The Terror that Flaps in the Night is returning along with some other Disney Afternoon characters in a compilation of Disney comics from the 1980s and 1990s coming this summer. This collection will bring back beloved characters in classic and recognizable adventures.
The Disney Afternoon was a programming block on television from 1990 to 1999. This TV block included shows for characters that have become fan favorites, many of which are still being actively used in various projects. Some of the shows included were Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, Goof Troop, TaleSpin, and Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers. Classic characters like Baloo in TaleSpin, Uncle Scrooge in DuckTales, Goofy, and Chip and Dale were all popular characters before being included in these shows. The shows introduced new adventures and new settings for each, giving the characters expanded lives outside of their original shorts and films. DuckTales was rebooted in 2017 and is about to have its series finale after four seasons. A reboot for Darkwing Duck, who made a cameo in the DuckTales reboot, is said to be in the works for Disney+.
This June, Fantagraphics is publishing Darkwing Duck: Just Us Justice Ducks: Disney Afternoon Adventures Vol. 1. This volume is said to contain comics from the 1980s and 1990s that were based on shows in the Disney Afternoon television block. These comics were originally published in Disney Adventures, and other magazines related to it. Disney Adventures was a magazine that released monthly containing interviews, movie news, and comics. The magazine was published from 1990 until 2007. Some of the comics being republished in this volume include "Just Us Justice Ducks," a comic adaptation of A Goofy Movie, and The Legend of the Chaos God.
"Just Us Justice Ducks" was the title of a two-part story in Season 1 of Darkwing Duck. In these episodes, Darkwing Duck is faced with one of his most difficult challenges. Similar to the Legion of Doom in DC or the Sinister Six in Marvel, Darkwing Duck's worst villains team up to form a group known as the Fearsome Five to take over the city of St. Canard. This team includes NegaDuck, Liquidator, Quackerjack, Megavolt, and Bushroot. In response, Darkwing Duck reluctantly gets together a Justice League or Avengers group of his own. His team is made up of himself, the sorceress Morgana, Stegmutt, Gizmoduck, and Neptunia. Darkwing Duck has appeared in a few comic series over the years and continues to garner attention as the show is re-released or referenced in newer Disney projects. A Goofy Movie was released in 1995 and has since gained a cult following, with anniversary celebrations being held at D23 events.
The Legend of the Chaos God was a five-part comic published in 1994. It was a cross-over of sorts between some of the most popular Disney Afternoon shows. Each part involved a different show's characters as they deal with Solego, the Chaos god. The first part focuses on TaleSpin characters, the second on Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, the third on Goof Troop, the fourth on DuckTales, and the final on Darkwing Duck. At the time, this was the most ambitious, and the only, crossover of all of these shows. Long before the rebooted DuckTales show started to crossover Disney Afternoon characters, part four of this comic has Scrooge McDuck personally request Darkwing Duck's assistance via the secret government organization, S.H.U.S.H. Never before had these characters acknowledged the existence of any of the others. Now, after twenty-seven years, this story, along with the previously mentioned comics, will once more be available for Disney fans to experience. Readers can revisit their Disney Afternoon favorites June 22, 2021.