Thursday, August 18, 2011

I'd definitely read more Question Quarterly, but I'd probably read Rashomon Quarterly too.


Over at TV Tropes, this issue was under Rashomon Style, and it was a grail for me for some time. I finally found a copy a couple weeks back for myself: The Question Quarterly #5, "Outrage" Written by Denny O'Neil with Kelly Puckett, Mike Baron, and Mike Gold; art by Joe Quesada, Denys Cowan, Shea Anton Pensa, Jan Harpes, Mark Badger, Mike Mignola, and Mike Manley.

The facts are clear: Vic Sage, aka the Question, No-face, or That Sumbitch; punched out his old flame and mayor of Hub City, Myra Fermin. But why? Yeah, no one's going to agree on that, especially when you ask Vic's kung-fu buddy Marco, former bad cop Izzy, a crackhead, and Myra herself. Myra's story may start with the truth: a representative of a crime cartel tries to bribe her, in order to set up shop and bring in drugs without interference. Myra's first instinct is to send him packing, but she knows Hub City is in such terrible shape that even dirty money could do some good.

Vic talks her out of it...until a child is bitten by a rat in the street in front of them. Myra goes to meet the cartel, but the Question stops her. She figures he knocked her out, then went straight to the cartel to bust some heads, and she's grateful for Vic saving her from a terrible choice. On cue, Vic arrives, and explains tomorrow there'll be a fifty-thousand dollar contribution for the city, from "concerned businessmen who have decided not to relocate to Hub City." He says the money is "relatively clean," and Myra asks if she guessed the truth. Leaving, Vic tells her she got it all wrong.

I don't think the Question had been wearing the trenchcoat and fedora combo that is usually associated with him, for some time, but it's back this issue. (For most of his series, Vic had been improving his fighting skills, and usually wore clothes more suited for brawling in.) A great issue, although now I'm a little sad that I've read just about all of the Question: it was a nice feeling, knowing there was at least one more issue out there waiting for me. Well, I still don't have the Question Returns...or his run in 52. Man, if DC had announced a new, Denny O'Neil written, Denys Cowen drawn, Vic Sage Question book in the relaunch, I'd give them a lot less grief.

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