Pieces Of A Greater Puzzle — Reviewing ‘The Question: All Along The Watchtower’ #2

An ex-girlfriend suspected of attempted murder, an escaped alien menagerie beast, and an evil robotic Superman equivalent is a lot. No one ever said that being the “Sheriff” on the Justice League Watchtower was going to be easy.

Renee Montoya, the Question, is figuring that out the hard way in The Question: All Along The Watchtower #2 from Alex Segura, Cian Tormey, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Willie Schubert.

Mysteries are juicy stuff when done correctly. They whet the appetite and get the audience trying to connect the dots, pulling out their bulletin boards and rolls of red yarn. Figuring out what we know, what we think we know, what are clearly red herrings, and what is a piece that just can’t quite be answered yet.

This series is really nailing that whole dynamic. Especially since it’s got the added bonus of superheroes, and the ability to easily (logically with the JLU concept) pull from the whole breadth of the DC Universe.

Who would have guessed we’d have an issue featuring The Question, Batwoman, Eradicator, Animal Man, Blue Beetle(s), Bulleteer, Nightshade, and the Challengers of the Unknown all at the same time in 2024 … or really any other year? Not me, and any of you raising your hand are lying to me and yourselves. Unless you happen to be from the future or are a precog, both of which are things I think you legally have to disclose to all of us. Those are for sure the rules.

Anyway, let’s focus back on the present.

What a fantastic concept this whole era of Justice League is proving to be. Essentially, there is a city in the sky where all the supers of the world (and the universe, really) can hang out, making for some sweet cameo possibilities. All those characters mentioned above have their purpose on the tower, from sheriff to zookeeper to armory specialist to bartender. Between this series, Justice League Unlimited, and Challengers Of The Unknown, the possibilities of who we’ll see in this grand city are endless.

On the mystery and main character front, the conflict with Question and having to investigate her ex, Batwoman (a truly lost love), when it seems she attacked victim (or was she controlled into doing it?) works. It makes her question things, and forces her to approach it by the book because she’s afraid that her bias might interfere, even though it’s clear Kate wasn’t in control. Throw in the Eradicator as a foe that Renee can’t actually take on and things are pretty darn sweet in a chaotic messy way.

Just like we like it.

Conveying all of these emotions, dangers, and kinetic energy to the page are Tormey and Fajardo Jr., who do so with ease.

A heaviness really is baked into Tormey’s art style, right alongside the lighter more weightless fantastical elements. Giving everything the right level of grandness but also familiarity it needs. This isn’t just the Watchtower or JLA Satellites of old, and we feel that at every turn. Every space we visit has a liveliness and lived in energy. Achieving that sense of scale isn’t always the easiest since so many of the things in superhero stories are concepts beyond our ability and vision.

Not the case here as this super city in the sky very much feels just like that: a city.

Action scenes are where the aforementioned lightness comes into play. Characters essentially glide across the page, their actions and reactions having impact and weight.

A(n attempted) murder story is at the core of this series, and all the beats center around this moment. Darker color tones with heavier strokes help really put the reader and story into the right mood space. Allowing for some semblance of typical vibrant colors to pop up here or there, but never at the expense of the overall story tone. Just enough that we remember that this is a story centered on superheroes and their unique world.

Fajardo Jr. blends the two levels of color palette smoothly and deftly. Playing into the shininess but also roughness of the watchtower.

Narrations which give us insight into the detectives mind are part and parcel for these stories. Renee is no different, and the captions and dialogue really sell the character. Segura knows her voice and Schubert really delivers on taking it even further forward. Choices are made for font styles and sizes which give the words more impact or space to do their thing.

The Question: All Along The Watchtower #2 is now available from DC Comics.