M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games
Writer: Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt
Artist: Scott Hepburn
Publisher: Marvel Comics
M.O.D.O.K. isn’t the easiest character to successfully utilise.
In fact, of Marvel’s vast cadre of heroes and villains, he’s probably one of the hardest. The Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing is a ridiculous visual treat, a joy to consume in small doses like one-shots, single cartoon episodes, or even as part of a cabal of villains.
But as a main character, the spotlight reveals just how weird M.O.D.O.K. really is. And that’s not a bad thing per se; at its best, Marvel does an excellent job with ‘weird’.
M.O.D.O.K. was used to great effect as a key antagonist at the beginning of Christopher Hastings and Gurihiro’s superb ‘Gwenpool’ (2017) series. His over-the-top behaviour and cantankerous villainy was a perfect subject for Gwenpool’s meta dissection of her new life inside a comic book.
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He’s more of a risk under the spotlight as the lead character in his own story. Any protagonist needs to be compelling in some manner, requires an engaging narrative, and usually demands some depth of character. Delivering this for M.O.D.O.K. is Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt’s great success.
When he begins to be haunted by memories of a family he never had, M.O.D.O.K. is unsure if he is losing his mind, or if there is something sinister behind the visions. He’s out of control, due in large part to the fact that betrayal has ousted him as leader of A.I.M., further severing his relation to the wider world. To restore the status quo and his mental sanity, M.O.D.O.K. must undertake a ridiculous journey that serves as both an exciting origin story for the character, and a hilarious mystery in its own right.
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It’s tight, punchy, and features pairings with great supporting characters, including Iron Man and Gwenpool (tragically without her own title at present). Scott Hepburn’s action jumps off the page, his characters are an original combination of gruesome and cute, and he elevates Blum and Oswalt’s script into something special.
Most importantly: it’s genuinely funny. Not only do they understand how to perfectly encapsulate the ridiculousness M.O.D.O.K., the fast-paced dialogue throughout is packed with witty references and silly quips that also manage to be character accurate.
In 2021, Blum and Oswalt also brought to screens the first season of ‘Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.’, arguably the best Marvel television show of the year against some stiff competition. Speaking to Marvel Entertainment, Oswalt and Blum spoke of how they came up with so many ideas and so much material creating the show, that the opportunity to create additional material in the Marvel Comics 616 universe was hugely exciting. Blum compared their two creations thusly:
“Our take of M.O.D.O.K. on the show was a little more satirical, a little more comedic, and I think we leapt at the chance to write the M.O.D.O.K. who had been there since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, since the 1960’s, and kind of put our spin on him, and also pull from a lot of the other versions of M.O.D.O.K. from the past. The character is very flexible, and I think you can do a lot with him.”
‘M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games’ is undoubtedly a great companion piece to the wide-reaching series, but it’s notably also one M.O.D.O.K.’s greatest ever comic books. ‘Head Games’ is highly recommended to fans of the show, but also to any comic book fans that want to ‘keep Marvel weird’.
Want more of 2021’s greatest comics? Visit Amazon to purchase the full length ‘Best Comic Books of 2021’ book or eBook. It contains 45 detailed essays reviewing the year's best comic book titles.
After more comic book news and reviews? The Sea Shell mobile app is available worldwide as a free download on the App Store and the Play Store. Download it today.