To start off, I would just like to clarify that this is another standalone issue, presumably taking place before the current arc. The cliffhanger from issue five will be continued in the eighth issue. Now, on to the official plot.
In “Howard the Duck Volume Six, Issue Seven!” (No, really, that’s the official title), Howard, his human/Skrull shapeshifter pal Tara, Old Man Rogers, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and She-Hulk all end up in the Savage Land! Right off the bat, this makes me happy. Lately, I’ve been feeling like the Savage Land hasn’t been getting as much focus in the Marvel Universe. Instead, Weirdworld has been the new, well, weird land for Marvel heroes to explore. It just feels odd for Weirdworld to take its place, seeing as the actual comic’s plot revolves around the protagonist being trapped in Weirdworld and unable to escape. It makes seeing heroes traipsing in and out harder to understand.
Unfortunately, the guest stars aren’t enough to make up for a rather flimsy issue. The main conflict is resolved with a rather weak twist and the character interactions just felt disappointing. It is especially irritating because the main arc had a great balance between character interactions and genuinely interesting news. For example, the absolutely heartbreaking second issue of the post-Secret Wars reboot that featured clones of Howard and Rocket Raccoon.
While I do enjoy the wacky humor and satirical nature of Chip Zdarsky’s writing, I miss the genuine character moments. Believe it or not, it is possible to have those with Howard. After all, he’s an outsider in the Marvel Universe, just trying to live a normal life until he can get back to his home dimension. I am just feeling burned out with the breaks from the main storyline.
On the plus side, the issue features some great moments from Tara. She has shape-shifting powers from accidentally eating some food that was tainted with Skrull meat, leading to a lot of funny moments with her desperately wanting to be a hero. If you’re a completionist, I advise that you read this issue. If not, I feel fairly confident in saying that you can skip it until the next trade arrives at the library.
Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.
