Quantum and Woody #4
Creative Team:
Writer: James Asmus
Artist: Tom Fowler
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
The Issue:
No matter what he did, Eric Henderson felt that he couldn’t please his father. His adopted brother, Woody received all the attention. Eric carried this chip on his shoulder throughout his life. Driven by a need to finally please his father he set to find out who was behind his death. To do this he had to break into E.R.A. Facilities International.
Detective Alejandra Cejudo delivered Woody to E.R.A. A question that stood out last issue was why she was working with them. Here it is revealed that she is one of the many clones that they created. Quantum broke into the lab and with the aid of a super powered goat (yes, a goat) freed his brother. Detective Cejudo is order to strap a device to her chest and sacrifice herself only to refuse.
The leader of E.R.A. has her seat blown up and confronted by the brothers Henderson as they look for answers to who was behind their father’s death. They press her and find out that their father wasn’t killed at all but instead he committed suicide. The brothers continue their path of accidental destruction and leave as the lab explodes.
Woody reveals that it wasn’t that their father didn’t appreciate him. Derek wanted Woody to be more like Eric, but instead of letting Eric in on this he put his focus on the problem kid. When the Eric blew up the lab, Woody left and took the blame for it just so his brother would get his reputation ruined. Now with this schism that was left from their past healed the brothers look forward to a future where they have to spend time together or else they’ll dissipate.
What I Liked:
The highlight of this issue is without a doubt is Quantum breaking in to surprise E.R.A. He stands there using his best superhero language expecting all these animal experiments to be behind him and he turns to see a goat. He believes that he’s screwed but everyone in the lab is scared. This is obviously a reference to the great rabbit scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This goat was on several covers and I’m glad to see how it finally paid off.
The dialogue as always pops off the page. The series doesn’t feel the need to take itself overly serious and thanks to that these characters all have life. It isn’t just snark filled lines but there is personality packed in each one. An example of this is the exposition used as Quantum is approaching the lab. Sure, it can be seen as an info dump where he lets the readers know that he is an “army-trained security professional,” but on the page it is him psyching himself up for what he is doing. He wants to know what happened to his father but that’s not enough to get him over this initial fear. It isn’t until Woody is in danger that he lets his anger take the wheel.
What I Didn’t Like:
While the dialogue is great it often gets in the way of the action. What I mean by that is that when Eric and Woody get involved in their banter all the action around them stops. They are in the lab fighting the clones and everything pauses so they can banter. I enjoy the banter but the pauses get to be too much and slows the momentum of the issue.
The story arc for the character Alejandra has been rushed. When we are introduced to her we find out that she is a cop who is at odds with them. She is on the case of the death of Derek Henderson and the brothers Henderson get on her radar. Alejandra goes from wanting to arrest them by any means to being a part of this evil scientist group. Then in this issue we find out she is one of the clones. That’s a lot right? But wait! Then she wants her own agency and decides to rebel. Now she wants to go to just be a cop. Maybe this can pay off but this was really rushed.
While dealing with that rushed, and messy, arc for Alejandra we reach an all too easy conclusion for the brothers. It makes sense, but it was way too easy.
Grade:
Coatesvillain
Just a guy who was into this nerd stuff before it's popular. Now that is I'm just happy I have people to talk about it with.
