I can see a Christmas episode being tough to show any other time of the year: those are entrenched stereotypically as specials, and even the kids (especially the kids, I'd argue) know that, when you're showing a Christmas episode on Arbor Day, it's because something went wrong and you're stuck showing what you have.

Halloween, Valentine's Day, and most of the other holidays are not as burdened by that freight, and you can get away with showing them other times of the year: the holiday just sort of sets the date of the episode (as it arguably does in "Eye of the Beholder") and isn't quite as strange.

Guess what? My comic shop is being excellent with the "Darkwing" crossover and got the second issue in on time. As usual, writing as I read:

[SPOILER]
So right off the first panel we get a somewhat subtle joke: "Lawrence, Maurice, and Kurly." Better abbreviated as Larry, Moe, and...well, Curly, I guess.

Again with the Celebrity Hockey!

And now we get the titles: "The Mirror Quack'd" for the series, and "The Green-Eyed Abyss Gazes, Also..." There were no titles in the first issue, curiously.

I find it interesting that Demona in human form here looks a lot more like a Darkwing character. So far, there's been a pretty clean graphic distinction between the Gargoyles and Darkwing characters, with everyone pretty much looking like they always have. But Dominique here somehow looks, to my eye, anyway, like she's crossing over that line. It's the facial proportions, I think.

The problem of killing a whole day in the story with at least one of its main characters out of play is handled by a bit of very Darkwing funny business, a bit of very gentle torment--one wonders what, exactly, would have driven Demona to copy that particular spell out of the Grimoirum, but never focus on that--and Elisa taking care of something important off-stage.

Now, in a more serious story, I'd complain bitterly about Elisa taking care of an important plot item out of sight. There is a bit of what I've heard called the, "A WIZARD DID IT," line of storytelling to that: something important just happened for the convenience of the plot. This, happily, is not a serious story, and I think it illustrates a reasonable writer's judgment to focus on high jinks here rather than focusing on serious detective work. Enough, for the current purposes, to assume Elisa has enough skill and resources on her side to take care of that chore and let us have fun watching Darkwing Duck and the others do their things.

More fun as Goliath and (native) Demona return to the story. Goliath seems to be taking to his new ally, and this is about as light as I think we've seen him in a while.

Not gonna lie, the "warehouse" looks a lot more like a hangar to me.

Darkwing gets the honor of making the entrance first--a good call, as that seems to be one of his specialties. The reference to being the "pigeon with a vendetta against statuary" is apropos here, sort of. And if Goliath was taking a liking to his unusual ally, Demona's clearly not having any of this, which figures. Happily, Demona is largely Goliath's problem to handle.

The "woof!" business got me laughing out loud.

Demona produces a prop. Not being nearly as steeped in the lore as perhaps I ought to be, I don't know if this is a recurrent one, a reference to something, or if Demona's just managed to pull that out. Regardless, the prop begins to set up the fight between heroes that we've been promised twice now (once in this arc, and once back in the FF crossover). And suddenly the "woof!" business actually has plot relevance. How about that?

Darkwing, it turns out, is not much of a match for Goliath, who's still in a relatively good mood about him. And in comes Elisa, who is just absolutely fierce against Demona. This does feel just a bit proud of her to taunt Demona, but then, it's effective. And so the idol pops out of the story almost as abruptly as it came in.

Demona, having missed on her first attempt, exhibits her lack of patience again by just offering to blow away our heroes. This turns out to be the winning strategy. And despite the sudden (and brief) appearance of the rest of the main clan, Demona vanishes into the mirror, headed for issue 3.

A bit of cleanup and we hear of the conditions that will admit one into the hiding place of the Quackronomicon, and in a fine example of story economy for comic effect, Gosalyn has already got in the hard way. Demona, being Demona, has got in the easy way--I am a little surprised at how happy everyone seems as Morgana tells everyone about why Demona can't possibly get in, since, well, it's Demona--but anyway this sets up for the next issue.
[/SPOILER]

I'm appreciating the tack this story has taken so far. It'd be easy enough to let it fall completely into farce, but it's doing a good job of being a light-handed story--light as a feather, you might say--that balances the characters rather than flattening them. It does also feel a little like a Radio Play that escaped into publication, and in a way I think that reflects the fun the authors are having with it.
morrand - [morrand276 at gmail dot com]
posted @ Sun, Feb 15, 2026 12:50:24 pm EST from 108.69.72.60

Matthew > I know "Eye of the Beholder" did rerun throughout the year, and I think some of the other Disney holiday episodes did too (like the Darkwing Valentine's episode). So they may have become less resistant to it post-TaleSpin, but that anecdote stuck with me.
Craig
posted @ Sun, Feb 15, 2026 10:09:03 am EST from 69.118.30.106

CRAIG - That certainly offers a good explanation for why there was less of a presence of "the year's circle" in "Gargoyles" than in "The Spectacular Spider-Man" or "Young Justice". Thanks for sharing it.
Todd Jensen
posted @ Sun, Feb 15, 2026 8:18:53 am EST from 68.99.93.213

