Here’s a comic chosen at random from my collection.
Question Quarterly #2 (Summer 1991) by Dennis O’Neil (writer), Denys Cowan (artist), Willie Schubert (letterer), Bill Wray (colorist), Katie Main (assoc. editor), Mike Gold (editor), and Cowan (cover)
I remember being into the Question for a while. I have three of these quarterly issues, and several issues of the series that preceded them. This issue (clocking in at 42 pages for $2.50) finds Vic Sage, aka the Question, in Brazil, trying to get back to Hub City. With him is a very sick little girl, Jackie, the reason he’s heading back home. After seeing an old “witch-woman”, Vic ends up in a brawl with some local hoodlums, and he is nearly defeated until another person, Marco, helps him out. Marco accompanies Vic and Jackie on their journey home, to protect Vic from further harm, because Marco, being the best fighter in the area that he is, must fight another great fighter–Vic–but not until Vic has recovered from his injuries from the earlier fight. Other fisticuffs ensue as they travel, forcing Vic to contemplate killing again (from the first Quarterly). When they finally reach Hub City, Vic finally becomes the Question to take down some “vicious, insane, drug-crazed killers” that have taken over the hospital. This is on page 32–I find it interesting that the “superhero” character doesn’t show up until near the end of the comic, but then, this story is about Vic Sage and the demons he’s fighting. After Question and Marco take out the bad guys, the story ends on a dark note for some of the characters, and a brighter one for Marco, because Vic finally agrees to fight him, à la the end of Rocky 3.
I found the storytelling of this issue to be confusing at times, and the plot possessing a few holes. I know the panel gutters are supposed to contain that which we do not see, but we move from Brazil to Hub City in no time on one page–we spend a lot of time with Vic and Marco travelling around in a truck, then a train, and then poof! they’re in Hub City (which might be located in Ohio?!). Also, there is apparently only one hospital in Hub City to take Jackie to, and only 5 honest cops, which aren’t enough to take out 8 drug-crazed killers–this place sounds much worse than Gotham City! This wasn’t my favorite Question story.
Longbox Review 