5. Quantum and Woody #3 by James Asmus and Tom Fowler (Valiant)
There aren't enough comedy superheroes out there. Deadpool, sure, Wolverine and the X-Men has a light-hearted tone, but generally comedy and superheroes are an overlooked pairing. Thank goodness for Valiant's Quantum and Woody who help balance out this injustice! They are twenty-something foster brothers whose investigations into their scientist father's mysterious death leads to them to receiving superpowers in the form of power bracelets but they don't know how to use them and a global super-villain organisation is after them! Writer James Asmus and artist Tom Fowler's entertaining series continues its fun story in issue #3 where Quantum (real name Eric) and Woody fight off killer clown monsters called the Nightmare Brigade imagined by psychic creepy brothers Johnny 1 and 2 and, of course, Woody's afraid of clowns. Meanwhile the villainous organisation, Edison's Radical Acquisitions (ERA a secret society founded by Thomas Edison to control the rate at which mankind advances scientifically, while making money off of their stolen inventions), led by plastic surgery addict The Crone, is closing in on our heroes. There are genuinely laugh-out-loud moments in the comic like the homeless guy in the trolley wearing Eric's cape yelling "I'm the king'a the world!!!" which was brilliant the context makes the visual work so well and there's a genius discussion between the two when Eric discovers Woody impersonated him to get their superhero gear. By the way, Eric is black and Woody is white. So... yeah. I won't tell you how it plays out but it's a smart discussion on racism, challenging what is and what isn't, that's actually really funny too that scene alone makes reading this comic worthwhile. The story is fully engaging but the best part of the book is Eric and Woody's relationship which is so charming. It's a superhero title where you're rooting for the two leads as they haplessly figure out how to be superheroes while hunting down their father's killers. This issue has lots of fun moments and ends on a footnote that affirms the first rule of showbiz by leaving you wanting more. Quantum and Woody is one of the best new series of the year and at only issue #3 it's a great opportunity for new readers to jump on board with this brilliant title. If you enjoy well-written superhero stories with excellent jokes and great art, Quantum and Woody is for you.