The Question | Geekscape

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a real tried and true DC event that really touches everyone. That tradition of big events is coming sooner than anyone may have expected, in the form of July’s upcoming Trinity War. Even before Flashpoint, the big events were cataclysmic in scale and had much more of an impact on a very different DC Trinity, the varied Justice Leagues. With the new Justice League of America, there are now three leagues in total, including the well-known Justice League and the lesser-known and magically inclined Justice League Dark. The new DCU won’t be the same after this, because it’s as much about the three leagues as it is the Trinity of Sin.

For those unaware of this “Trinity of Sin”, let’s take a look back at the New 52 FCBD Special Edition from 2012. We see the Phantom Stranger, Pandora and the new Question. These three are guilty of crimes against Man by the Circle of Eternity, a cable of wizards whose most notable member was Shazam. That’s right. The old wizard that turned Billy Batson into The World’s Mightiest Mortal was one of those that cursed the Trinity of Sin. The ways in which they did so were fairly ironic. The Phantom Stranger will forever remain a mystery to others and must betray people who rely on him. Pandora must wander the Earth alone and be told how she and her curiosity are evil. The Question was once a mighty warlord, until the Circle of Eternity caused him to forget his own name and desperately search for answers he’d never find.To say that Pandora is dangerous is to make a severe understatement. She is, after all, the woman who singlehandedly caused the DCU as we knew it to become what it is today, or so the pages of Flashpoint would have us believe. She’ll get her own series a month before the Trinity War begins, so we’ll really have an opportunity to learn about her then, and then the Question as the Trinity War unfolds.

Trinity of Sin: Pandora, Phantom Stranger and The Question

The thing to think about is that both the Trinity and the three leagues will duke it out. Furthermore, the fact that a character has to die in order for the event to take off shows just how big it may be. It seems as though the lines between the good and bad guys will be blurred on this one, similarly to Crisis on Infinite Earths and Zero Hour. It feels like it’ll be a “how hard can I hit before you break” sort of book. I’m really looking forward to a good story, but at this point, who really knows what we’ll get from it. It may very well undo the New 52, or it could be the final catalyst that forces the WildC.A.T.s into being in the current continuity.

For now, what we know is that there will be plenty of characters thrown at each other that either haven’t met or just plain hate each other. The Martian Manhunter and Shazam are two of those sorts of characters: J’onn, the Martian Manhunter, is the one with no real allegiances and a rough meeting with the original Justice League, contrary to the old model of the DCU, while Shazam has not yet been part of any team, and it’s unclear as to whether he even wishes to be. The inclusion of these and other sorts of “minor” characters could potentially give them solo series. The thing to really remember is how events like Crisis on Infinite Earths revitalized DC Comics during their publication.

Showing all of the extra characters in an event like this could potentially work very well for the New 52. All I can tell you about the finale at this point is what Geoff Johns told USA Today earlier:

“It’s not going to end wrapped up in a bow,” he says. “Something really, really major happens that kicks off some pretty crazy stuff at the end of August.”

What I feel in my gut (and it’s never wrong… except for when it is) is that things will be quite different after this event, in the same way that things changed for Marvel after AvX last year. Sides will be chosen, relationships forever changed, and trust broken beyond repair. Some things are going to go down and people are going to say and do things that they can’t take back. That’s just life as a superhero (or John Constantine) for you. Things have a way of happening, and somebody usually ends up paying for it. It’ll certainly make the DCU more interesting than it’s been for the past few months, but the question is, “at what price?” We’ll figure out soon, so until then, just keep on checking the news feeds and your old pals at Geekscape. Trust me, I’ve got you covered. When I know, so will you.

