The Question: All Along the Watchtower #5 review

Cyborg Superman and his merry band of bad guys and possessed heroes have taken over the JLU Watchtower. And he’s going to blow it to smithereens… just because. The countdown is on, the satellite will explode within the hour unless Question Renee Montoya can save the day. And to do that she must take down possessed pals Nightshade, Animal Man, Batwoman and Blue Beetle (x2). All bar Batwoman are more powerful than Renee, but as well as being a mean fighter, she has her detective’s observational skills.

Blue Beetle Jaime snaps out of his fugue long enough to give Renee a framistat which he tells her could be helpful in a non-specific way. Luckily, as well as being a mean fighter and having detective’s observational skills, Renee is also good with animals – even space ones in the League’s not-at-all-dodgy space zoo.

No Question, Renee goes back for the Adorable Space Dog, who she names Crispus, after an old Gotham City detective pal with the tragic name of Crispus.

Meanwhile, the evildoers are fighting among themselves, which gives Renee time and space to do her thing.

Crispus the Adorable Space Dog alerts Renee to the arrival of the one possessed hero she’s not yet defeated, Batwoman, but our Question soon brings Kate Kane back to herself because as well as being a mean fighter, having detective’s observational skills and being good with animals, Renee knows when to play a hunch.

One of Cyborg Superman’s parcel of rogues, Conduit, is about to sneak up on Renee, Kate and Crispus, but luckily there’s also a good guy in the shadows.

Hang on! The original Question? Vic Sage, ‘Charlie’ to Renee for some weird reason I could never remember when he passed on his heroic identity before, well, dying in 52. When did he come back? If the Proper Question is around, why wasn’t he asked by the League to look into strange goings on around the Watchtower? Renee belongs in Gotham, where she’s its best detective. not in space as an out-of-her-depth legacy hero.

I was reading this episode expecting it to be the wrap-up, what with five episodes being a popular mini-series length these days. But writer Alex Segura has at least one more issue – I remember there’s a cliffhanger. It’s not a good sign that having read this comic an hour or so ago I cannot for the life of me recall what said cliffhanger is.

It’s a shame, I quite enjoyed the first issue of this mini, but I’ve got progressively less interested. Cyborg Superman is so overused that he’s no longer scary, and here he’s just filling in for a presumably busy Kilg%re or Construct. Renee isn’t driving the action, it’s Jaime who moves the story along with a deus ex dogtag. I did enjoy Renee’s never say die attitude, and her passive takedown of Batwoman felt new. But if Cyborg Superman hadn’t been busy arguing with his partners cum lackeys and had been concentrating on Renee, she’d be paste.

Cian Tormey’s strong pencils continues to serve the story, the action is clear and the character moments – this month, snogging – work well. And Renee being without the mask and hat this time is great, she looks like herself again. Really though, everything else pales before a very good boy.

Crispus the Question Dog! Isn’t he the cutest? Let’s just hope those l’il spikes aren’t a hint that he is in fact Crispus the Doomsday Dog.

Raül Fernandez provides pleasingly precise inks, there’s not a wasted line. And Romulo Fajardo Jr and Willie Schubert are our first-rate colourist and letterer, applying their talents to fine effect.

Next issue, it turns out, is indeed the conclusion; I wouldn’t be surprised if Segura, a clever fellow, has a splendid surprise denouement in store. I just have a feeling this series would have sung at four tight issues as opposed to the six we’re getting.