Reviewed by Brady Steele. When you think couples counseling, do you think of superheroes? How about drugs, hypnotism and post-hypnotic triggers? I didn’t think so. However, I’m happy someone did! Quantum and Woody Must Die! #2 ups the zaniness and accidental heroics a serious notch or two to show how inadvertently great these two vigilante clowns are, despite their enemies best efforts.
WRITTEN BY: James Asmus
ART BY: Steve Lieber
PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 25 February 2015
Writer James Asmus knows funny. You can just feel it in almost every panel of this book. The back-and-forth between Quantum and Woody comes across as two brothers who genuinely get on each other’s nerves. Scenes are peppered all over the series which makes it an unpretentious treat to read. The fact that they are in couples therapy to become a better super team is too comical to not mention.
On top of that, their psychotherapist / fake counsellor Dr. Henrik Skinner is secretly manipulating them into showcasing how actually awful and terrible they are at being heroes. There’s even a tender moment or two to show that these would-be-heroes are not complete sociopaths and have real emotions. Those feelings are buried PRETTY deep, but they are in there somewhere. It feels like an episode of a sitcom that we’ve all seen before but somehow it’s completely fresh and absolutely unconventional.
Steve Lieber’s art keeps the tone light and off-the-wall. There’s comical, there’s ultra-violence, animals shooting and fetching, there’s dark rooms full of nasty, diseased and vengeful folks…there’s even a bed pan toss!
The only thing lacking is The Goat. You always need more Goat.
Once again, letterer Dave Lanphear steals the show by adding so much to the series. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Sweatpants!’ moment. You’ll know when you see it. If you don’t laugh, see a doctor.
So far, it feels like the Super-Human Trauma Coping Group is trying too hard to utterly destroy the World’s Worst Super-team. Their sneak attacks are on par with ye old Willy Coyote vs. The Road Runner. Meep Meep indeed. I can’t wait to see how they try to obliterate them next month.
—
Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.