Damage #11
Recap
Damage has destroyed the lab that built him, but in doing so he's caught the attention of a Justice League strike squad comprising of Guy Gardner, Flash, Vixen and Green Arrow! Damage needs to get through the squad in order to get to freedom in 47 minutes! Easier said than done when the big guns are on the way!
Review
Man, I’m a bit surprised to say that I absolutely loved this issue! In context silly character moments abound without feeling overpowering, the strike force is clearly out of their depth despite having a couple heavy hitters. Green Arrow firing a boxing glove arrow to absolutely zero effect is hilarious.
Likewise Flash firing a barrage of punches and Guy Gardner firing a world class kick to the crotch have minimal impact. Venditti really gets Guy, he was my favorite in Hal and the Corps this issue really made me miss him in that series. All around fun and funny character moments across the board.
The art by Aaron Lopresti was absolutely top notch, comparable to Tony Daniel, who launched the series with Venditti at the start. His take on various members of the Justice League was really great especially his Guy Gardner, who I have a kinship with, if you couldn’t tell, were perfect. I especially loved the 2 page spread at the end and the final Superman reveal, which normally i wouldn’t spoil but it’s on the cover.
One nitpick is it seems like Vixen is using her powers to create constructs and I don’t think that’s how her powers work, still looks cool.
I will say it feels a bit on the cover gimmicky side having Superman on the cover for a last page reveal, taking a lot of the punch out of what was otherwise an often ending to the issue. I do know the New Age of Heroes books aren’t selling spectacularly though and if it boosts sales all the better.
Final Thoughts
A stellar entry in a really fun series, this issue and i suspect the next can practically be read alone. Really fun.
Damage #11: Fight Fire with Fire
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 7/107/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10