Craig> That line of thinking really amuses me considering other channels would rerun past episodes with no big consideration about whether it lands on the holiday or not or whether they'd rerun in production order or not. Though sometimes when the holiday season came around they'd make special events where they'd air compilations of holiday episodes (usually Christmas) of different shows together.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
posted @ Sun, Feb 15, 2026 1:50:21 am EST from 184.23.35.150

When Gargoyles aired, kids' cartoons were obviously much less serialized, and I think the idea of specifying a time of year was generally avoided so the episodes could air year-round and make kids feel like they're happening "now." I heard a podcast once with Jymn Magon, where he said the TaleSpin Christmas episode was something he had to fight for because Disney really didn't love the idea of holiday episodes. They viewed it as an episode they could only show once a year, which seemed like a bad investment.
Craig
posted @ Sat, Feb 14, 2026 8:25:29 pm EST from 69.118.30.106

MATTHEW - Yes, that does remind me of the fact (that I've brought up here before) that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Young Justice" did more following the year's cycle and its landmarks than "Gargoyles" did (though Thanksgiving did make it into "Gargoyles Quest").

I'd like to see an animated series in the mythic fantasy genre (in this case, set in the modern world like "Gargoyles") that would take the same "journeying through the year" approach that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Young Justice" took. (Maybe one with human leads, who'd be more likely to be participating in those same landmarks than the gargoyle would - apart from Halloween, of course.)
Todd Jensen
posted @ Sat, Feb 14, 2026 7:53:36 pm EST from 68.99.93.213

Thanks. Valentine's Day is interesting in that it's been important in shows like Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice but not in Gargoyles. I
Matthew the Fedora Guy
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
posted @ Sat, Feb 14, 2026 4:47:00 pm EST from 184.23.35.150

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
Todd Jensen
posted @ Sat, Feb 14, 2026 8:41:43 am EST from 68.99.93.213

I have nothing to add, just also confirming that the chat is working.
Though it's a shame I don't have anything more to say on the latest issue at this time.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
posted @ Fri, Feb 13, 2026 1:25:23 pm EST from 184.23.35.150

Testing to see if the room's still working.
Todd Jensen
posted @ Thu, Feb 12, 2026 9:05:37 pm EST from 68.99.93.213

A logical framework transforms scattered data into meaningful insight. The arrangement itself influences interpretation, and seslebank organizes comparable content through structured categorization.
seslebank - [bzbmizje at gmail dot com]
posted @ Thu, Feb 12, 2026 2:54:53 am EST from 118.235.27.100

[SPOILER] Speaking of names, I still really like "Gandersnatch the Great" as the name of the wizard who'd built that vault the Quackronomicon is sealed away in. It evokes "bandersnatch" from the poem "Jabberwocky", very appropriate here because it came from "Through the Looking-Glass", which also featured a strange world beyond a mirror. (Not the first time Greg Weisman's made use of that poem; I recall Adam Strange reciting it in Season two of "Young Justice".) The "Gander" part of his name matches the avian-themed names of "Darkwing Duck" - with the additional bonus that the first syllable is "Gand", which evokes a famous wizard. (That last part might have been just a coincidence, if a fortunate one - but I'm certain about the first two.) [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Wed, Feb 11, 2026 7:38:03 pm EST from 68.99.93.213

[SPOILER] Man, I hope those Three Stooges names aren't canon, but I have a feeling they are. That's so goofy.
[/SPOILER]
Craig
posted @ Wed, Feb 11, 2026 1:46:05 pm EST from 69.118.30.106

A few thoughts on #2.

[SPOILER] We now have names for the other two street thugs - and they also match the Three Stooges. (With the possibility of some small debate over whether they're canon, since it appears in an "apocrypha" story.)

Darkwing stuck "statue-sitting" was a very entertaining moment.

And now we get the jealousy moment for him towards Goliath - if brought about by one of Demona's spells. (I liked the touch of Elisa being aware of Demona's own jealousy towards her.)

When Darkwing referred to Goliath as a glorified "lawn gnome", I wondered whether that was a reference to the "Freakazoid" parody (probably the best-known take-off on "Gargoyles").

And, naturally, Gosslyn, in spite of Darkwing's precautions, gets into the adventure after all - leading to a big show-down with her and Demona at the cliffhanger.

It continues to be a very fun read. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Wed, Feb 11, 2026 7:50:05 am EST from 68.99.93.213

Was waiting for the next issue to drop before commenting...and now it has!

[SPOILER] Yay! The obligatory misunderstanding leading to a fight between two heroes! Or at least a very short one that's easily resolved by holding someone up by the cape.

