The local comic guy got shorted everything other than Marvel or DC this week, so no A Calculated Man. Just have to make do with the comic we've got. His store's also moving locations in the next month. It wasn't exactly an inconvenient location before, so hopefully the new spot is OK.
The main story, the one by the TV writers, is focused on Gus, the new intern at Damage Control, who on his first day, nearly gets the Earth destroyed by Skrulls because he didn't deliver a memo to Stanley Forbush, Underwriter. Gus also gets lost in the pocket dimension that serves as the 13th floor so long he's late delivering a birthday ice cream cake to Albert Cleary (the guy who once made sure Doom paid his debts). Which makes Albert pretty angry, even before he realizes Gus is going to destroy the multiverse for failing to deliver the mail. So Will Robson's ability to draw people looking really angry pays off here.
I think Goldberg and Rodionoff are going for a workplace comedy here. One that just happens to get cameos from Nightcrawler, Nick Fury, Quicksilver, and so on. Cameos can be fun - I laughed at Moon Knight's irritation that his name was written on his coffee as "Moob Knife" - but it's not enough to carry a mini-series. Show how that aspect introduces conflict or complications. Like the Kingpin at one time being a major stakeholder in Damage Control, so the Punisher shows up looking to start some shit. Or heck, Robson drew Man-Thing hanging out in the lobby in the splash page, at least make a joke about putting down flame retardant flooring as a precaution!
I guess they're taking the approach that as an intern, Gus doesn't know any of this stuff, so the chain reaction he started by failing to deliver mail all took place somewhere outside his perception. I'm just not sure whether that's an approach I like. They do introduce the notion that Damage Control now holds on to objects of incredible importance, in addition to fixing stuff that gets broken in battles involving superhumans, which may pay off down the line. I'm not so sure Gus' tendency to stress eat isn't going to end up being more pivotal, though.
The back-up story, by Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie and Jay Fosgitt is about Bart's mom coming to visit, inadvertently buying the Reality Stone while visiting the gift shop, and then scolding Thanos into mending his ways. Fosgitt's art really reminds me of '90s Disney cartoons, like The Goofy Movie or something. It fits the tone of the story, which is broadly comic. Sight gags of people's heads being turned into a jar of pickles by the Reality Stone, or John Porter warning Bart's mom not to use "Mom Smash!" or she'll get in legal trouble with the Hulk. That seems to be what Fullerton's going for, so call it a success.
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