Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 - Fred Van Lente

Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 - Fred Van Lente

MODOK hires a team of desperate B-list criminals — Armadillo, Spot, Nightshade, Puma, Living Laser, Rocket Racer, Mentallo, and Chameleon — to steal a McGuffin of awesome power that can unmake reality or create a new Cosmic Cube.  As happens with bad guys, however, there are double-crosses and triple-crosses aplenty, as a couple of the "team" sell MODOK out and at least one of them isn't who he appears to be.  This is a superb comedy-crime-caper, filled with tongue in cheek humor but also real drama and fighting.  Van Lente is the best at what he does, and what he does is very fun.  [4.5]

Clobberin' Time - Steve Skroce

Clobberin' Time - Steve Skroce

This 2023 five-issue miniseries has the Thing teaming up with several big name Marvel stars — Wolverine, Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Doom — along with a renegade Watcher to try to stop the Psychopomp, a mad genius from the far future who wants to rebuild the universe without causal anomalies like superheroes.  The fast-paced, over-the-top plot elements recall the nuttiest of Grant Morrison arcs, and the art, also by Skroce, is like Frank Quitely with a touch of Basil Wolverton or Moebius — endless tubes, wires, bolts, scratches, scales, and other such detail abound throughout.  It's a high-octane, totally fun ride, and genuinely funny in parts (such as Thing's helpful earpiece which lets him spout placating gobbledygook at critics rather than losing his temper).  [4]

Contest Of Champions - Al Ewing

Contest Of Champions (2015) - Al Ewing 

The Grandmaster and the Collector, using Maestro and Punisher 2099 as their team "managers," pit a motley crew of heroes and villains plucked from alternate worlds, futures, and even death to fight for them over mysterious "iso-8" crystals which give them power.  I saw a lot of chatter online about how bad this as, so wasn't expecting much, but I was very pleasantly surprised.  It's witty, fun, hits all the right buttons in terms of wacky alternate versions of characters, and has a lot of heart (the story is bookended with what happens to Outlaw, the "British Punisher" who decides to give it all up and try to be more heroic).  I thoroughy enjoyed this one.  [4]

Villains For Hire - Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett

Villains For Hire (2011) - Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett 

After the Purple Man stole Misty Knight's idea of having a team of paid super-operatives in the city to do jobs, she decides to steal the idea back.  When Silver Sable and Black Panther fail to stop the new Stilt-Man (a woman) and Sidewinder, Knight decides to hire her own team of villains.  This results in madness like Tiger Shark, Bombshell, Crossfire, and Nightshade facing off against Shocker, Death-Stalker, Scourge, and Avalanche, with a few crossing over for better money along the way.  But has Misty Knight really gone evil?  Purple Man won't rest until he finds the answer.  This is a fun story; villains always get the best lines.  There's more freedom for a writer with villains, since there's not any kind of standard to uphold, I guess.  Anyway, to me this is trying to be a bit too hard to be Brubaker noir when it ought to be aiming for Van Lente zaniness; also the "Mighty Knight in tight pants any chance we get" art is a bit of a turnoff for me.  Still, I enjoyed it for what it is.  [4]