When it comes to comic books, I'm not one of those who grew up with Superman or Batman or any of the other superheroes. I didn't get comics week after week, so the serialized stories meant nothing to me. I needed a self-contained story. Therefore, my addiction was fed by the citizens of Duckburg. I read and reread the exploits of Scrooge McDuck and the Beagle Boys and the Junior Woodchucks and all the other citizens of that incredibly complex universe. The comics I had. Like many of you, would be worth a fortune today. However, unlike many of you, I can't blame my mother for throwing them out. Instead, I read them until they were threadbare and I was the one who actually gave them the appropriate Viking funeral. (Okay, not literally, but it is what they deserved.)

I had no idea that IDW was doing these magnificent publications. So, when my sister bought me this book for my 60th birthday, I was amazed.

Herein are the scanned copies of the original art from Don Rosa – blue lines, erasures, paste-overs. This is the work that was used to create the comics. Also included are storyboard scripts that reveal an extra layer to the production of these classics. All of it reproduced in the original 14" by 20" size in which they were created.

But the most important thing for me was that reading these selections threw me right back to when I was that boy reading the pages into oblivion. I was back with some of my Duckburg friends reveling in their adventures.

True, these are not those stories from the 60s – the classics done by Carl Banks. These are the work of Don Rosa who created the original in the 90s, pieced together from fragmentary comments in those original works. But they contain the heart and soul that made Banks' stories so incredible.

The book is a work of art, the stories are cleverly crafted, and the entire package is worth every penny. If you are a fan of Duckburg, this is a must have. If you are just a fan of comics, then this is still a pretty-close-to-must-have. And if you don't really like any of the above, then what the heck is your problem??? ( )