Written by Alex Segura witth art by Cian Tormey and Romulo Fajardo Jr. (who, I just realised is on his second All In title), The Question All Along the Watchtower follows the second Question (no longer the only Question, as Charlie Sage has somehow returned to life since 52. Who knew?), Renee Montoya as she joins the Justice League Unlimited at the behest of the Trinity as the head of security. Now sporting a new Sheriff-esque outfit, a new Phantom Zone connected gun and the same old hat and face mask (although there are moments I'm sure the former more closely resembles a cowboy hat), the Question, along with a team of allies which includes her former paramour Batwoman, is tasked with investigating the mysterious enemy attempting to infiltrate, take control of, and maybe even destroy the Watchtower and the JLU with it.
Ever since her introduction as the titular Question during the events of 52, I've always had a soft spot for Renee Montoya. Final Crisis Revelations was the main bright spot to come out of that event for me and, along with Renee's damaged and redemption seeking life, her depiction has always resonated. Therefore, upon seeing this first issue on the shelf at my LCS, it felt like a foregone conclusion to pick it up, even if character (and I mean Montoya AS the Question) creator Greg Rucka was not on scribing duties.
Fortunately, I certainly felt that Alex Segura filled those shoes more than adequately when penning this story. While the plot isn't without its holes (I mean, why would a community of Superheroes need a 'Sheriff'?), Segura has written a truly engaging and interesting mystery, one perfect for the Noir-esque Question to sink her metaphorical (because her mask gives her no facial features ... Yeah, I oughta stop with the comedy) teeth into. In fact, when I say that Question is a very crime noir like character, Alex Segura seems to have noticed that too. The whole series, with the exception of the odd scene which still doesn't reveal the villain/heightens the intrigue, comes across as quintessential Marlowe and Spade level crime fiction, as every moment, every piece of dialogue, every moment of narration reads from Montoya's perspective as a gumshoe.
Like I said, though, the story isn't perfect. There are moments where the the story feels too ... crowded (for want of a better word) in both characters and what is taking place. Meanwhile, with the reveal of the main villain, it struck me how much of their dialogue has a very Victor Von Doom style of speech, something I don't think I'd have expected from this character, along with the alteration to their power set. Finally, there is then that suspension of disbelief factor where it seems crazy that saving the day would come down to a nonpowered superhero with the likes of Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman all supposedly residing on this space station also.
That said, I do feel, with the writing, that the good does outweigh the bad,especially with the inclusion of Superman villain the Eradicator, who operates as the villain's main henchman with both a cool look and a nice level of sass.
Meanwhile, I really enjoyed Cian Tormey's artwork, which had this very energetic feel to it, something akin to Iban Coello and/or Ivan Fiorelli's work on the most recent run of Fantastic Four. I will admit that I would have preferred the colours and tone to be a little darker and more Noir-ish, but Fajardo Jr. still offers up a colourful yet grounded pallette to help the pencil's energy pop.
Once again, the ending of this series gave me some pause for thought. However, unlike with Challengers of the Unknown, it was more a case of tone than story conclusion (I always expect an ending much less light and hopeful for a character/s like the Question). Otherwise, the Question was entertaining and engrossing story, a good read that, while maybe not amongst the creme de la creme of my collection, certainly is deserving of a place and a re-read in a couple of years (once I've cycled back through everything else).
So, two down, two to go. Next up is the last of DC All In mini crossover titles (i.e. titles which have ever so slightly referenced each other): The Atom Project.
No comments:
Post a Comment