Question #37 Review

DC Comics is presently doing a major event called Blackest Night. It’s crossing over into many of their titles, and spawning assorted limited series. Personally, I’m largely giving it a pass, as I don’t like either the concept or the execution. The dead return to life! Just like every other day in the DCU! This time, they come back evil, as decayed zombies with power rings that let them regenerate from any damage. Dead versions of old friends (and enemies) are hell-bent on killing their former friends/foes, who then join their ranks. Its kind of a superhero version of a zombie movie, really.

Now where I will give DC credit for being clever is they have decided to bring several canceled titles back from the dead, too, as it were. Various books come back for one more time as part of the Blackest Night event, and instead of being called one shots or specials, they continue the issue numbering from when the book was stopped. Obeying the Black Lantern command to “RISE” this week was the Question, back for issue 37. This story is called “One More Question” and Dennis O’Neil, the man behind the, IMHO, best incarnation of the Question returns to write this one, with Greg Rucka, who seems to be DC’s designated gay woman writer. That’s not a slam on him, before someone complains, I like his writing, but lately he seems to do Batwoman and Question II more than anything else. Just a random observation.  As ever, spoilers below.

Following the normal pattern for these Blackest Night stories, we start with a review of the life of Charles Victor Szasz, better know as Vic Sage, still better known as the first Question ( http://acomicbookblog.com/comic-book-blog/dc-comics-blog/who-is-the-question/ ). However, after the recap, instead of the bursting from the grave as we’ve come to expect, we shift scenes to the lighthouse Sage once owned which is now shared by his former advisor and friend Aristotle Rodor and Rene Montoya, his former protege and now successor as the Question. Rodor and Renee are discussing the Black Lantern situation while Rodor rather ghoulishly collects hairs from one of Vic’s old hats, expecting that he will return as so many have. Rodor wants more answers about how the black rings work, and seems to have switched to full on mad scientist mode. Renee is not happy about this. Their debate is interrupted by a knock at the door. Shiva has arrived to test the mettle of this new Question, among other things giving her version of a challenge “We will fight. You will defend yourself or you will die.” Not one to mince words, Shiva. Renee, rarely at a loss for a smart quip, returns “I’ve got to go outside and get beat up now, Professor.” They do indeed fight, and Renee wins rare praise from Shiva, who calls her adequate, and goes on with “This won’t be as boring as I feared.”

Lady Shiva

Back inside, a black ring appears by Tot’s (as he’s called) samples, and then the BL Question manifests and knocks him aside. Shiva, of course, beats Renee, but then is interrupted in turn by this undead version of the man they all knew, his faceless mask now looking much more like a skull (nice touch). He “reads” the two ladies through the emotional color scheme that runs through the series (it just hit me this whole thing is kinda like the mood rings in the 70s), noting will for Shiva and compassion for Question II, and then they all fight. Shiva reveals this is why she actually came, to test herself against one such as he.

The fight takes a hugely unexpected turn when Tot comes outside with a gun and shoots the otherwise occupied Shiva in the shoulder, saying he wants answers about life and death, and that Sage can give him those answers. Sage now reads him as pure avarice/greed. Sage taunts Tot a bit, and then prepares to kill him. Shiva tells Question that they can’t destroy the Black Lantern, but it can only see what they feel. With that cryptic hint, Shiva attacks again, and then when Sage turns on her, she fades from his view, using her mental discipline to reign in all her emotions. Renee passes the hint on to Tot and then does the same, and Tot does so while Sage’s hand is on his throat. Confused, Sage wanders off and after they regroup, Renee goes to hunt him down.

I liked this for the most part. O’Neil is a master, and Rucka is quite good. The feel of the characters seemed pretty good to me, with one exception. I haven’t been following the Question back up feature in Detective, so maybe this is something new I’ve missed, but before that at least, Tot was never the mad scientist type. He was a genius, sure, he created the gas and faceless mask the Questions have both used, but he was never the “Mua-ha-ha” type before. Now suddenly, he seems to be, which I really didn’t care for. Renee and Shiva both seemed dead on.

The art had a muddy, unclear feel to it to me, such as when Renee comes back inside to tell Tot what they need to do and it seems to be raining on her still. I checked, and sure enough, Bill Sienkiewicz did some of the inks, and I’ve just never liked his style. Overall, a good issue and worth checking out, if you’re a fan of either Question or Shiva, or a Blackest Night completist I suppose.