Review by Frank Plowright

Carl Barks considered he couldn’t always resort to the Beagle Boys as thieves, so introduced Magica De Spell as a new threat wanting to steal from Scrooge McDuck as seen in Uncle Scrooge Adventures 35. In ‘The Unsafe Safe’ both appear. Scrooge is able to treat himself to an actual holiday as he no longer has to worry about a robbery at his money bin because he’s covered it with the same indestructible glass used for his new spectacles. There’s a glorious scene of him taking a call from the Duckburg police about the Beagle Boys attempting to break into the money bin, and for once not being in the slightest concerned, advising that they be permitted to wear themselves out. However, as the title indicates, there’s something he’s overlooked.

As the sample art shows, Barks has fun amusing himself with Magica’s equally futile attempts to breach the money bin, and he enjoys himself even more with the Tanganyika Yeeker, a bird with an usually shrill cry. From that point readers will figure out the flaw in Scrooge’s plan, and gleefully follow the slapstick panic of Scrooge attempting to ensure no Yeeker ever comes near his money bin. What’s on course to be a really good story suffers from a weak and convenient method of foiling Magica, and an overplayed joke that’s been foreshadowed, but 90% of ‘The Unsafe Safe’ is a joy.

Back-up strip ‘Much Luck McDuck’ has Scrooge wanting to sell the land Huey, Dewey and Louie play on to an investor wanting to build a retirement home for old grouches. The basic incompatibility thus set, it becomes a series of escalating gags as Scrooge attempts to sell the land to a buyer while Donald and the kids covertly attempt to sabotage him. It’s not as refined as Barks’ better variations on the theme, but well drawn, and funny.

A one page gag rounds off a very readable selection. As this collection is very difficult to come by these days, the stories can also be found in the Fantagraphics haredcover Cave of Ali Baba.