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The Question Omnibus Vol. 2
The iconic reinvention of DC's faceless detective continues in this collection of the 1980s series The Question !
What is the answer? Vic Sage doesn't know for sure but he's going to continue asking tough questions!
The Question Omnibus by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan Vol. 2 is the perfect addition for any collector or fan of the Question! Collecting Azrael Plus #1, Green Arrow Annual #2-3, Question Quarterly #1-5, Showcase '95 #3, The Brave and the Bold #1-6, The Question #28-36, The Question Annual #2, The Question Returns #1, Who's Who #12!
What is the answer? Vic Sage doesn't know for sure but he's going to continue asking tough questions!
The Question Omnibus by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan Vol. 2 is the perfect addition for any collector or fan of the Question! Collecting Azrael Plus #1, Green Arrow Annual #2-3, Question Quarterly #1-5, Showcase '95 #3, The Brave and the Bold #1-6, The Question #28-36, The Question Annual #2, The Question Returns #1, Who's Who #12!
888 pages, Hardcover
Published February 6, 2024
8 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,754 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 16, 2024
This collects Azrael Plus #1, Green Arrow Annual #2-3, Question Quarterly #1-5, Showcase '95 #3, The Brave and the Bold #1-6, The Question #28-36, The Question Annual #2, The Question Returns #1, and material from Who's Who #12.
So here we are, the second half of DC's Vic Sage Question material minus that Huntress miniseries. Denny O'Neil's tale of systemic corruption and beating the shit out of criminals comes to an end. On one hand, I wish O'Neil's Question had run longer but I can only read so much hopelessness.
It's quite a ride. I almost wish Hub City burned to the ground at the end. I'm struggling to put into words how I feel about this. "It's really good" is an understatement. Gritty as hell for the time period, not quite as dark as Vertigo would later take things. Vic Sage is a working man's super hero with philosophical underpinnings, one good man trying to make a difference in the shittiest city in America. He also has crossovers with Green Arrow, some guy named Butcher that must have been a big deal at the time, and Azrael.
The Question reminds me of Daredevil in a way, constantly outgunned and never quitting. Although...
Never mind. No spoilers.
The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because some of the material after the main series wraps is kind of uneven, although I enjoyed it.
So here we are, the second half of DC's Vic Sage Question material minus that Huntress miniseries. Denny O'Neil's tale of systemic corruption and beating the shit out of criminals comes to an end. On one hand, I wish O'Neil's Question had run longer but I can only read so much hopelessness.
It's quite a ride. I almost wish Hub City burned to the ground at the end. I'm struggling to put into words how I feel about this. "It's really good" is an understatement. Gritty as hell for the time period, not quite as dark as Vertigo would later take things. Vic Sage is a working man's super hero with philosophical underpinnings, one good man trying to make a difference in the shittiest city in America. He also has crossovers with Green Arrow, some guy named Butcher that must have been a big deal at the time, and Azrael.
The Question reminds me of Daredevil in a way, constantly outgunned and never quitting. Although...
Never mind. No spoilers.
The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because some of the material after the main series wraps is kind of uneven, although I enjoyed it.
March 31, 2025
(Zero spoiler review)
It was always going to be a Herculean effort to not only produce another offering of the unbridled majesty that was the first omnibus. But quite frankly, even coming within spitting distance would have been an achievement worth celebrating, such was the anxiety with which I approached this title. The Question omnibus volume one is one of my all time favourite reads in comics. When it was all said and done, there were only a dozen or so issues left to print, causing me considerable consternation that they were never going to give us a second volume, or more likely, that whatever else they used to pad it out was going to be a pale shadow of the brilliance that came before. Well, we certainly got the second omnibus, and I can (mostly) gladly say that it wasn't the miserable spiral into mediocrity that I feared. But neither was it the seminal run that came before.
The final dozen or so issues of the series proper were really good, but never hit the heights of the opening 30 or so. Losing Maygar's inks towards the end of the first book was a loss that was never truly filled with the introduction of Malcolm Jones III, a great artist in his own right, but he was Rick Maygar. Likewise, Denny O Neill's writing lacked just that extra something that made the first book so fantastic. Don't mistake me for a second, this is still great bloody comics, but it's just not volume one.
The handful of quarterly releases that follow the end to the series proper (which will forever be the canon ending as far as I'm concerned) were a mixture of great, good, and the worst Question story O Neill ever wrote. Whilst I'm glad they exist and are collected here, as much as they (generally) continue the ongoing narrative... well, like I said, my canon ending is issue 36. As good as some of this stuff is, and we do get a final farewell to the Sage / Fermin story, albeit as something of an afterthought, I just can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelmed here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed so much of this. I gave it four stars and deservedly so, but volume one left such an incredible mark upon me that the mostly great follow up just isn't great enough.
