Lost in the Andes is the first release in Fantagraphic Books’ The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library, which will eventually consist of about 30 250-page volumes, published at the friendly pace of two a year. Unlike the Gottfredson Mickey Mouse, the volumes are not released in chronological order. Lost in the Andes was chosen as first release because of its reputation as one of the best Barks stories, and the other stories are from the same period (1948-49).

Lost in the Andes has been widely analyzed and is a truly great story. Ideas like making communication plausible due to previous contact with an American, the role of bubble gum, and the typical Barks ending fit together perfectly to yield one of the best adventure stories that has ever been told in 32 pages.

This volume contains four long stories, nine ten-pagers, seven single-pagers, and some additional material, including a short analysis of each story. The bonus material is not as exhaustive as with the Gottfredson books. While the 10-pagers are often considered to be Barks’s best work (and I agree when it comes to being funny), the possibilities of 32 pages lead to even better stories in my opinion, and I’m especially looking forward to collecting this series in order to get a complete archive of the long stories.

Like I wrote with the Gottfredson books, the production is top-notch and the price very fair. Highly recommended and a must-have for any comic enthusiast!