Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.

Despite opening with the familiar, flipping-comic-book-pages Marvel logo, M.O.D.O.K. isn't like anything else in the iconic superhero universe. In fact, even if you believe the totally bizarre WandaVision may have prepared you for Marvel's potential to subvert expectations, well, you're still in for a big surprise. A mix of Robot Chicken-like stop-motion animation and the sort of adult-aimed humor that'll be familiar to Family Guy fans, M.O.D.O.K.'s a mature comedy that fires off the jokes faster than Iron Man can unleash a flurry of repulsor beams. Speaking of Tony Stark's alter ego, the Avenger does make an appearance here, but he's more interested in binging The Great British Bake Off -- streamed directly into his helmet, obviously -- than saving the world.

Of course, that's just one of about a billion blink-and-you'll-miss-it gags contained within a single 25-minute episode. Whether skewering the Marvel universe, silicon valley, internet influencers, or pop-culture in general, M.O.D.O.K. is consistently hilarious. The premise, which sees the titular evil genius dealing with everyday problems on both the home and work fronts, is largely responsible for the laughs. Unsurprisingly, watching the the self-absorbed baddie whine over his new boss transforming his torture chamber into a day care is far funnier than seeing him plot world domination. But even more than the humor that comes with flipping the script, it's Patton Oswalt's take on the character that truly makes the show click. Both his spot-on delivery and clear nerd-passion for playing the character combine to create one of Marvel's most memorable antagonists. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a Marvel fan craving something completely different or an Oswalt stalwart looking for your next fix, M.O.D.O.K.'s the stop-motion super-villain comedy you've been waiting for.