I'm saddened to hear of the passing of Dwayne McDuffie, one of those writers whose work I never seem to have read enough of.
Like a lot of people, I discovered his work through episodes of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, arguably one of the best superhero cartoon shows that has ever graced the TV. It seemed to be one of those rare adaptions that cut to the very core of what and who these characters were, while at the same time telling the kinds of stories that the comics were in dire need of. And key to that was Dwayne McDuffie's masterful storytelling and characterisation. Without him, those series would've just been good, but with him, they were bloody wonderful. He was a guy seemed to just...get it; he knew what these characters were all about and he seemed to know exactly what to do to show you how awesome they were in a way they never quite seemed to be in their four coloured counterparts.
Such is my shameful lack of knowledge of McDuffie's work, I actually thought he'd made the step from TV to comics, and not the other way around, and was surprised to find out how much great, solid work he'd turned out down the years. His run on Fantastic Four felt fresh and fun after J Michael Straczynski's rather staid and forced run on it; his brief stint with Justice League Of America was good, solid superhero storytelling, despite the barriers he'd had placed in front of him. But, for me, I think it was the Damage Control mini-series that tied into Marvel's World War Hulk event that really turned me into a fan; some genuine laugh out loud moments mixed with a completely brilliant concept, Damage Control was a genius piece of work, and one that I could've done with reading on a monthly basis.
So, this weekend, I think I'm going to go and find some Dwayne McDuffie penned comics and re-watch his episodes of Justice League. Seems like the least anyone can do to remember his legacy.
Like a lot of people, I discovered his work through episodes of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, arguably one of the best superhero cartoon shows that has ever graced the TV. It seemed to be one of those rare adaptions that cut to the very core of what and who these characters were, while at the same time telling the kinds of stories that the comics were in dire need of. And key to that was Dwayne McDuffie's masterful storytelling and characterisation. Without him, those series would've just been good, but with him, they were bloody wonderful. He was a guy seemed to just...get it; he knew what these characters were all about and he seemed to know exactly what to do to show you how awesome they were in a way they never quite seemed to be in their four coloured counterparts.
Such is my shameful lack of knowledge of McDuffie's work, I actually thought he'd made the step from TV to comics, and not the other way around, and was surprised to find out how much great, solid work he'd turned out down the years. His run on Fantastic Four felt fresh and fun after J Michael Straczynski's rather staid and forced run on it; his brief stint with Justice League Of America was good, solid superhero storytelling, despite the barriers he'd had placed in front of him. But, for me, I think it was the Damage Control mini-series that tied into Marvel's World War Hulk event that really turned me into a fan; some genuine laugh out loud moments mixed with a completely brilliant concept, Damage Control was a genius piece of work, and one that I could've done with reading on a monthly basis.
So, this weekend, I think I'm going to go and find some Dwayne McDuffie penned comics and re-watch his episodes of Justice League. Seems like the least anyone can do to remember his legacy.
RIP Dwayne McDuffie
![RIP Dwayne McDuffie]()
Reviewed by Unknown
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11:49 am
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