The creators behind Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. series, Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, are teaming up again. This time they’ll be creating a comedic comic about super villains that will be published by Dark Horse.
Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt worked together to co-create Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., which premiered on Hulu in 2021. The show, which was animated in a style similar to the anthology show Robot Chicken, focused on the supervillain MODOK, who tried to reconcile raising a family alongside his aspirations to take over the world. The show, which was geared towards adults, featured Oswalt as the voice of the titular character while Jordan Blum served as the series’ head writer. Though Oswalt may be accepting of M.O.D.O.K.‘s cancellation, it appears as though he and series co-creator Jordan Blum are teaming up for another dark superhero comedy.
Now, Dark Horse has announced Blum and Oswalt are releasing a new creator-owned series titled Minor Threats. It’s set to feature art by Scott Hepburn, colors by Ian Herring, and letters by Nate Piekos. The book is described as a “genre-bending crime drama” that focuses on heroes and villains stylized from the silver and bronze age of comics right before they transition into the dark comics of the modern-day. The story follows a villain named Stickman that is being pursued by a crime fighter called the Insomniac after Stickman kills his sidekick, Kid Dusk. Caught in the middle of this mayhem are small-time villains just trying to make a living, who then decide to team up and take down Stickman themselves. For the book’s solicitation, the duo recruited some big names to give praise. Taiki Waititi, Edgar Wright, and Judd Apatow all provided quotes, the latter calling Minor Threats “intelligent, funny, and twisted.” It will also feature a variant cover by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola in addition to the main cover by interior artist Scott Hepburn. There’s also a foil version of the main cover available, as well. Minor Threats is a four-part series with issue number one set to hit comic shops on August, 24th, 2022.
Patton Oswalt says that, “every comic book fan dreams of creating their own universe,” and now he’s finally going to be able to. Typical of Oswalt’s style of comedy, the story is set to be violent, dangerous, and over the top, but filled with real sadness and drama. Jordan Blum describes the project as their, “love letter to superhero comics and crime fiction.” He goes on to call it, “an underdog story of inept costume criminals in over their heads.” Artist Scott Hepburn described the creative process as a series of “one-ups-manship to prove who loves this book more.”
Given the unique nature of M.O.D.O.K. it makes sense for Oswalt and Blum to work on a dark superhero comedy together. While fans of M.O.D.OK. may be disappointed by its cancellation, it looks like they have something to look forward to with Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum’s Minor Threats.
Look for Minor Threats #1 when it launches on August 24th!
