Gene Colan pencils this issue and does a good job of it. He’s not a definitive Howard illustrator except he does manage to draw everything besides the duck perfectly. And his duck is really good, it just doesn’t have as much personality as it could.

The story this issue has Howard and Beverly happening across their groovy, narcoleptic artist neighbor who fights crime while he’s sleep-walking. Again, Gerber figures out a way to look at some comic book superhero stuff without having to leave the issue. As for the Cleveland locations, Gerber and Colan don’t concentrate on it. It could be any city. Bigger or smaller.

There’s eventually a lot of action with a variety of forms for the antagonist. Gerber just happens across these amazing situations for Howard. His being a duck is still immaterial to it, one forgets he’s not just a human in a duck suit.

CREDITS

The Sleep… of the Just!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Gene Colan; inker, Steve Leialoha; colorist, Michele Wolfman; letterer, Annette Kawecki; editor, Marv Wolfman; publisher, Marvel Comics.