Marvel’s attempts at humor usually fail.
There was that one great all-humor issue of What If? that worked as standalone satire, but Marvel humor is usually best when it is part of a story: Peter David did some great, funny stories, for example, during his work on X-Factor and Spider-Man. So Damage Control could have worked, but, sadly, it really didn’t. I still admire the attempt, but overall there was so much opportunity here that just got squandered by mediocre execution. I did like this scene with Punisher:
Punisher just shared from the heart about how he lost his family, and a man from Damage Control tries to relate:
This is also very funny:
She-Hulk thinks Speedball’s name is the drug he takes…
Anyway, these issues tie in with the Acts of Vengeance event. In issue #1, they go to The Vault to help fix damage done during Fixer’s breakout during Avengers Spotlight.
Also in issue #1, we learn that Kingpin has an ownership share in the Damage Control organization, so in issue #2 Punisher visits their headquarters.
Real-life NYC Mayor Ed Koch is part of the story.
In issue #3, we focus on She-Hulk. At the time, John Byrne was establishing her as a fourth-wall breaker, and that tradition is continued here.
But in all issues of this book, there are tons of cameos and appearances by various heroes and villains. Like I said, lots of opportunities for cool stuff and self-aware satire, but for some reason it just doesn’t work. I want to blame the writer, but it’s just as likely that this is a great idea that’s impossible to execute without it feeling like forced fun.
Finally, issue #4 wraps the miniseries as SHIELD engineers a corporate takeover to boot Kingpin out of his ownership shares. And, at the very end, is a publisher crossover…
Some good ideas, but overall this book fails in the execution.