The Delinquents 1+2

In what might be the most insane, ludicrous, and chuckle-inducing crossover from Valient, The Delinquents #1 and #2 proves to be a fun-loving, off-the-wall story of mismatched “heroes” and super-powered outcasts. A mysterious “hobo map,” which promises both a legendary adventure and bounty, falls to the hands of Armstrong, an immortal who has taken a keen interest to the vagrant life. Over time, a piece of it rips off and comes into the possession of a very powerful (and very zen) agriculture company owner, Gerald Stano. Who do you think he hires to find the treasure? No team other than the wise-cracking, rule-breaking Quantum and Woody.

Fans of Quantum and Woody and Archer & Armstrong know what to expect: random tangents and throwaway punchlines from the adopted brothers and misinterpretation from the immortal/super-soldier duo. All of it seems to remain central to this comic, including the world created around the two teams. The plot serves to distinguish itself beyond a simple patch-job that merges the tones of both comics; we get introduced to a corporation populated with murderous henchmen (run by the aforementioned zen CEO) on the hunt for the mythical hobo treasure. The contrast between the company’s rather violent “enforcement” policies (think giant henchmen doing giant henchmen-y things) and the fact that they have “an amazing, all-natural, homeopathic enema” highlights the ridiculous nature of both of these comics, letting the two series fit neatly together.

Due to the planned four-comic-arc, however, my only qualm with the first two issues is in its pacing. As quickly as the two duos meet, their relationship runs the gamut of emotions. Defensiveness turns to aggressiveness, which then turns into straight-up violence (which, admittedly, is fun to watch unfold), which then turns into a sense of buddy-buddy camaraderie. I understand that this group of characters are known for their rambunctious behavior and fleeting emotional investments, but to watch relationships change on a dime that quickly just dizzies the reader.

Still, The Delinquents places humor and absurdity above all else, which gives makes this series a refreshing read. It revels in its bizarre world, letting villains be comically evil and protagonists be great in ability but mediocre in pretty much everything else. Tongue-in-cheek humor goes hand-in-hand with political disillusionment, which is in turn punctuated by over the top violence. Simply put, this comic has fun with the material, and it ends up being difficult to read this issue without a smirk on your face.

For information on The Delinquents and other Valiant Entertainment comics, check out their website.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.