I somehow missed issue #8, probably because I switched to getting this series digitally and I'm finding it a little difficult to read my digital and print comics at the same time. I'm essentially sitting on the digital versions for two to three weeks while I wait for the print issues from that same week to arrive. But, that's my problem, not yours.
Kot decides to put his cards on the table here, and I'm surprised how easy the plot is to follow, after seven issues of misdirection and obfuscation. M.O.D.O.K. has engineered all the misfortune over the last few issues -- using the Fury to attack Nick and Phil, getting Deadpool to keep Hawkeye busy, hiring Lady Bullseye to take out the Black Widow, arranging the assassin to go after Maria Hill -- in order to prove Maria Hill incompetent so that he can take over S.H.I.E.L.D. It's a lot clearer of a motive that I figured that we'd ever get in this series. Moreover, he is connected to the spiritual advisor that Phil and Hawkeye have met, though that connection remains unclear.
But, the twist is that M.O.D.O.K. didn't count on falling in love with Maria Hill. As ridiculous as that sounds, Kot really sells it, to be honest. He makes it clear that M.O.D.O.K. thought that Hill would be easy to manipulate; when she proves not to be, he grows to respect her and then love her. We learn that the assassin that he hired was put in a state of suspended animation, because he was supposed to awaken at a later point to set into action another phase of M.O.D.O.K.'s plan. But, M.O.D.O.K. kills him instead, because he needs to stop himself from implementing his own plan. It's a little unclear what the assassin was going to do once revived, but I'm guessing we'll learn that at some point. Kot also opens the door to the possibility that someone is manipulating M.O.D.O.K. (even though that person may be some sort of alternate personality of M.O.D.O.K.'s). Notably, Maria seems to be aware of both M.O.D.O.K.'s treachery and confusion (based on Hawkeye telling her that "M.O.D.O.K./M.O.D.O.K." is, in fact, responsible for the attacks).
The other mystery that we seem poised to solve is the nature of the Fury's babies. We learn that M.O.D.O.K. sent the Fury into some crazy dimension called Tlön (where Natasha now finds herself), and something "came back with it." Meanwhile, the Chinese government has essentially set up a nursery for the Fury's now-hatching children in Kowloon. That doesn't bode well.
All in all, I'm really pretty happy with this series now. Kot kept us guessing as long as he could before it got annoying. Armed with enough information to feel like we have a sense of where we're going, it's going to be a much more enjoyable ride to get to our final destination, wherever it may be.
**** (four of five stars)
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