Quantum & Woody #1 Discussion

[BugsySig]

This book is great. zero complaints. Lets ROLL!

Ditto.

I loved the first issue. I laughed out loud several times.

In fact, this #1 issue challenges for the best #1 issues so far of any VEI title.

I have to agree. For me its right there with A&A #1 and Bloodshot #1 for debut issues.

[lorddunlow]

I actually expected it to be funnier. It was really good, though.

[Heath]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

[Chiclo]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

It will take a lot more than one issue for any book to replace Shadowman at the bottom of the heap for me.

[Dallow Spicer1]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

It will take a lot more than one issue for any book to replace Shadowman at the bottom of the heap for me.

Ha ha, I hear you Chiclo but I'd throw A&A in there as another book 'rife with possibilities'

[BugsySig]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

I've read a few issues of the original on Comixology recently and I really don't see what was "edgy" about it. Maybe it was more so at the time, but I didn't see it. I also didn't find it that funny. I laugh more at FVL's A&A than Priest's Q&W

[Heath]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

It will take a lot more than one issue for any book to replace Shadowman at the bottom of the heap for me.

Shadowman at least has some great art.

[Big Red]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

To be fair, you're comparing 22 issues from volume 1 to one issue of the new series.

How much humor and edginess did Priest and Bright's first issue of Q and W really have?

[Heath]

How much humor and edginess did Priest and Bright's first issue of Q and W really have?

Probably less than I remember.

[Baramos]

It was fairly edgy, at least for its take on racial issues and humor. It was also a pretty funny first issue--but this one was just as funny (with different events).

[Chiclo]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

To be fair, you're comparing 22 issues from volume 1 to one issue of the new series.

How much humor and edginess did Priest and Bright's first issue of Q and W really have?

Big Red brings up an interesting point - I was very negative about Harbinger after one issue. Now I can't say enough good things about Harbinger.

[Jonman]

I've gone back and checked out this issue multiple times and I got to say this has become my new favorite title in just one issue. James Asmus' talents are perfectly suited for this title. He brings a great amount of humor to whatever I've seen him do, but here he balances it with just the right amount of heart. He's also already developed these characters fairly well in such a short amount of time. The dynamic between Eric and Woody is really the most important thing going forward for a title like this, and it shouldnt surprise anyone that Asmus nails it right out the gate. It's a lighthearted dynamic between the two for sure, but it doesn't take long to see they have a complex and loving relationship when they break out in a fight at their father's funeral. At first I thought it was just another straight edge vs loose cannon type pairing, but they both are written as compelling and funny.

Not only is the writing spot on, but man is the art amazing! Tom Fowler's work in Quantum and Woody is just exquisite. He manages to create a quirky vibe that I really dig. Also, and most importantly, what Fowler really excels at is how expressive his characters are. So much emotive power is at work here that it's a wonder I hadn't heard of him before.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention the color art here by Jordie Bellaire. Normally I forget about color artists, but the colors here really stand out - not like as a sore thumb sort of way, but as how appropriate they are for the tone of the book. He pulls out such an earthy, warm tone which is well suited here. His work is a match made in comic heaven for Fowler's art. These guys might be the real stars here as far as this book is concerned. Not that Asmus is lacking in any sense, but Fowler's pencils coupled with Bellaire's colors are really that superb.

I can't wait to immerse myself further in this story and see more of the origin for these two who have been dubbed the world's worst superhero team. One of the best #1 issues I've ever read. This is the sort of fun I look to get out of a comic: wonderful characters, great art, tons of humor, just the right amount of heart, and even a bit of action. This is an origin story done right (so far). 5/5 from me. I'm even going to be as bold as to say Valiant's BEST number 1 issue of the relaunch. Come at me dissenters!

[fury143]

Loved issue one can' wait for the next issue. Explosion in the lab looked like X-rays Could they be new anti-Solar type characters

[leonmallett]

Looks like I'm in the minority on this book. I loved the original, and felt that this new book really fell flat in comparison. I think the only thing that even slightly made me chuckle was Woody peeing in the tub and the failed chloroform attempt. Otherwise it had neither the humor nor the edginess of the original. I'll give it a few more issues, but it has for now displaced Shadowman at the bottom of the list.

