This has been a great miniseries so far, but this issue just absolutely knocks it out of the park, and I felt I had to say a few words about it. This is a spoiler-free review, so feel free to read on comfortably if you haven’t picked up this issue yet.

I’ve been a fan of Patton Oswalt throughout his career, although I don’t specifically follow his stuff. He’s been tangential to a lot of nerdy interests that I have, and I know he’s a bit of a comic buff, so when I saw that he was co-writing a series, I decided to give it a shot. I’m very glad I did! Marvel has taken a certain tactic with some of the over-the-top villains of yesteryear, which is to lean into the arch, ridiculous nature of them, and I think that’s a great way to deal with beings like M.O.D.O.K. A lot of these villains have been featured in their own books, with a strong comedic flavor, which again is a great choice.

This book does that, and also somehow makes M.O.D.O.K. a believable, empathetic character. At its heart, this book is about trauma and loss, which is why I wanted to talk about it. On its own, this story is really great at illustrating what can happen to someone who has a big loss in their past. It’s even better when you consider Patton’s loss of his wife several years ago. This is pretty clearly him exorcising some of these demons, and that makes it all the more impactful and tear-jerking. I mean, I was crying thinking about M.O.D.O.K.! That is a benchmark of good writing right there.

Oh, and let’s not forget about Gwenpool. I’ve only read a little of her stuff, but these two I think absolutely nailed her character. She keeps the quips coming hot and heavy, and there’s a great meta sequence that I loved. The combination of her character, and the pathos of M.O.D.O.K., makes this issue just masterful.

The art is perfect for the story as well, being cartoony enough to fit the action, but still really solid line and color work. This is just a fun book all around, and it’s only four issues, so go pick it up if you’re interested! You might have to special order it from your LCS, or of course you can always get it on Comixology. The fourth issue hasn’t come out yet, and I doubt they’ll really collect it into a trade, so you have to get the single issues for now.