Quantum & Woody are the worst superhero duo in the world. They’re also Earth’s LAST hope against stopping a coalition of mad scientists from destroying the planet! The world’s worst team is back with all new adventures and volume in Quantum and Woody #1.

I’ve never really thought of myself as a big fan of either Quantum or Woody. Which is funny because I’ve enjoyed every comic of theirs that I’ve read. Some more than others; Eliot Rahal’s run to close out the most recent volume resonated with me in a way I didn’t expect. When I got an advanced copy of Valiant’s newest volume of Quantum and Woody written by Christopher Hastings with art by Ryan Browne and colors by Ruth Redmond, I was hoping I’d enjoy it. Having never knowingly read anything by Hastings before I wasn’t impatiently waiting for the series to start.

After reading the first issue, it is fair to say I’m impatiently waiting for the second.

Hasting’s Quantum and Woody is the breath of fresh air in comics that I didn’t know I needed. He packs a lot of story into the comic’s twenty odd pages. The issue reinforces the relationship between the two would-be-heroes seamlessly with the swift pace of the book.

I’ve recently started to read Judge Dredd Megazine from the same folks who publish 2000AD because I was able to find it on the Diamond ordering system at work/my LCS (which are one and the same). There’s a distinct style to British comics that I don’t often see in the stuff I read that originates across the pond. I find that somewhat odd because a lot of writers whose comics I read are from the UK. I bring this up because as I was reading the book, I got a sense that I was reading something that could have originated in 2000AD. For me, that’s a very good thing.

The comic itself finds the adoptive brothers trying to redeem themselves in the eyes of the public – for what reason… well it isn’t a huge deal breaker if you don’t know because other than a general sense that the brothers have screwed something up, it isn’t really mentioned a whole lot (says the person who probably read the comic it happened in and can’t remember). Instead there is a lot of fantastic dialogue across the comic, regardless of who is on the page. It is a brilliantly witty book, with some one-liners in the context of the comic that are laugh out loud funny.

There’s also a manic quality to Ryan Browne‘s artwork that exudes a love of his craft; I couldn’t think of anybody else I would rather see drawing these two after reading this issue. Browne is superb. Without heaping on the hyperbole, I love his style. There’s an expressiveness to the character’s faces, a smoothness to the choreography, and the page layouts and paneling as exciting as they are impressive. Visually, Quantum and Woody #1 is an absolute hit. Ruth Redmond‘s work only serves to highlight the positives in Browne’s work. The vibrancy of her color choice contrasts with the events of the comic as the story unfolds.

I didn’t expect to be so thoroughly taken with Quantum and Woody #1, but here we are. An almost complete story in one issue, but with enough left open that you’ll want to come back. With a creative team like this how could you not want to come back? I’m already excited for the end of this month – because then I get to reread this in print. Join me, won’t you?

Writer: Christopher Hastings Art: Ryan Browne
Colors: Ruth Redmond Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.9 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review