This was a short one that continues the humorous tone from the first issue. Actually, I'm a little disappointed that there's not as much story to this one. First issue introduces the hook and the characters to each other but this one feels like it's mostly bridging the opener with the new twist in the plot that will kick off the third issue. Not that there's anything wrong with this. Just wanted a little more.

Goliath being the straight man is nothing new, but what was surprising was Demona getting in on some of the comedic tone. Her new spell (I'll leave the proper translation to someone else or wait until I've had a chance to sleep) is basically glorified tickle torture with a name that wouldn't sound out of place in Dr. Strange. "Flogging Feathers of Flagellicus?" Why do I feel that Greg came up with that years ago and was just waiting for the right moment to use it?

Getting back to the obligatory conflict, I do like that it plays on DW's established insecurities and ego. Guy may be a hero but he hates being upstaged and doesn't like anyone hitting on his honey wumpus. And I have to give credit to Frank and Greg, the Green-Eyed Monster sounds like the kind of magical artifact that could exist in each of their respective universes. It looks like it only affects people with some established envy which is why it works so well on Darkwing and Demona. Considering how often Demona loves to use arcane artifacts to amplify her abilities or attack her assailants, it's a nice change when she finds out she's not immune to the very magics she employs. Hoisted by her own "canard" as it were.

But the game's not over and now it looks like we've traded one hostage for another. Though I pity Demona and her attempts to get Gosalyn to do anything cooperative.

A couple of little things: I like the tired tone from Morgana over Darkwing's antics, takes a lot of patience to date the Terror that Flaps in the Night. And DW? Goliath's voiced by Keith David, Morgana's allowed at least one "woof." One small detail I liked was that the comic remembered Archie communicates mostly through grumbling. It's the little touches. Oh, and who wants to guess that Gandersnatch's Riddle is actually something really mundane? [/SPOILER]

That's all for now, can't wait for issue 3!
Matthew the Fedora Guy
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
posted @ Wed, Feb 11, 2026 4:26:28 am EST from 184.23.35.150

Great observation love how you drew the clever parallels between the episodes’ humor and magical elements
pool screen repair - [bcklnkng at gmail dot com]
pool screen repair
posted @ Wed, Feb 11, 2026 12:46:38 am EST from 136.158.24.225

Another thought I just had about #1 of the "Gargoyles"/"Darkwing Duck" crossover. [SPOILER] Naturally, a crossover with "Darkwing Duck" will bring the more comedic elements of "Gargoyles" to the surface to match "Darkwing"'s atmosphere. Probably the most comical episode in "Gargoyles" was "Vendettas", and we saw the parallels there - the pie-gun scene, obviously, and also Darkwing and Launchpad's "Big Apple" discussion (as I pointed out last week, "Vendettas" was the episode of "Gargoyles" that had Hudson puzzling over how New York got that nickname.

But there are some strong echoes of "The Mirror" here, which fits because that episode also had a very comedic atmosphere. Demona again uses a magical mirror (and this mirror is also named after a Shakespearean character) to capture another magic-worker, with Demona even referring to her capture of Puck as she chains Morgana up. (And Matt brought up last week the similarity between Titania's Mirror and Dromio's Mirror.) [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Tue, Feb 10, 2026 7:41:38 am EST from 68.99.93.213

It’s refreshing to see digital security and financial flexibility explained in such a balanced way. I recently organized similar insights and tools on cardhopebank, which could serve as a helpful reference for your audience.
cardhopebank - [dwcrkros at gmail dot com]
cardhopebank
posted @ Tue, Feb 10, 2026 2:05:31 am EST from 118.235.7.36

anyone know what happens when the SRAS shifts to the left????

Also Feasler qualified, everyone give my baby a big kiss
GoliathRocks - [jkaoobkomvmlvvlfs at enotj dot com]
#presidentoffatcamp
posted @ Mon, Feb 9, 2026 12:17:17 pm EST from 205.123.251.62

fourth
Phil
posted @ Mon, Feb 9, 2026 10:49:31 am EST from 50.192.123.171

Third.

And maybe in light of issue number 2 coming up so soon, perhaps I'll hold off commenting on issue 1, other than to mention that my shop did come through with it on schedule (though the clerk seemed a little confused about big ol' me getting a "Darkwing Duck" comic) and that it was as much of a delight as it should have been. Otherwise, I think anything I'd have to say has been said already.
morrand - [morrand276 at gmail dot com]
posted @ Mon, Feb 9, 2026 10:09:36 am EST from 108.69.72.60

Second!

Yeah, if only we had new material every week. Haha
Matt
"My daughter?! How dare you mock me! I have no daughter." - Demona, 1996
posted @ Mon, Feb 9, 2026 8:27:09 am EST from 204.184.178.1

First.

And #2 of the "Gargoyles"/"Darkwing Duck" crossover will be coming out this Wednesday after all, rather than getting delayed as a result of #1's delay, a pleasant surprise.
Todd Jensen
posted @ Mon, Feb 9, 2026 7:37:43 am EST from 68.99.93.213