Ahead of Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. show on Hulu comes M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games by Jordan Blum, Patton Oswalt, and Scott Hepburn. This new series focuses on one of the weirdest and oftentimes wackiest villains in all of comics (A giant floating head will have that effect). This new series proposes a new twist on the villain as it reveals he may have had a normal suburban family. Or maybe it’s just a computer virus, but either way, it is seriously messing with M.O.D.O.K.’s head!
This is flat-out one of the best takes on M.O.D.O.K. yet. He’s over-the-top, sure, but he’s also quite serious and has a point when it comes to folks trying to kill him. His mathematical brain allows for some unique humor as he calculates the impossibility of succeeding with the various options he might have. Hepburn even makes him look formidable and quite cool when in most cases he’s a freakish and scary sort of character. All in all, this is a good blend of humor and seriousness that packs quite a punch.
Much of this book takes place the moment after something happens to M.O.D.O.K. that delays his response. We quickly learn it has somehow awakened memories of a family, however strange that may seem. This affects his day job at A.I.M. and soon he’s tussling with friend and foe. The writing is clever with good cutaways and clever ideas when it comes to M.O.D.O.K.’s weaponry, and the weaponry of A.I.M. for that matter.
War Machine looking cool as heck!
Credit: Marvel Comics
Hepburn draws a great book here with plenty of energy effects rendered well by color artist Carlos Lopez. This is a very bright comic book, giving it an old-school feel on most pages given the grittier modern look comics have these days. The fact that you’ll feel sorry for M.O.D.O.K. when he’s a giant floating head–which makes it hard to empathize with him–is a testament to the emotion Hepburn puts into this strange villain.
Captions are also well written, bringing us inside the egomaniacal head of M.O.D.O.K. which further connects us to the visions he sees of a family. For however violent and annoying he can be, you’ll be wishing this family is real and not some trick and that’s a testament to the writing.
Make no mistake, M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games is an action comic with plenty of fighting and fight scenes. As such, it’s lighter on contemplative storytelling, but it’s also a story featuring M.O.D.O.K. and humor so take from that what you will. Come for the over-the-top violence, but stay for a M.O.D.O.K. who finally has a new purpose.
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