Rating: 3.5/5 – An OK Ending to a Great Series.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Adam Alamo.
It seems like only yesterday that the new Quantum and Woody series was teased by Valiant and fans of the original series, like me, were squealing with delight. And while details of future stories have already been released, including a team-up with Archer and Armstrong (someone pinch me, I must be dreaming) and the return of the original duo (I said pinch me!), it is sad to see this incarnation of the series end with issue #12. Writer James Asmus, currently nominated for numerous Harvey Awards, truly reinvented these characters when so many wondered how Quantum and Woody could survive apart from their original creators, Christopher Priest and Mark Bright. There was no big send off with issue #12, no “anniversary spectacular,” but the issue was jammed packed with content so it felt bigger than it actually was.
There are essentially four, very talky scenes in this issue, which ensures that Woody finds multiple ways to irritate Quantum. It also worked in favor of the art, as there were three people tackling art duties and the art shifts at logical points in the story. There was even a meta-reference to the multiple artists in the issue, which is funny. Still, it would be nice if a book could stick to one artist on a particular issue (two at most, if it must). Bonus points if it could stick to the same artist for a story arc (this one didn’t). For their part, Wilfredo Torres, Erica Henderson, and Joseph Cooper all did a pretty good job. There wasn’t a lot of variation between the art styles (except on the Edison origin story–see below), so the change in art wasn’t too distracting.
A sizable part of the issue focused on Quantum and Woody’s arch-nemesis, Thomas Edison and Edison’s Radical Acquisitions (ERA). It seemed odd to me that the origin story of Edison and the ERA was revealed in the last issue of the series, but it was done in such a fun way that I didn’t really mind. The origin story was told in a children’s comic that Quantum finds while he is locked away with relics of an old Edison themed restaurant. I kid you not. The rest of the issue is pretty standard fare, with Quantum and Woody finally learning what we all already knew about the goat, wrapping up their confrontation, and moving on to the next stage in their superhero career. If the series were to continue in another volume, this issue left a logical starting point. One thing I did notice (that was different from the rest of the story arc) was that the issue moved away completely from the focus on Woody’s past, which to me had some really good character building. Hopefully, that is something that can be revisited in a future volume.
Overall, the last issue in the series wrapped things up decently, even if it wasn’t the most exciting or groundbreaking issue. It had the usual bickering between brothers, plenty of comedy, and more absurdity than you can shake a stick at. Most importantly, it kept the door open for future volumes of the best worst superhero team there is!
Reviewed by: Adam Alamo
(adam@comicspectrum.com)
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