It’s the perfect time for Damage Control to get a new series. The comic was originally launched back in 1988, but the company has resurfaced in the MCU in the latest Spider-Man movie and in Ms. Marvel. Funny enough, the series was traditionally a bit comedic as it showed the messy side of superheroes and villains. That makes The Goldbergs creator Adam F. Goldberg a perfect fit as co-writer along with Hans Rodionoff.
Damage Control #1 is a fun first tissue. This series is going for a silly take on superheroes with characters like Moon Knight being slightly lampooned as he gets a coffee, or Ghost Rider showing his temper via his ability to increase the flames of his head. The issue opens with an intern interviewing for a new position. The everyman character allows us to see inside Damage Control for what it is, and it’s chaotic.
Goldberg and Rodionoff are doing some interesting things with Damage Control, so they’re not just cleaning up messes in the street. In this issue, our main character gets to work in the mailroom. By the end of the issue, it’s quite clear the very fate of the universe is in the hands of the mailing department of Damage Control. It seems there are facets of the company that are keeping the chaotic nature of superheroes fighting in the streets tamed. The end of the issue promises a different department to be explored, and it is a welcome one. That makes each issue a done-in-one style exploration, keeping things interesting.
That lobby is packed!
Credit: Marvel
Will Robson’s art is a great fit for the comedic element. The cartoonish characters and big facial expressions give ordinary characters a louder in-your-face feel. Superheroes abound in this tale like Nightcrawler, and if you check out the preview, you can see a full-page splash of many different characters standing around in the lobby. The name of the game in this issue is chaos, and Robson captures that chaos well, be it the manic energy of the main character or the wild idea of an infinite floor in a building.
A weakness in the main story, however, is Gus, our main character and an intern. He’s not very interesting and he has basically one character trait – he’s a stress eater. That running gag doesn’t quite work, and in general, he’s more there to serve a function than be a personality. He serves as the audience’s point of view, and that works, but you won’t much care if he lives or dies. He’s sorta just there as an empty vessel.
This issue also has a backup story by Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie, Jay Fosgitt, and Ruth Redmond. This story features another intern taking part in his first day at Damage Control. It’d go smoothly, I’m sure, but his mother tags along, adding a bunch of chaos and uncertainty. She’s super supportive and gets her hands into everything. That spells chaos and a battle with Thanos, of all villains. It’s fun, over the top, and drawn wonderfully by Fosgitt in a cartoony, somewhat comic strip style.
Damage Control #1 has all the chaotic energy you’d want in a comedy about superheroes being way too casual about the damage they cause. The main character might be quite flat, but enough is going on around him to keep your interest.
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