The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, Vol. 1

This carefully crafted odyssey following the early years of Disney's wealthiest duck rewards the sharp-eyed reader. Each chapter tells a different tale of the years before Scrooge amassed his great fortune, beginning with his youth as the last of a once great Scottish clan, now left destitute in Glasgow and clinging to the ruins of their ancestral castle. Scrooge soon leaves to seek his fortune elsewhere: on the Mississippi River, across the cattle fields of the Wild West, and in the mines of Montana and South Africa. Rosa's thorough research is astounding. While devotedly following the works of previous Scrooge writer Carl Barks, each tale is drawn from hints of Scrooge's past left by Barks. Rosa also takes great care in paying attention to the actual historical events of each era, often discovering a minor event or fact that becomes a key part of Scrooge's story. Rosa's dense art makes startlingly efficient use of every page, telling complex stories that both work on their own and build into a larger story. Each adventure is followed by Rosa's notes detailing the inspirations and homages. Rosa's effort is as ambitious as Scrooge's and the results of his hard work just as impressive. (Feb.)