Rollers” is a writer-uncredited short from Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #89, with art by Don Gunn. A freezing Donald heads out to shop some firewood, unaware that he’s nabbed a tree inhabited by Chip and Dale. As usual, the chipmunks lay the whammy on the duck. William Van Horn closes the issue with “The Ghost of Kamikaze Ridge.” Tired of the normal winter traditions of Duckburg, Donald takes his nephews out to a snow-covered mountain, only to run across a crazy old coot trying to find some traditions of his own.

This is a pretty strong issue, with an outstanding opening story and several really strong back-ups. Gemstone continues to impress.

Rating: 9/10