« Subway Reading: Ultimate FF and The Avengers | Main | Subway Reading: JLA CLassified, Astonishing X-Men, Plastic Man »
November 05, 2004
Subway Reading: The Question
Cars seem to operate in the rain. Airplanes don't have a problem. The New York City subway, on the other hand? Not so effective in the rain. You might think that a system that largely operates underground wouldn't be affected so much by precipitation, but you would be wrong. Long story short, last night's signal problems and the resulting delays gave me ample time to dig into this week's comics.
The Question #1 - I have to say it. This book was a good read, but it left me with a few too many questions. Sorry about that. My familiarity with The Question is close to nil; all I know is that Rorshach in The Watchmen was intended as an analogue to this Charlton Comics character. (DC acquired Charlton in the early 80's, and in fact The Watchmen was originally conceived with the intention of using the actual Charlton characters.) From this book, we learn that The Question's alter ego is popular news reporter Vic Sage. What we don't learn is exactly what his powers are, if any. They seem to involve traveling on some sort of astral plane, and releasing smoke from his belt buckle. We do get sort of an idea of his motivations, which seem to be the hook in this story. If his vigilante morals are a product of a somehwat deranged mind, are they still heroic? I could be way off base here; maybe he isn't supposed to be crazy at all and I am just thinking of Rorshach. I'm looking for a little more direction than this introductory issue offers.
Writer Rick Veitch uses some classic comic storytelling tricks to excellent effect. He goes back and forth in time, between "Yesterday" and "Today." The "Yesterday" sequences are split even further, between The Question's inner monologue and his external actions. These splits not only tell the story in an interesting way, they also reinforce the overall theme of duality. There is also a foray into first-person POV, which puts the reader inside the head of the protagonist. This technique works together with the previously mentioned internal dialogue to place the reader inside the mind of Vic Sage.
I was not familiar with Tommy Lee Edwards' art before picking up this book, but I am already a fan. He uses bold, confident lines to describe naturalistic figures and settings. He has a minimalist, reductive sort of drawing style with few superfluous marks. Sort of like Tony Harris, but much looser. The coloring, on the other hand, did not work for me. It has a watercolor feel, but often falls victim to that medium's pitfall: muddy washouts. The color often obscures the action. There is not enough contrast between light and dark or warm and cool; instead there is a general patina of subtle midtones. I know I am becoming a broken record on this subject, but DC's typically crummy paper stock does not help.
All in all, this first issue hooked me into the story, but it was a mixed bag. I liked the tone and the storytelling tricks, as well as the drawing style. On the negative side, there could have been a touch more information about the character, and the coloring needs work. Mildly recommended. Let's see where it goes. 3.5 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at November 5, 2004 10:49 AM