Quantum and Woody are having a pretty terrible day so far – their atoms were dissolved in the middle of a nationwide disaster; they faced down their personal demons in “The Otherverse;” and now they’re responsible for bringing a malicious entity back with them! These guys can’t even finish a jigsaw puzzle without losing a whole bunch of pieces – how are they gonna put all of reality back together?

The basic set up for this issue is that Quantum and Woody have to save the world because the real heroes are unavailable. Eliot Rahal doesn’t hide the fact that neither Henderson brother is particularly sought after in the hero circles. His conveyance of this message is both overt and subtle. The obvious is done through the dialogue surrounding the brothers, from Colonel Jamie Capshaw and other G.A.T.E. officers, where as the subtle is in the wonderfully lettered interludes curtesy of Dave Sharpe and through Joe Eisma‘s art. The brothers never really feel like they’re going to be enough to tackle the threat, and yet we still root for them. It’s within this underdog tone that Rahal has created one of the most compelling runs in a comic series I’ve read in a long time.

Quantum & Woody #11 is one of those comics that you can, sort of, just pick up and enjoy with minimal confusion (the recap page that Valiant open the story with will more than help you here), but if you’ve been reading the book since Rahal took over then it’s an issue that rewards you with some brilliant moments in comics. It may sound like hyperbole, but this issue had me grinning from ear to ear as the brothers found a determination that I’ve seldom seen from both of them (granted my Quantum and Woody knowledge isn’t the best). There were also other emotions felt, but the less said about that the better (because spoilers, not because I want to hide that I have emotions).

What we’re given with this comic is an issue that pokes fun at itself and the title characters whilst simultaneously providing an excellent example of the type of super hero comics that will hit you right in the warm spot. That spot that triggers a really satisfied and complete feeling from you when you read or listen or watch something that moves you. Because this comic did that for me.

Ultimately with only one issue left in the series (and that issue being a one-shot story), Rahal is on pace to end his tenure with the Henderson’s on a high note. A very high note.