Quantum And Woody #9

James Asmus - Writer

Kano - Penciller

Dave Lanphear - Letterer

 

Quantum And Woody hasn’t quite connected with me over the past arc or so, making this issue a nice surprise. The tale seems as if it is bringing back an arc that is much more practical, equating to a stronger book in the long term. The gun control arc that recently populated this series took a deep spiral into complete madness. This is a nice return to form for the overall series, and still has those funny moments we expect from author James Asmus. The writer was working with many small scale ideas, while still juggling off a real plot and setting up further insanity.

 

This tale is incredibly economical in terms of plot, it sets up the ideas that there may be more to this tale than what initially meets the eye. There is also a nice sense of danger permeating the story that raises the stakes in certain moments. Humor is bold and pulls no punches, there are many moments that threaten to turn this book into a stark drama. If the two heroes do not get their lives together somewhat, this could turn dangerous extremely fast. Watching Quantum & Woody engage in classic superheroics is a nice touch as well. The opening sequence in this issue balances comedy with action in a clever manner. The juxtaposition in the last scene is a nice balance that opens up the wider plot nicely. The final moments in the tale have some significantly dark teases that may begin to test how much readers can really get attached to the already unlikable Woody. It still gets the plot moving very fast in a situation that should give the anti-hero a real character arc.

 

The art from Kano has a nice sense of rhythm and flow that makes this issue a joy to read. The artists page layouts are engrossing and drag the reader immediately into the story. Lines are sharp and add an extra layer to the story. The only real drawback here is that there are many inconsistently drawn scenes. Quantum in particular looks different from page to page, at some points I even thought that he was a completely different character. Facial expressions are absolutely lovely, and make the issue come alive in certain moments. It is also worth noting that this issue is jam packed with detail in almost every scene, giving the readers the impressions that Kano has been hard at work on this issue.

With a more decompressed story that should hook readers in with ease, Quantum And Woody #9 ushers in an exciting new direction for the comic. Kano’s artwork fits in nicely, with big bold facial expressions, dynamic page layouts, and a great variety of sharp lines. Asmus and Kano work together very well, as it is clear they are both trying to craft a truly great book. The new penciller and direction should excite fans of the title that are seeking a different variety of superheroics.