Mickey Mouse and the Submarine Pirates (1947)

Mickey Mouse and the Submarine Pirates Review

Mickey Mouse and the Submarine Pirates is a Disney comic that was published in 1947 under the Four Color Comics label (#141). It’s a pretty solid issue.

The titular story is pretty good albeit not great. Pete is a terrific villain in this storyline and the pirate theme was very well utilized. The story benefits from gorgeous illustrations, a wonderful adventurous tone to it and solid characterization. Everybody was well utilized. My issue here is that the overall plot was not as intricate as it could have been and it was all a bit too simple. Pluto Never Fails is the second story in this comic and it’s the weakest of the three. It’s an inconsequential and forgettable Pluto story that is short and disposable.

But the best of the three stories is clearly Mickey Mouse’s Magic Machine. I loved this one. Mickey tries to teach his nephews history by tricking them with the device that supposedly shows photos from the past, but that exactly happens in an unexpected twist and then the villains are after the device. The final section with the villains was a bit rushed, but otherwise the story is surprisingly imaginative and original, benefitting from superb illustrations, solidly developed kid characters and Mickey being memorable in his most fatherly role yet.

Mickey Mouse and the Submarine Pirates has a weak second story, a solid first one and a fantastic third story that closed the comic off with style.

My Rating – 3.8