It has been a while since I’ve had the chance to dive into a Marvel book or two, but this week I jump into M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin as the character of M.O.D.O.K. is just so damn out there that you can’t help but be drawn in.
The impossible has happened: the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing has fallen head over heels in love! But with the love of his life caught in the crosshairs of Killville’s most ruthless mercenaries, can M.O.D.O.K. hope to stay one step aHEAD of his rivals and live long enough to find out who set her up?
M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #3 is of course taking place in the Marvel Secret Wars event, something I have only heard about and not explored in any way. Can this book sell me on another Secret Wars, and can it live up to the wackiness that is the Mental Organism Designed Only For Killing? Let’s jump into M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #3 and find out for ourselves.
From reading the intro blurb on the inside cover I come to quickly realize that this in fact a Secret Wars event, and while a rehash itself, it is strangely similar to the pretty crap event DC just had (The name escapes me it was so bland). Multiverse destroyed, one Battleworld, yadda, yadda, yadda. All that matters is that M.O.D.O.K. lives and runs around in a place called Killville, so already we are off to a fantastic start!
“You are a thing of beauty.”
“What…”
“Er, the hammer. I was referring to the hammer.”
Our adventure begins with M.O.D.O.K. and what the book implies is a female version of the hero Thor, but not the one that you are probably used to. Don’t know the whole Thor angle (I’m new here), but I would wager that they are important to this entire Secret Wars thing. What’s weird is that this Thor that we are introduced to looks very much like Angela from the Image series Spawn. Whatever the case may be with this Thor situation, the book here flows well enough for me to follow. Yes, it’s a tie-in to a bigger event, but as someone unfamiliar with this new Secret Wars, I still felt it easy to jump into this title. After a quick reveal that M.O.D.O.K. is falling in love with this Thor, we get into the first action beats of the book.
Christopher Yost has done a fantastic job in the writing department on this book. M.O.D.O.K. and the denizens of Killville are all written with a little silliness in mind. Subtle and not so subtle jokes abound and really help keep the book fun. M.O.D.O.K. himself mostly gives internal dialogue throughout the book, and it offers up some of the best moments. Whether he is grappling with his new feelings for Thor, or expounding on why things aren’t quite going his way, Yost really gives life to a character that has almost always seemed very one-dimensional. Also, anytime I see Beta-Ray Bill show up in any book I am going to be a very happy camper. This is such the case as Yost brings him in to connect some dots with the Thor and Battleworld thing. It’s very hard not to love a horse-faced alien with a magic hammer.
M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #3 moves along at a break neck pace and throws in some fairly obscure heroes and villains that have been tasked with putting down M.O.D.O.K. as his killing, in you know, KILLVILLE, has gotten a little out of hand. I’d usually be wary of cramming in so many characters, but these guys are so damn fun and out there that every page I turned was like a mini Christmas. Come on, how could someone not love an assassin by the name of Hit Monkey, who is an actual suit wearing monkey! This book is only a few pages in and the series has already hooked me. It’s the sort of silly comic book chaos that I’ve wanted for a very long time.
“I speak of your death, vegetable faced killer!!”
In the end though, this crazy tale of murder and violence actually has some honest depth to it. M.O.D.O.K. truly cares for this Thor and pushes his limits to protect her throughout. Sure, it’s by killing in some incredibly brutal and satisfying ways, but he is after all the Mental Organism Designed Only For Killing. M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #3 is hands down the most fun I’ve had with a comic in a very long time. Yes, it’s part of the whole Secret Wars thing, but if you are looking for some pure unabashed fun you really can’t go wrong picking this one up. The story is all sorts of funny, the art is wonderful and pushes the action forward, and it’s really, really nice to see M.O.D.O.K. kicking some major tail.
Published: July 29, 2015
Price: $3.99
Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Amilcar Pinna
Cover Artist: David Lafuente
About Author
