Austin J. Jenkins

Mickey Mouse; Mickey Vs. The Master of The World (1985)

Synopsis: A special stone grants The Phantom Blot the power to become enormous, and it’s up to Mickey and Goofy to reduce his newly gained power.

Mickey contre le maître du monde (F JM 85136) | I.N.D.U.C.K.S.

“Mickey contre le maître du monde” isn’t the best story to read if you have Arachnophobia (as one of the main plot points in the comic centers around a giant spider), but it is a great story to read that kinda gives off halloween vibes but also can be viewed as just a regular Mickey story. It ALSO comes to us from France, and it’s here that we get another unique panel layout than most of the usual Disney comics. Comics that were originally made in France are formatted in a way that still has 4 rows of panels, but unlike others where each row would have 2 panels, France decided to bulk it up alittle and make it 3 panels per row, thus increasing the normal number of panels a page from 8 to 12. This can often make the story either very complex or very crammed, depending on who the artist is. Thankfully, this story’s the former.

So, this is one of hundreds of Mickey stories that puts him and his main…friend...ish?, Goofy, in a mystery that usually climaxes or ends with Mickey solving the puzzle out. This series of kinda detectives Mickey and Goofy comics originally started when our villain of today’s story first appeared; 1939's “Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot”. An epic action-packed mystery that Floyd Gottfredson helped paved the way for… slightly less epic action-packed mysteries. So that’s why you have Mickey and Goofy alongside the local police tracking down criminals across their city, Mouseton (yes, both he and Donald live in different towns in the comics, and Yes, Mouseton is a more stupid name for a city than Duckburg).

As for this particular story, it’s alright. I do like how Goofy ISN’T causing nothing but problems for Mickey on their adventure for once (spoilers; that’s gonna be an ongoing thing in these stories). The layouts are solid all throughout and having more than one action scene in this is very cool to see considering it being a 10-pager. Although, I will say, you’d think at this point they would have locked the Blot up in a more protected prison or something, if he keeps escaping to perform his multiple acts of crime.

"Goofy, I know there's this big ass Spider web in the middle of nowhere, but I think you were just dreaming about the big ass spider in question." Then again, the police ACTUALLY trying to investigate is more unbelieve then the spider who belongs in Australia.

Blot, I don't know how you STILL can't figure out how Mickey defeats you if a cage made of slightly thicker popsicle sticks is the toughest container you can put the fancy-dressed mouse in.