One Big Answer — Reviewing ‘The Question: All Along The Watchtower’ #3

Mysteries are unraveled by asking the right questions. Who better to ask the questions than The Question herself?

The dangerous plot against the Watchtower takes a turn in The Question: All Along The Watchtower #3 with a returning familiar face. Filling in the mystery blanks are Alex Segura, Cian Tormey, Romulo Fajardo Jr, and Dave Sharpe.

Through these three issues, an intriguing mystery has been woven.

Building this story upon the Watchtower itself has given space to really let things grow, while also being able to bring in any and every potential type of character. Segura uses that with such finesse in building this story, showing us a living and breathing space and therefore showing the enormity of the threat against what the JL has built.

Cyborg Superman is such a natural villain for this story. The obviousness didn’t give it away before the first quasi-reveal of our mystery villain. It truly cold have been anyone or anything. Kudos to Segura for wisely knowing that such mysteries can’t be stretched out forever. Especially in monthly comic book format.

Waiting to reveal the villain now just enriches the mystery and adds suspense for the information still left untold.

Renee remains such a rich and intriguing character. Getting to spend this time with her and see her thought process is a treat. All that relationship drama mixed in with the noir of the case is that good stuff.

Pulling from all corners of the DC Universe gives Tormey a giant space in which to play. Every single area of the Watchtower is vibrant, even with the cold steel, with life and complexity. The setting is filled with characters wearing their emotions and happiness in this moment.

Any room or space in the Watchtower has weight and depth to it instantly. The amount of detail really works here. Again, it helps deepen the impact and gives the feeling of how immense this story should be feeling. Tormey’s smooth, yet slightly rough artistic style was made for a superhero noir style story.

Lightness is prevalent in many respects. The cooler nature of the silvers and grays fill the station, but there are also the overall color choices. Even when there are a lot of heavier or darker colors, the overall palette is almost airy in composition. Fajardo Jr. really understands how to bring out the best in the artwork through the colors, when to go all in, and when to pull back. Finding those aforementioned beats that slip between Noir and Superhero genres.

Part of both noir and superhero stories are internal narrations or monologues, just gushing out one’s thoughts and feelings for no one but the audience to really hear. Sharpe gives Question’s narrations a visual kick with the solid blue boxes with white font. Styled from the character’s usual logo itself, the color combination just pops, as does all of the dialogue and other lettering which Sharpe intricately brings to life through the issue.

The Question: All Along The Watchtower #3 is now available from DC Comics.