Issue(s): Damage Control #3
Cover Date: Jul 89
Title: "The big hype!"
Credits:
Dwayne McDuffie - Writer
Ernie Colon - Penciler
Bob Wiacek - Inker
Sid Jacobson - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue lampoons publicity stunts and corporate dress codes, and especially when the two meet.

First, some proposed commercials:

That one gets rejected as "boring", so they go with this one instead.

Interesting that a Silver Surfer/Hulk fight is boring but a couple of generic heroes, the female of which is sexed-up with a boob window, is accepted. Commentary on the state of the industry? Or maybe the dog just market tested better. He's certainly quickly turned into merchandise.

Coupled with the commercial is the new dress policy.

The other thing that happens in this issue is a big publicity event where the Damage Control guys, working with Stark Enterprises, including Marcy Pearson from Stark's PR department, are supposed to tunnel through the Earth and then pop up and quickly repair a building that Iron Man demolishes. Iron Man shows up...

...but the Damage Control drill gets stuck underground and Iron Man eventually leaves.

The drill has actually punctured into the Hudson River, so they get into a little trouble and need a little help from Iron Man to get out.

The situation with the memos and the dress code may have been an in-jokey commentary on the state of Marvel as it got more corporatized with the acquisitions that were happening. Or it could just be general satire and it works well enough as that in any event. The series continues to be cute but despite the Iron Man appearance this issue seems to be less specifically targeted at the super-hero comics genre. Still fun, though.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: It's worth recalling that this series had a long lead time and so takes place significantly further back than its publication time. Next issue is a late Inferno tie-in. And this issue takes place before Tony Stark is shot. The MCP have the Iron Man characters appearing here between Iron Man #236-237. The first page or so takes place "A few months" before the rest of the issue, presumably to allow Head of Marketing Henry Ackerdson to recover from the injuries that he's shown with at the beginning of this story, which i assume came from the Marvel Age annual.

References:

• Ackerdson tried to get the Hulk to be Damage Control's spokesman in Marvel Age annual #4.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

When is Fluppy getting his own series?

It looks like the colorist may have stepped in to make Anne's costume less revealing.

Anne and Fluppy, truly the dynamic duo (plus Fluppy.)