The legacy of the late Dwayne McDuffie is one about reexamination of popular subjects. Not one to shy away from serious matters, McDuffie goes out of his way to show how those subjects affect people. To that end he even founds his own company that to this day tries to keep its integrity. But with people needing stories by McDuffie more than ever at the time of this post, what does he bring?
The Big Picture of Dwayne McDuffie
Due to the nature of media, most people are probably familiar with what Dwayne McDuffie brings to TV. From Justice League Unlimited (where the entire DC universe share the spotlight) to Ben 10: Alien Force about the journey of a superhero into a leader. In those series, McDuffie instills in those series his beliefs of inclusion from all sides. One episode of JLU, For The Man Who Has Everything might not have given tribute its source material’s creator Alan Moore if not for McDuffie. Who could even forget his most famous series, Static Shock? But we’re gonna have to come back to that one.
The Voice of McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie’s early years are all about finding what he wants out of life. Jumping from different schools he finds his niche as a copy editor for a business magazine. On the side he does a radio program under a pseudonym as a comedian. Which might or might not have brought him together with his half-brother Keegan-Michael Key. Eventually a friend of him gets McDuffie an interview at Marvel; where he worked as an assistant editor under Bob Budiansky of Marvel’s Transformers.
When he wasn’t getting trading cards developed he scripts stories of his own. The first and most notable at Marvel is Damage Control. Detailing how a cleanup crew tidies up the messes of superhero battles, this humor piece practically satirizes the office work at Marvel. But between all the fun times, McDuffie still notices how African-American characters are kind of pushed to the side. He even submits a parody spoof of how these characters get treatment called Teenage Negro Ninja Thrashers. I wonder how he felt about New Warriors‘ Night Thrasher.
The Experience of Dwayne McDuffie
Working as a freelancer McDuffie does a balance between work, nostalgia, and experience. With the Monster in My Pocket franchise being the biggest influence due to touching various cultures, McDuffie strives to follow that example. After McDuffie’s divorces his first wife he co-founds Milestone Media. This company advertises itself on representation in an industry that finds itself struggling with to this day. Rather than just have Black or Asian characters act like representatives however, Milestone explores ranges of life.
In Milestone’s debut series, Hardware Dwayne McDuffie channels his work experience at large companies. While they are exaggerated to fit a mold, McDuffie uses his experiences from Marvel’s Deathlok to push home a message. Despite an unfair situation, find the power to change it. But something as personal as that isn’t as easily shared with others. So comes the message of police brutality and lack of oversight with the event that kickstarts the rest of the Dakotaverse, the Big Bang.
Making Good Out of Bad Situations
The first people to come out of the misuse of experimental weapons are Blood Syndicate, a gang who come together for a greater purpose. But gangs are not teams, and these people are not Marvel’s Defenders. These people constantly fight with each other rather than any cause. McDuffie didn’t even want to stay with them when he finds two young people whose lives are more affected by the Big Bang.
The first is Raquel Erwin, an idealist in a bad neighborhood whose life doesn’t give her many opportunities. That all changes when her friends convince her to rob a house as the police try to clean their mess. The house owner, Augustus Freeman IV however and his actions however cause her to change ways. Yet Augustus is still naive and a little jaded from his experiences. So they become Icon and Rocket to make necessary changes. McDuffie shows a two-way partnership; how the old need to get off their pedestals to see how bad others have it and how the young need to try and be better. Only then can these two paths cross and mediate.
The Rule of the Cool
Surprisingly however McDuffie does that with his most famous creation, Static. Virgil Hawkins is a pretty good kid in the same mold as Spider-Man, intelligent and youthful. But of course, he had a bully problem which landed him joining the gang fights where the Big Bang occurred. But McDuffie didn’t seem to have the same amount of passion in Static as he did with Icon. That is until he puts Virgil on TV with Static Shock.
The show develops Static and his side of Dakota at a greater rate than the comics. McDuffie pushes the boundaries through the show from gun violence, drug use, family tensions, and how the young can inspire the old. So much that McDuffie decides to give Virgil one last push in Rule of the Cool. One with a powerful message, do the things you love with purpose. Otherwise it’s more of a burden that ruins your relationships. Makes me wonder if the Virgil/Daisy relationship in the comics came from his divorce.
Dwayne McDuffie: Between Two Worlds
With that in mind, Dwayne McDuffie’s biggest challenges come from whether he can find a place in media. With Milestone getting by without him McDuffie got in with Warner Bros. animation studios. After Static he got in more projects like Teen Titans, one where teen drama looks authentic for superhero shows. With the Justice League cartoons, McDuffie works with some passionate writers for some of their most emotional stories. The Once and Future Thing in particular combines fanservice with narratives of flawed people. An adventure with Jonah Hex turns into a character study of D-List supervillain Chronos who lived with verbal abuse.
While all of that was going on, McDuffie went back to freelancing; mostly with a penchant for stories of African American superheroes. This includes then Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau as well as the Fantastic Four lead by Black Panther and Storm. There are some fun times to be found when it comes to how this couple bounces off The Thing and Human Torch. Then he spends time with Batman for a case using a blind thief to solve a murder. For a while there’s even the Justice League of America which critics spend way too much time comparing to the show. Are people not allowed to just have fun?
Ending Things With DC
Apparently not, as DC mandate kept Dwayne McDuffie from having creative control. Things got so bad, he unintentionally brought up a rant violating his work contract. But before devoting his time to Ben 10, Dwayne gives Milestone Comics one last piece. In the fittingly titled, Milestone Forever McDuffie gives the characters he created an ending they deserve. With his character Dharma being McDuffie’s stand-in, readers see the lives of his characters completely fulfilled. Marriage, earning back self-respect, and a bittersweet ending about letting go. Because the best creations outgrow their creators.
Dwayne McDuffie Forever
Dwayne McDuffie will be a legend for not shying away from the hard stuff. Because of this, Milestone Media becomes an almost mythical presence due to disputes with DC. Why should a work of passion water down into something for a conglomerate to profit off of? But at the same time, why must something with powerful messages be cut off from everyone? The real problem is how to proceed as while McDuffie leaves Milestone in the hands of young bloods, his widow has concerns. With McDuffie being hard to follow up on; who can blame her? Hopefully some new developments can at least honor Dwayne McDuffie’s legacy. But the ink’s not dry yet.
In any case, show your respect for Dwayne McDuffie by finding the niche to carve out. Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.