When was the last time you hobnobbed with your favorite Disney pals? Has it been a while? Well, it’s 2019 and they stand, fresher than ever, and desperate for attention.
I just finished IDW’s Mickey Mouse: Fire Eye Atlantis – Part 1, and my head is still spinning with wild imagination in a way that only Mickey, Goofy, and Donald can set into motion. It collects TWO whole issues of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. I suppose this covers the “arc” of the story, but throwing in a couple more one-offs wouldn’t have hurt this package. Sitting at about 100 pages, I am not sure that it justifies the $10.99 price point, but then again, no one ever claimed Disney was cheap. In fact, Disney products are some of the most overpriced in all the world. They can get away with it, because Disney is basically king of everything.
That being said, this book has a lot of content in it. Is it good? Does it make sense? I am certain that it depends of who you are, but my advice to you is, “Roll with it.” Roll with all of it. Roll it with it long, and roll with it proudly. We are going to Atlantis, and we might see a UFO along the way. It’s just that kind of Mickey adventure.
Obviously, the art is where this kind of book stands out if you are over the age of six. Adults (like me) love having sprawling images of Mickey Mouse lying around their apartment for their guest’s enjoyment and nostalgic energy. I wish I could share more of the art with you, but, unfortunately, my review copy was riddled with water-marks. I managed to grab just one beautiful piece of Disney magic, and here it is:
Mau Heymans does the art on the book, and he is more than capable of delivering some excellent mouse ears. Goofy’s nose has never looked shinier. I do not know who did the coloring on the book, but it looks a bit old. I think the collection could have used an HD touch-up in parts. That being said, you can give me a Donald in black and white for all I care. It’s freaking Donald!
I would say that I recommend this for any Disney fanatic who is not constrained by the limitations of financial burden. This is not for the comic book reader on a budget. I would recommend that you flip through this for the charm and art direction. This is not for the comic book reader who requires a grounded plot with a moving story. Though it has heart, it lacks the able body for which it can contain that heart. This is not even a critique. Some things need to be this thing.
Creative Team: Kristen De Graaf (writer), Andrea “Casty” Castellan (writer), Mau Hermans (art)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Click here to purchase.
