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DMC #0
Publisher: Daryl Makes Comics
Writer: Ronald Wimberly
Artist: Damion Scott
Cover: Damion Scott, Carlos Mare, & Dexter Vines

At this year’s NYCC, one-third of the legendary Hip-Hop group Run DMC made his debut in comics. We’re talking about Daryl “DMC” McDaniels, and he’s adamant about delivering quality material to the fans! A statement backed up by the quality of the talent that has been brought together for this series.

Taking place in an 80s era New York City, two grafitti writers are busy tagging trains when they are attacked by a man they dub “Mr. Marx.” When out of nowhere the enigmatic DMC appears and the two battle it out in true hero vs. villain fashion. Though with these two kids being the only witnesses to the battle it’s piqued the interest of Charlie Cooper. But who is Cooper and why the interest in the hero known only as DMC?

As far as zero issues go this introduction to the series does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Wimberly gives us just a peek into what we should expect, and from the art to the writing things are looking good. There is an energy he gives these two kids we meet that just plays out perfectly as they retell the story of seeing their hero. If there was one thing to complain about it’s that even for a zero issue this is over way too fast. Being impressed with Wimberly’s past work there was an expectation of “more” in regards to how much story we were going to get here.

When it comes to the visuals, Damion Scott makes sure your eyes are treated to some of the best art in comics. The character design for DMC himself is simplistic but a very cool interpretation. When we get to some of the action scenes things really pick up, as it seems as if everything is in motion. This is great to look at, but is a bit troublesome during the hand to hand fight scenes. There’s also a heavy amount of graffiti woven into the artwork, and that is provided by Carlos Mare. Graffiti was everywhere during this time period so it only makes sense that it’s represented here, and it’s represented very well! There’s also a tag on a train that reads “Crime In The City” which might be (I’m guessing here) a nod to the PBS documentary Style Wars that came out in the 80s, in which a couple of writers were talking about their tags.

Now, with comic fans being some of the most judgmental and critical people out there, and Hip-Hop fans being just as critical when an emcee does something outside of what they perceive is their area of expertise, it’s a wonder why McDaniels would risk this venture of his. Well, it’s pretty simple actually. Hip-Hop and comics have been hand in hand since its birth in the 70s, and DMC has been a fan since he was a kid. So why not? DMC #0 is worth a look for any fan of comics, hip-hop, and just anyone willing to try something new.

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net