R.E.V.I.E.W.

I'm really not looking for any more "superhero shows" to watch right now -- but one managed to slide in there basically by being nothing like the others: M.O.D.O.K.

This Hulu series is outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity when all their other products these days are within. It's a half hour long when nearly the other super-shows run an hour. It's primarily a comedy when so many other superheroes seemingly couldn't crack a joke to save someone's life. And it's stop-motion animation, from the studio that makes Robot Chicken.

The differences in M.O.D.O.K. are refreshing... and yet I found myself still only "mostly" enjoying it. I think that's in large part because the one show it is most like is a serious contender for the best thing on television right now: Harley Quinn. M.O.D.O.K. is not quite as funny, its characters not quite as engaging, its ongoing story not quite as compelling.

But even without Harley Quinn to compare to, I think M.O.D.O.K. would be good-but-not-great. It's one of those shows that feels like it's still trying to figure out exactly what it wants to be as the first season unfolds. Is it a workplace comedy in which the "workplace" happens to be an evil lair? Is it one of those "schlubby man with a hot wife" sitcoms about family awkwardness and togetherness? Is it a loving parody of beloved pop culture characters, poking gentle fun with just a hint of bite? Yes, it's a smoothie of all those things... that needs to be run through the blender a bit longer to mix together well.

One element I have no reservations about is the voice cast. Patton Oswalt is great as the title character; his deadpan delivery of jokes comes as no surprise, of course, but it still impresses several times an episode. His two children Melissa and Lou are voiced by "Michael Schur comedy" veterans Melissa Fumero and Ben Schwartz, who respectively help ground and bring anarchy to the episodes. Guest voices include Jon Hamm, Nathan Fillion, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Hader, Meredith Salenger, Chris Parnell, and Alan Tudyk -- each well cast.

If you're the sort of person reading this, you're almost certainly the sort of person who would enjoy M.O.D.O.K. Still, it was no threat to snap me from my "I don't tend to binge shows" pattern. I'd give it a B. I would look forward to a season 2, if a renewal is announced. It feels like the sort of show that will improve moving forward.