There are a lot of reasons to be looking forward to 2020, and you can now add the return of the World’s Worst Superhero Duo to the list. That’s right, in a few short months, Quantum & Woody will be back wreaking havoc on the Valiant Universe in a new series from writer Chris Hastings (The Unbelievable Gwenpool) and artist Ryan Browne (Curse Words).

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Hastings and Browne’s artistic sensibilities are certainly in tune with the off-beat vibe of Quantum & Woody. Hastings’ series The Adventures of Dr. McNinja was a blend of deep, character driven adventure and utter insanity while Browne seems to continually pump out some of the strangest, most unsettling comics around, like his own God Hates Astronauts and the explosive Image Comics’ series Curse Words.As a series, Quantum & Woody has always embraced the absurd. It’s a story of two estranged brothers forced to reunite thanks to superpowers that require them to “klang” their metal wristbands together every 24 hours or they’ll dissolve (literally). Originally premiering in 1997, the series and characters have undergone a few relaunches and reboots over the years, all of which have an influence on this newest adventure.“It's not a full on reboot, but it's not strictly captive to either continuity either,” Hastings told IGN. “I think as Quantum & Woody have more and more creators adding to their myth, it's okay for the next guy -- me -- to shave off some of the specifics of certain bits of history, while remaining true to the larger truths of the characters and the world.”

The last Quantum & Woody series ended with the title characters on the run from the government. This new series is set to pick up there, with the Quantum and Woody’s reputation as superheroes in tatters and the duo struggling to find any sort of adventure or mission that will help them regain their relevance and status as heroes. Because these characters are typically tagged “the world’s worst superhero duo,” this is likely to prove more difficult than they expect.

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In addition to drawing from past runs, Hasting and Browne noted some unlikely influences on their Quantum & Woody.“I actually looked to some television shows to help with this. Brooklyn Nine-Nine for keeping a funny story tight, moving and high energy with lovable characters, and shows like the X-Files for balancing ‘monster of the week’ one-and-dones with longer term mysteries,” Hasting said.As longtime fans know, Quantum & Woody is not a series that takes things too seriously and that trend looks to continue in 2020. Hastings and Browne are promising everything from battles with government assassins to adventures in haunted high schools, plus the return of the duo’s sidekick: a goat (he's actually a literal goat). This fits perfectly with this creative team, both of whom are known for their humorous and deranged work.“I see Quantum and Woody fitting into the Valiant universe the same way characters like Deadpool fit in at Marvel, or Plastic Man or Harley Quinn fit into DC. To steal a culinary metaphor, they are that little bit of acidity in a rich savory recipe that makes the whole thing pop. You need a little comedy in a superhero universe,” Hasting said.“We gonna goof y'all and y'all gonna feel like y'all got supreme goof value. Just alls y'alls wait,” Browne promised, and he seemed very serious about it so we’re gonna take him on his word.Browne’s vibrant and kinetic artwork works wonderfully with Hastings fast-paced and maniacal writing, which makes us wonder why these two haven’t teamed up in the past.“I feel like Ryan and I teaming up is something that should have already happened by now, and this title is correcting some sort of error in the timeline,” Hastings said.When you think about it, it makes sense that the guy who made Dr. McNinja is partnering with the guy who made God Hates Astronauts on a new Quantum & Woody series. This is a comic book that was destined to happen and we’re just lucky to be here to witness it.Quantum & Woody #1 is set to debut on January 29, 2020, featuring colors by Ruth Redmond, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and covers by David Nakayama, David Lopez, Dave Johnson, and Erica Henderson.For more news from the world of comics, check out why X-Men's Goldballs is now the most important mutant ever by watching the video below:

Ben is a lover of Godzilla, comics, and hardcore music. Find him on twitter @BenHBailey