Question: The devil is in the details

Original edition: The Question no. 1-6 USA Release date: July 2019 Screenplay: Rick Veitch Drawing: Tommy Lee Edwards Format: Cartoné, 144 pp. In color. Price: € 15’95

Question, created by Steve Ditko, is probably one of the DC characters that most deserve the category of “Luxury secondary”. Since its acquisition by DC in 1986, it has only enjoyed a regular series, a cult series carried out by Dennis O'Neil Y Dennis Cowan in which Victor Sage would have to face a series of corruption and murder cases, noting that he was not a hero in the galleries of DC Comics but rather a detective at street level. Probably his most important contribution to the comic world has been serve as the basis for the creation of Rorschach, who has become – along with Dr. Manhattan – in the most recognizable face of Watchmen, since Alan Moore intended to employ them and was not left by the publisher.

Since the end of his regular series we have seen the character appear in a timely manner in different series, such as recently in the Tom King Batman and in the Bendis Action Comics plots, to now have an important role in the imminent Leviathan of the same author, so since ECC Comics have seen a good opportunity to rescue a miniseries that was left in his day in the character's drawer, carried out by a luxury team such as Rick Veitch and Tommy Lee Edwards.

In Question: The devil is in the details, ECC Comics retrieves the 2005 miniseries written by Veitch and that transports Sage to Metropolis, fulfilling his role as a professional journalist, to cover the latest news in the city: a giant construction carried out by Lex Luthor. Thanks to this visit to the city of tomorrow we will be able to enjoy the appearance of characters from the Superman environment, such as Lois Lane – as charismatic and strong as she has been letting us see for years – or Jimmy Olsen, as well as a series of characters created for the occasion itself. Luthor plans to create a giant research center, a worldwide reference, which also concentrates the city's chi energy. In this adventure the mystical component is going to have a crucial importance, constantly referring to the ability to "walk between two worlds" that Mr. Sage possesses, as well as the appearance of a villain with the ability to transport the living to the world of the dead, or an expert in this mystical energy that He will work with the legendary arch enemy of Superman.

But it won't be the only threat, since there is a new gangster group in the city that acts in the shadows of Superman after developing a system that allows them to be, apparently, undetectable, and with which Question will run into more than one occasion, leading us throughout the duration of the work towards the common points that both frames have. It should be noted, as I said in previous lines, that Question is not a superhero to use, so it will be frequent to see him take action violently and firmly, with scenes where you can see him kill enemies or use them in human shields, being able to get the attention of certain people who will begin to have the character controlled on their radar but who will like those who approach it as the source of inspiration for the mythical Watchmen antihero.

At the script level we have a reading with a lot of reflexive load, a large number of internal dialogues of the character that alternate with brief but constant dialogues between the characters, which come to ballast the narration of the work in some specific moments but in general, although we are not facing a comic loaded with action, allow you to enjoy more relaxed sequences. The characterization of the characters by his screenwriter is excellent, playing very well with the personality of all of them and giving them charisma without having lapidary or humorous phrases, something that is appreciated.

Artistically, just by reading the name of Tommy Lee Edwards we know that we will not find a drawing to use. The author is characterized by his works of thick line, with traces traced, and a great weight of the composition. With these elements he plays with the mystical themes that the work manages, making evidence of those two worlds they speak of during the 6 numbers of the miniseries. Gone are large detailed splash-pages or photorealistic drawings to result in dirtier strokes that marry perfectly with the lower Metropolis environments, those where the character moves, in the sewers of the city.

The edition of ECC collects in cartoné the six numbers of this miniseries in a single volume that sins of being stripped of extras, that in a work of these characteristics are missing due to the ignorance of the character for the general public and the authors who perform it, away from the big spotlights.

In conclusion, with Question: The devil is in the details, ECC has rescued from oblivion a work that is less remarkable, which serves as an initial approach to the world of Victor Sage and that shows different characters from the DC universe that can help To enter your reading. Both at the script and drawing level, it is probably not to everyone's liking, making it difficult for someone looking for a more “mainstream” work to approach it, but shortly after the pages shown here are worth your attention worth considering for reading.