A lot has happened in a very short amount of time for Sumesh and Nat at this point in Black Mask Studios‘ Quantum Teens Are Go. Underground super science clubs, conspiracies, mystery, intrigue, and of course high school and their own personal complications. But with this issue we eke out a few sorely needed answers as the first arc comes to a close.

Magdalene Visaggio’s writing, though I had my qualms about it before, comes together really nicely in this issue and gives the payoff and release that felt so sorely lacking in #3.

Again the art and colors of Eryk Donovan and Claudia Aguirre compliment the frenetic pacing of the writing well and reminds of zines with slight misprints and unavoidable ink splatters left behind. Now that we’ve got the full arc, I can definitely say this reminds me more of Pacific North Weird a la Life is Strange than Weird Science.

I do still question the decision to release this as monthly issues but the story overpowers my qualms. If you’re missed any of the issues up until now and can’t find them, a trade is slated for released on August 30th. All around, I do definitely still think this is one to pick up.

Story: Magdalene Visaggio Art: Eryk Donovan
Colored: Claudia Aguirre Lettered: Zakk Saam
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Grab it for reasons that would be a bit of a spoiler

Rather than picking up right in midst of some astounding action after the events of issue #1 of Quantum Teens Are Go from Black Mask Studios, writer Magdalene Visaggio plops us into the mundane. We’re reminded that, for all the theoretical science action and weirdness going on, our protagonists Nat and Sumesh are still very much teenagers in high school. They still have teenager worries on top of whatever went down in Sumesh’s garage and that includes friends, teachers, and their relationship. They’ll work things out, we all know how easy things were when we were teenagers. … Or maybe not.

The slower pace of this issue does serve to drive home the point that we’re still dealing with bumbling teenagers and I love that. Not every hero is completely competent at everything they do; most shouldn’t be. And these two aren’t. The frenetic illustration and colors of Eryk Donovan and Claudia Aguirre help to drive the point home: being a teenager is messy and being a teenager tangled up in whatever Sumesh and Nat have gotten themselves into will only be messier. The team again doesn’t shy away from the harder and closer-to-home topics at play here: being orphaned and adopted, being trans and how people interact with you because of it, the feeling of drifting from friends when your interests no longer align. Even in a world where the strange keeps getting stranger, these elements don’t feel shoehorned in. They were always meant to be right where they are.

I do wish that I felt a little more payoff at the end of this issue. I have way more questions than I could ever hope to have answers. Still, this is only the second issue and we’re getting further into this mystery. I’m not calling this a sophomore issue slump by any means. Some things have to get answered within the next few issues.

Story: Magdalene Visaggio Art: Eryk Donovan Color: Claudia Aguirre Lettered: Zakk Saam
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy, if you’re still pretty invested

Black Mask Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review