“The Question: All Along the Watchtower” #1 Review- New Era, New Question

From DC Comics

Written by Alex Segura

Art by Cian Tormey

The Question: All Along the Watchtower demands to be covered this week on concept alone as we get our first real glimpse into the inner workings of the flashy new Justice League Unlimited through the eyes of one of DC’s most intriguing, underutilized characters.

Some years ago now, in the mid 2000’s era of DC Comics just frantically trying to implement a bunch of bold new things seemingly all at once- we were introduced to the newest iteration of the fabled spectral detective, The Question, as none other than long time Gotham Police Officer Renee Montoya took up the mantle.

Montoya has famously found her footing in modern DC Comics with appearances in Birds of Prey as well as Batwoman comics (which I haven’t read enough of, so if you have recommendations let me know- I was a big fan of the Batwoman miniseries in Batman: Urban Legends.) However, Montoya hasn’t routinely appeared as The Question, with some writers seemingly ignoring this mantle pass entirely, and she only recently returned to the titular character in the latter half of Ram V’s Detective Comics, where The Question played a pivotal role in helping Batman take down the Orgham family regime and restore the memory of Gotham City itself.

This sordid history with the new “Question” is part of what makes the existence of this new solo series from up-and-coming writer Alex Segura so intriguing. If you haven’t read anything from Segura, I highly recommend his most recent Dick Tracy reprisal from Mad Cave Studios, which was an excellent modern take on the character, not to mention an intelligently written old fashioned detective story, which leads me into my next point. The other draw of this title is of course that aforementioned engaging premise, which is- The Question as the guardian and de facto “sheriff” of the Watchtower, the satellite citadel of the new Justice League.

In the modern era of comics with dozens of exciting titles coming out every single week- there is something truly remarkable about a writer being able to present a story that “I didn’t know I needed” like this.

The concept of a superhero comic investigating and existing behind the scenes of the world’s strongest and most powerful people is such an interesting perspective that I think modern comic fans are ready for. What’s more, this first issue feels like an exciting new beginning specifically for the character of The Question, who is long overdue for an expansion of her story.

If you are a fan of procedural crime fiction or if you are a more traditional superhero comic fan who also enjoys unique story structure with an ensemble cast like, One Star Squadron, Strange Adventures, Danger Street or Human Target to name a few recent titles- then you can definitely get excited about The Question: All Along the Watchtower.

Let’s delve into more specifics in issue #1, which means,

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Our issue begins with Renee Montoya waking up from a fitful sleep as she muses on her life up to this point, remarking that she is sober now, that she used to be commissioner of Gotham, but somethings never change- as she stares down at the garb of The Question. Which is a really beautiful opening to this story, showcasing the emotional core of the character, the pervading desire to know the truth, amidst all of the chaotic forces of life.

A flip of the page transforms our story even more, as Renee gazes out the window of what we assumed was a Gotham City apartment building, but is revealed to be a scant viewing window of the Watchtower satellite orbiting serenely around the Earth. Segura boldly juxtaposes the decidedly pedestrian character of Renee and the antiquated costume of The Question with the overtly science fiction setting as a way of setting the character apart from their world. It would appear by all appearances that The Question is a “fish out of water” in the Watchtower, but time will tell if that is actually true. I find these kinds of stories to be a particular favorite of mine, taking an established character and placing them outside of their typical environment- this is exactly the sentiment that made Robert Venditti’s Hawkman so interesting as well as Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s, Superman: WarWorld to name a few.

Next we cut back in time as we see the events that led to The Question being assigned to this role on the Watchtower, as Renee reminisces over old photos in her apartment as Batman idles in the shadows. Renee chastises Batman for not helping her retain her job as Commissioner, saying that now she just wants to be left alone. However, Batman relents, saying that he knew she wouldn’t listen to him, but perhaps she would hear Superman out. Superman then appears in the window and carries Renee through the sky (trying not to swoon as all of us would), explaining the initiative of the Justice League Unlimited, but also saying that not all is as it appears on the Watchtower station and the mystery needs to be solved before it is too late. Specifically, Superman and the other members of the “big three” believe that someone or something is trying to take control of the Watchtower from the inside out.

Back in the present, Wonder Woman meets with The Question and essentially reiterates her responsibilities aboard the station, and then introduces her to her new team. If you weren’t excited about the character of The Question, then perhaps her team members in this comic will catch your attention, because it is both of the Blue Beetles- Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes. As some of the Justice League’s most tech savvy heroes, it makes sense that they are integral to the mystery of the Watchtower satellite’s internal espionage, though The Question seems unenthused by their inclusion.

Continuing the tour through the station, The Question is introduced to Animal Man in the zoological research department and runs into her ex, Kat Kane, aka Batwoman. However, before The Question can spiral too far into self deprecation and regret, the station is alerted to an intruder, the villain Conduit.

As The Question arrives on the scene, she watches Conduit do battle with several Justice League members, including Fire (who has Ice powers now which I think is more fun honestly). As The Question observes the fight, she remarks that Conduit seems remarkably well adept and catches the mechanized hero declaring “Active Protocols.” As Conduit breaks free from Fire’s Ice containment, and looms over The Question, she draws her shotgun (which has the power to shoot people into the Phantom Zone by the way, holy shit) and stuns the villain- revealing that it is in fact just an unpiloted machine.

Meanwhile, as The Question realizes that this fight was just a distraction, we see a mysterious figure discovering the mutilated body of one of the Watchtower workers seemingly inside of Renee’s room. What’s more, it seems clear from the final panel that the person who discovered the body is Batwoman- which is certain to cause some friction in the case.

This issue did an excellent job of establishing the unique role of The Question onboard the Watchtower and introducing a compelling mystery, while simultaneously expanding on the character of Renee Montoya and her established relationships. All of which is no easy feat to balance. I feel like the mystery is only going to deepen from this initial point and I’m excited to see even more appearances from niche Justice League members who don’t often get the spotlight. Additionally, I love that this comic is a vehicle for a more adult, graphic, and narratively grounded story within the context of the Justice League, which we don’t often get.

Please support your local comic book store and follow along with the mystery in The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 on shelves now!

-Nicholas Aaron Hodge