Just What I Needed
Marvel and DC need more comics like this. Did I really expect anything less from the man who brought us Milestone? The late, great Dwayne McDuffie? Sure its something in the world of Marvel heroes, but it has that same spark of uniqueness in the genre that he brought to Milestone. World War Hulk has just happened. How many times can New York City get destroyed? How do they fix it all the damn time? Apparently they call Damage Control.
Damage Control is an organization with heads who can move seamlessly though the Marvel Universe. Lenny stood up to Tony Stark at a budget meeting, and I saw heroes like Daredevil risking arrest to help out in costume. This is a comic that takes us through the bureaucratic process of rebuilding a city after a superhero smashdown. Does that sound boring? WELL IT ISN'T! There wasn't a single moment in this issue that felt slow or dull. Casual wit was injected into every page, keeping the dialogue fresh and interesting, in addition to realistic. These characters aren't a colorful cavalcade of craziness, they're just damn entertaining real people. They have daily drama and daily comedy. Everyone's likable in some way, and personalities overlap a bit in such a way that makes them feel more human rather than lazy copy pasted dialogue. Even the white Amanda Waller type character has a spark of charm that sets her aside from being a cheap copy.
Not a single punch is thrown in this story, but there's never a lull. There IS the implication of action in the next issue, which works to keep things fresh. The artwork is nothing to gush about, but it gets the job done VERY well. THe facial expressions are incredible, and they synch with the dialogue so well you'd swear it was converted from film of a genuine event.
In Conclusion: 5/5
The series title was perfect for the moment, and the issue title is perfect for the story. Sure its something that could be somber, but it isn't and it works. It's just so damn fun to read. It doesn't overdo any aspect of itself, it is simply something that set out to be enjoyed, pure and simple. It gets that job done with 101% efficiency. And it did the Damage Control for my foul mood after my first two new comics today. Dwayne McDuffie created some of the best series in Superhero comics, and I miss him all the more after this.