The "Summer of Valiant" continues this year with Quantum & Woody coming in July. We've already told you a lot about it including posting previews, a QR voice variant and a whole lot more. Today we have an interview with James Asmus the writer of the series. First though, a big congrats to James who just had a baby... I mean, not physically, but his wife did. Anyways congrats! If you stick around after the interview you'll also get an exclusive look at some new pages from the first issue and a gang of covers!

Dustin Cabeal)  Is Quantum and Woody going to follow suit with the rest of the Valiant relaunch, making it easily approachable for new readers?

James Asmus)  Definitely. The first issue is our modernized origin story, kicking off the new series with everything you need to know.

DC)  What are you looking to do differently this time around with the characters that might not have been done the last time?

JA)  The first series only put out twenty-odd issues. So there's tons of new ground to explore with the guys. The opposite ends of the spectrum most notably include their father/abandonment issues and their very modern desire to try and cash in on their accidental celebrity.

DC)  With you writing so many other comics with a variety of companies, how long do you plan to stay with the series and how big is your idea for it?

JA)  When Valiant first approached me, it was about doing a miniseries. My time was stretched thin, but I was such a fan of the original series I couldn't pass up the chance to pitch for it. Ultimately, we've found such a good groove that I've tried to make room to keep doing the series for a lot longer than that. I've got a lot of ideas for what I want to put these guys through— but I'm also looking forward to synching up with the larger Valiant Universe, so I'm keeping how we get to those things flexible for now.

DC)  What brand of comedy are you bringing to the series and will the series overall still have a serious vibe to it?

JA)  For me, the way to maximize the humor and the heart of the series is to root everything in character. The comedy and the pathos both come from the flaws, anxieties, and failures of our guys. I pretty much made my comedy career writing people you both laugh at and feel for at the same time. Between that and my love of superhero comics, I'm not kidding when I say it feels like this is the culmination of my disparate career.

And fortunately, our editor Jody LeHeup was able to net the ridiculously talented Tom Fowler to draw this craziness. If you're not familiar with his work, the balance Tom strikes between high-energy and real emotion in his characters is pitch-perfect and inspiring for the series' tone.

DC)  What’s up with that goat and why is it already my favorite character?

JA)  Because you have good taste! In the original series, the goat was originally meant as a throw-away gag, but the editors wouldn't let it go. It quickly snowballed into the crazy mascot for the book. We're teasing his introduction, but he'll make a BIG impression by the end of the first arc.  And we've got even bigger plans for him from there! (You'll love it. So just call your retailer right now and tell them to start ordering copies for you.) -- We'd like to thank James for taking the time to chat with us and also Valiant for helping set everything up. Quantum & Woody is out on July 10th, so begin pre-ordering today!