This older edition of Long Box Thoughts laid buried deep down in the archives of Geekscape’s features. With the conclusion of Countdown, the Question’s death in 52 and the impending Final Crisis, here it is, on the front page, for all of you to rediscover. -Jonathan

The Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan era of The Question is one of those titles that is remembered fondly by those who read it, and hardly remembered by those who didn’t. The re-imaging of this Steve Ditko creation was launched in a post-crisis DCU and rode on the wave of the new ‘mature’ hero line that DC was launching in the wake of such success as Green Arrow: Long Bow Hunters, Swamp Thing and Watchmen. The Question series found an audience for its unique take on the action genre and strong use of eastern philosophy. The series lasted for 36 issues, and then became a quarterly title for a little over year before it was officially cancelled. After that, The Question occupied DC Comics limbo, only making an appearance here and there, usually by writers (Rucka, O’Neil) who had a soft spot for the character. The Question, like much of the Charlton Action Heroes ,was at best a c-list character. This list ranking changed though over the course of a little mini-series you may have heard of, called 52.

Over the course of 52, the comic buying world was reintroduced to Vic Sage, just to witnessed his eventual death. As a big O’Neil era fan of The Question, I have mixed feelings about this, which is best to be discussed at a different, and more appropriate time. One positive to come out of this though, was that an interest was generated in the O’Neil/Cowan era, resulting with DC releasing a trade of the first six issues, entitled, Zen and Violence and announcing a second trade to come later this year.

The story arc of this first trade is, like most new titles, focused on introducing the character and the supporting cast. We are introduced to his unattainable love interest, Myra, the loyal friend and confident, Tot, and the corrupt cop who is trying to change, Izzy (who’s story follows an arc similar to another famous DC law enforcer, Harvey Bullock). The series would also reintroduce Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva to the DCU.

The story starts of with Vic Sage, already having his Question persona, being shown as a brash, cocky man. Quick to anger and quicker to act. Who Vic Sage is, and how he first became The Question is something that would be told slowly over the course of the series. This first arc is not about secret origins and histories as many are, but is instead about rebirth. We see the death of the brash Vic Sage, and witness his rebirth, thanks to Shiva and Dragon, into a more zen like character. Gone is the quick to anger side of Vic, and in its place is a man who believes in the importance of meditation and breathing exercises. Even though, Vic posses a new outlook on life, he is still shown, much like a recoverying addict, to be tempted to lead his life by his old ways, even though he knows he is on the path to be something better. Vic is still flawed. He is a man, like all of us, who is still prone to his old habits. This flaw is what humanizes Victor in ways that the characterization of Batman and other DCU heroes cannot. This questions of identity and of it being possible for someone to truly change their outlook and lifestyle are ones that would reoccur through out the series, and is perhaps its unattended thesis. Each character in the series, including the physical environment of Hub City, in the course of the series are struggling with change, and meeting it with varied success.

As mentioned before, the story has strong elements of philosophy (especially Eastern) in it, and along with a unique creative decision, of not using sound effects, the story at times comes across as being overwritten. There are pages, which are dependent on the dialogue to know what is happening (ex: “The phone is ringing, can you answer it?”), if there was no text, it would be extremely hard at times to follow the story. This is not a problem of the art, but the problem of a creative decision needing to be fleshed out. Having read the series in its entirety, I can tell you this problem lessens as the writing and art come into harmony, but in this trade, the harmony is lacking. See the image to the right for an example of this over writting to work around the lack of sound effects.

Collected here in Zen and Violence, is the initial four issue story arc, and two single issues stories. The single issue stories are by far the gems of this collection, and harken back to the O’Neil and Adams Green Arrow/Green Lantern periods from the 1970’s. These single issues ask compelling questions and paint vivid pictures of the world these characters inhabit. It also the first, and not the last time where we see The Question being a supporting character to Hub City and its elements. These solo stories also benefit from being issue 5 and 6 of the series, as it is clear that the series starting to get its footing.

Overall this trade is not the best introduction to The Question, but it serves to introduce the world that the character inhabits. The trade would have been better served if it contained the first year of issues, or the first annual storyline, Fables (a crossover with the Batman and Green Arrow annuals). Many of the elements in the first four issues build the foundation to the series and will ultimately dictate events throughout the series. If you’re a fan of other O’Neil work, or the Grell era of Green Arrow, the Question is a solid addition to your library. If the use of Mr. Sage in 52 perked your interest in The Question, or are looking for something different and are willing to be challenged in your vigilante super heroics. then The Question may very well be the answer you’re looking for.

Tag: The Question

The Coming War: What The Return of Pandora Could Mean For the New 52

The Question: Zen And Violence