You are not alone in finding this book to be a bit flat Heath.

While I was pleasantly surprised by how much I came to like this issue, I hope Asmus would ditch the blackout panels. Those panels were a carry over from the original series and they were used then to great comedic effect. Not so here. If he would go for a different kind of comedy, might as well not use the tools from the past.

I agree with erwinrafael about the text boxes; it feels to me like they are trying to hard in some ways, and as a result it just feels like a watered-down pastiche of the original, or at least how I remember the original.

Also the art for me is pretty jarring. While VEI's VALIANT does not have a house style per se, this was so far from the art styles used on other books that it just did not feel right. Given a choice I would rather see something much less cartoon-y; from the original thinking about Mark Bright's pencils makes me think her would be a far better fit, and of course there are many others. I would rather see the art have much cleaner lines than this, but evidently from the thread tastes do vary (which is cool).

Finally, I think this book suffers in comparison to Archer and Armstrong; that book combines humour and adventure very will I feel, where as this struggles because the humour is being pushed so hard. I think there will be work to fashion a strong identity for this series.

[erwinrafael]

How much humor and edginess did Priest and Bright's first issue of Q and W really have?

Probably less than I remember.

It was edgy specially on its take on matters of race. And it was innovative, with the use of non-sequential storytelling, blackout panels ala Pulp Fiction, which were not really used at the time of its publication. The premise of the book back then was groundbreaking.

[Shadowman99]

I've got mixed feelings about this one, because whilst it didn't quite meet my expectations, I did enjoy the book.

My first 'problem' with the book is that it was nowhere near as funny as I thought it'd be. Honestly, that's really only a problem to me because it's based on my own personal tastes. Also more to do with the fact that I was expecting/hoping for something very Deadpool-y, in that I thought Q+W was going to be very slapstick and full of razor-sharp one liners. But again the only problem there is because of what I thought the book was going to be before reading it.

Then again I feel that we're yet to see Q+W at full comedy flow, because this first issue, in my opinion, primarily did exactly what a first issue should do: Set the story up. Which it did faultlessly. We've been given relationship dynamics between the two protagonists, a certain degree of background, plot seeds for the future of the comic, the current situation in which the characters are in and an ending that leads into their first major foray. Can't ask for much more from a first issue than that.

So whilst I didn't necessarily get what I wanted to from the book, I certainly found it entertaining enough to warrant buying issue #2, and quite probably at least the whole first arc.

Also loved the visual of the comic. Can't say enough good things about the lines and colours. The lines are a little scratchy for my tastes, but the expressions of the characters and the dynamic/animated body poses in which they're drawn are such a breath of fresh air, even compared to the other Valiant comics. And the colouring suits the book really well: It's got a really warm palette that doesn't use any overly extravagant colours, which I think adds to the more down-to-earth tone that this book has compared to some of the other titles. Normally I love extravagant colours, but in this case, I think the colouring style suits the title far better than say the type of colouring that we see in A+A or Harbinger.

If there's one thing that I want from this book going forward, its the artist and colourist who made issue #1 to stay on the book, because I just think that they suit the writing so well. I hardly dare to imagine the book without these facial expressions in it anymore.

Anyway, those're my thoughts on the book as a whole and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes in issue two. Got to admit, I am a bit dubious about how the spider clowns are going to happen and fit into the book. Seems a bit far fetched to me after the content of issue #1.

But the news broadcast featuring the characters falling from the building really intrigued me, because it's an event that clearly happens after the rest of the content in issue #1 has taken place - The narration box that stated the event happening merely as "Soon..." really caught my attention. We've already seen them wreck Eric's dad's workplace, so it's likely not that building they're falling from... So what is it? Really interested to see what that's all about. And the panel featuring the face-surgery lady with the red fem-bots pottering about in the background really interests me too, as well as that communist guy that's featured. Can't wait to see how they link into the story.

Overall, I feel a bit let down because I didn't find the book anywhere near as funny as I thought it would be, but
A) I can forgive the lack of 'comedy time' because the first book was spent establishing the characters, setting and story, which is more than forgivable, and
B) What the book did deliver was so good that I can hardly feel that I read a 'bad' book.

So definitely going to be reading issue #2.