A superhero story about two siblings who can’t stand each other sounds like an interesting concept. It’s too bad that “Quantum and Woody†by James Asmus fails to deliver the goods.
In the first issue we are introduced to two step-brothers, Eric and Woody, before they get their superpowers. They find out their dad died. Eric thinks he was murdered, so, being a cop, he tries to find out who did it. Meanwhile, Woody is just along for the ride and messes things up royally.
This is the typical straight man/ idiot duo that’s been done plenty of times. This comic plays it straight with typical results. Eric is the good cop who tries everything to do the right thing. Woody is the idiot who steals, sleeps with plenty of women and does everything he can to anger Eric.
If Asmus tried going for an Abbot and Costello or Riggs and Murtaugh kind of thing, he failed. This duo feels more like a pair from an unfunny comic. Woody’s antics come off more annoying than comedic. This unfortunate character archetype makes him unlikable and makes the audience want him dead. Eric is portrayed as the good cop to the point where he seems like an boyscout than a fleshed out character.
As with any superhero story, there needs to be an explanation as to how they got their powers. The explanation given is one of the most overused go-to explanations of how a human gets superpowers, ever. It has come to the point where this is becoming more of a parody than a legitimate origins story.
The artwork by Tom Fowler switches from modern to classical comic style. The classical is used for flashback and the modern for the present. This sounds like a clever idea to utilize, but it comes off as more as a parody than serious. Since this comic is more on the serious side this style falls flat on its face despite nice each section looks. Fowler also can’t seem to get facial expressions that don’t look weird. This is obvious in reaction shots and most glaringly the reporter on the first page.
“Quantum and Woody†is a tired straight man/ idiot-good cop/bad cop story with unlikable characters and an origins that has worn out its welcome.
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