MODOK Head Games #1 by Marvel out on December 2 for a story about a character ready to appear on TV. The same show’s creators Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt, even serve as writers. Joining this ensemble is artist Scott Hepburn, colorist Carlos Lopez, and letterer Travis Lanham.
MODOK Head Games #1 Crisis
Blum and Oswalt waste no time in bringing material from their show to the comics. In order for the adult sitcom moods to not interfere with Marvel’s more pulpy atmosphere, MODOK Head Games #1 prefers introspection. The titular MODOK, despite his vast intelligence and abilities, is facing his mid-life crisis. His capabilities and computerized brain seem to be clashing with something he keeps hidden within. This brings out an interesting dynamic to a character who was defined only by those things. The very presence of a life outside of super-villainy throws MODOK off in several ways. With AIM being full of cutthroats, it makes sense why MODOK sees this as a glitch. Despite that, MODOK’s subconscious manifests something that only his civilian identity George Tarleton knows.
Situational Irony
While the story of MODOK unfolds, the artwork by Hepburn gives a distinct slapstick style of effects. Take the scenes and splash panels where MODOK takes action with various equipment. On a splash page, he does various attacks at once, with the effects varying. He equips other various tools in a smaller scene, only for the action following to simply be a headbutt. MODOK Head Games #1 never tries to take itself too seriously in its actions. The character has little to fear in these situations, unlike the visions he experiences, which Hepburn displays with facial concerns.
The coloring by Lopez is often coded to different characters. Purple most often relates to MODOK, especially in regards to his intellect and his visions. The complementary green in the meantime describes a threat towards MODOK, especially Monica Rappaccini. What really stands out in MODOK Head Games #1 is Lantham’s lettering. The captions display three segments of MODOK’s mind: his standard yellow captions with purple words to display his default state of mind, a computerized version of the previous often accompanying a black and white input, and crooked black captions with white words screaming out in a large font. All of which look ready to clash with one another in issues to come.
MODOK Head Games #1: A Companion
MODOK Head Games #1 is certainly shaping up to be a rather interesting series. While it is advertising the upcoming Hulu show, it has its own identity. This identity just happens to revolve around an inversion of what its creators are bringing forth. It’s a rather clever way of making sure one series doesn’t overlook the other.
