FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: MARVEL’S damage CONTROL: THE total COLLECTION

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Robert Greenberger

by Robert Greenberger

Considering the mess heroes as well as villains have made from Manhattan in the marvel Universe, it is unexpected nobody conceived of the clean-up team up until the late 1980s. After all, when Stan Lee began envisioning a shared universe, it would make sense that the installing collateral damage would requirement dealing with. Thankfully, when the concept lastly took hold, it ended up being an exceptional contribution to the line-up.

Damage Control: The total Collection

Damage manage was the very first job pitched by assistant editor Dwayne McDuffie, who saw the concept of a circumstance comedy in print. At the time, humor was seldom discovered in Marvel’s line although DC was enjoying superlative evaluations with their sitcom-esque Justice league so this added some needed range to the marvel lineup.

At his website, the late, lamented McDuffie wrote, “Damage manage was my very first expert comic book sale, dreamed up when I was working on an concept for a ‘Time Police’ series. I envisioned a clean-up team who would go in after my heroes completed fiddling around with the past, choosing up abandoned pocket combs, chewing gum wrappers, laser guns as well as other stuff that hadn’t been created yet. then I kept in mind the ‘Batmobile drag chute Pick-Up Service’ from the Batman TV series. two men in a van who obviously did nothing however wait on Batman to decrease a drag chute, so they might go pick it up (and one supposed, launder, fold as well as tons it back into the Batmobile). It was a short leap from there to believing about the marvel world as well as the collateral damage that all those very battles caused.”

Damage manage #1 (1989B)

In his October 9, 1987 pitch, he explained the series as “intended to be an ensemble cast circumstance comedy along the lines of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barney Miller, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers, as well as the like however set firmly in the marvel Universe. As in those shows, damage manage will focus on the lives of a group of people who have an fascinating and/or unusual job, as well as on the strange people that their task brings them in get in touch with with. Its the nature of the ‘unusual job’ that serves to link damage manage with the marvel Universe.”

The series idea was authorized as well as was introduced through a short in marvel Age annual #4 in 1988 before getting not one however two miniseries in 1989. Now, marvel is assembling damage Control: The total Collection in a 376-page volume that will certainly make outstanding re-reading.

Working together with the neophyte writer was professional artist Ernie Colon who understood much more than a bit about both heroes as well as humor. They created the very first two miniseries together however Kyle Baker stepped in to pencil the very first problem of the third miniseries although McDuffie noted Baker “was so good, Ernie promptly came back to surface the series”.

Damage manage #1 (1991)

In an fascinating twist, the business was at first cofinanced by Tony Stark as well as Wilson Fisk, each uneasy working with the other however they stayed in the background. Over time though, Ann-Marie Hoag, the creator as well as director of the company, wriggled out from both men’s influence by convincing Nick Fury to lend her the money to purchase controlling rate of interest in the firm’s stock. In a later monetary storyline, Walter Declun tried to purchase the firm as well as subsequently provided MGH to Nitro, which ignited the whole Civil war storyline. McDuffie carefully seeded a range of characters to work for the firm such as charming web traffic manager Robin chapel as well as comptroller Albert Cleary whose fit is never wrinkled even when handing expenses for services rendered to super-villains.

Then there was Edifice Rex, the former worker Rex Randolph, who gained cosmic power from an artifact he discovered during a cleanup. Being anal-retentive, his concept of cleaning up implied destroying as well as recreating the world from scratch.

Hercules was consigned to performing neighborhood service with the team as well as Speedball really interned there as Robbie Baldwin. Their base of operations was set in the renowned Flatiron building in lower Manhattan.

World war Hulk: Aftersmash: damage Control

After their trio of miniseries, the team appeared throughout the marvel line however didn’t get their own title once again up until world war Hulk: Aftersmash: damage manage which saw McDuffie cowrite with Greg Pak with art from Salva Espin as well as Rafa Sandoval. As one may envision there was a bigger than typical amount of work to be done, needing the business to work with Iron guy as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s likewise the one-off story from marvel Comics provides #19 from McDuffie, Colon, as well as Al Williamson as John doorperson tries to offer insurance coverage to the bar where Daredevil has a tendency to break things while searching for information.

The idea was one a long time in coming however so incredibly handled that it was promptly embraced by fans as well as fellow creators alike. It assisted turn McDuffie into one of the most distinct as well as fascinating writers of the last twenty years as well as reminds us exactly how much his voice is missed.

The series was interesting sufficient that before the marvel Cinematic world gelled, village Roadshow snapped up the rights to the concept. It would make sense to see them turn up on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or in one of the films.

Purchase

Damage Control: The total Collection

Classic covers from the Grand Comics Database.