As a final piece on the omnibus itself, the build quality of the book is awful. DC upped the price from volume one by $25, yet dropped the build quality considerably. It come as no surprise, given the bafflingly awful decisions DC makes across the board. I'm glad the book came out, and I appreciate the creative talent of everyone who contributed to this seminal work and amazing bunch of characters all those decades ago, but modern DC is a travesty of a joke of a company who don't deserve to own the rights to this level of creativity. Thank you kindly Mr. Denys Cowan and Mr. Rick Maygar and all the other contributors. And thank you and rest in peace Mr. Dennis O Neill. 4/5
OmniBen.
It was always going to be a Herculean effort to not only produce another offering of the unbridled majesty that was the first omnibus. But quite frankly, even coming within spitting distance would have been an achievement worth celebrating, such was the anxiety with which I approached this title. The Question omnibus volume one is one of my all time favourite reads in comics. When it was all said and done, there were only a dozen or so issues left to print, causing me considerable consternation that they were never going to give us a second volume, or more likely, that whatever else they used to pad it out was going to be a pale shadow of the brilliance that came before. Well, we certainly got the second omnibus, and I can (mostly) gladly say that it wasn't the miserable spiral into mediocrity that I feared. But neither was it the seminal run that came before.
The final dozen or so issues of the series proper were really good, but never hit the heights of the opening 30 or so. Losing Maygar's inks towards the end of the first book was a loss that was never truly filled with the introduction of Malcolm Jones III, a great artist in his own right, but he was Rick Maygar. Likewise, Denny O Neill's writing lacked just that extra something that made the first book so fantastic. Don't mistake me for a second, this is still great bloody comics, but it's just not volume one.
The handful of quarterly releases that follow the end to the series proper (which will forever be the canon ending as far as I'm concerned) were a mixture of great, good, and the worst Question story O Neill ever wrote. Whilst I'm glad they exist and are collected here, as much as they (generally) continue the ongoing narrative... well, like I said, my canon ending is issue 36. As good as some of this stuff is, and we do get a final farewell to the Sage / Fermin story, albeit as something of an afterthought, I just can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelmed here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed so much of this. I gave it four stars and deservedly so, but volume one left such an incredible mark upon me that the mostly great follow up just isn't great enough.
As a final piece on the omnibus itself, the build quality of the book is awful. DC upped the price from volume one by $25, yet dropped the build quality considerably. It come as no surprise, given the bafflingly awful decisions DC makes across the board. I'm glad the book came out, and I appreciate the creative talent of everyone who contributed to this seminal work and amazing bunch of characters all those decades ago, but modern DC is a travesty of a joke of a company who don't deserve to own the rights to this level of creativity. Thank you kindly Mr. Denys Cowan and Mr. Rick Maygar and all the other contributors. And thank you and rest in peace Mr. Dennis O Neill. 4/5
OmniBen.
May 19, 2024
3.75/5
"Having no face sends his meanness quotient... way up."
Denny O'Neil finishes his run with a solid conclusion. It's fittingly bleak for Hub city, and yet there's a hope to it as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this run, and while volume 2 isn't quite as consistent, it was still very good.
Unfortunately, Denys Cowan's artwork isn't in this volume as much as the first, and some of the fill-in artists were very hit or miss for my taste. Overall, it is a great series with a bit more realism than most comics offer.
"Having no face sends his meanness quotient... way up."
Denny O'Neil finishes his run with a solid conclusion. It's fittingly bleak for Hub city, and yet there's a hope to it as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this run, and while volume 2 isn't quite as consistent, it was still very good.
Unfortunately, Denys Cowan's artwork isn't in this volume as much as the first, and some of the fill-in artists were very hit or miss for my taste. Overall, it is a great series with a bit more realism than most comics offer.
July 31, 2024
A staple of DC's late '80s - early '90s comics output was the noticeable tonal shift towards more down-to-earth superheroes, specifically those who blurred the lines between their regular lives and alter-egos. It can often be misconstrued as "deconstruction" as these were staples of DC's major hits like
Watchmen
or The Dark Knight Returns, but Dennis O'Neil was less interested in litigating the idea of what it meant to be a superhero and more about breaking down other barriers cultivated by the traditional superhero comic.
With The Question, O'Neil had a pulpit of some form, one where he could examine the world as is but filtered through the lens of a comic book character. It wasn't a unique design for its time since Mike Grell was doing the same with his Green Arrow run (Grell indicated using real like newspaper headlines as inspiration for stories), but O'Neil's touch was really to have his series be a portrait of the crumbling American metropolis. Though the series stars Vic Sage, a reporter turned vigilante, it's easy enough to consider the setting of the crime-ridden, corrupt and continuously crumbling Hub City as a secondary protagonist of sorts. The first omnibus collects the major fraction of O'Neil's run on The Question, where the story focuses largely on the mayoral election that will effectively decide on saving the soul of the city as the corrupt incumbents fight tooth and nail to protect their positions. In this second omnibus, Vic Sage's time as the Question is under the spotlight, with uncertainties about his standing in a city that does not seem to improve despite the untold violence he's inflicted on the criminal element of Hub City. Much of this is covered in the first third of this omnibus which wraps with issue #36, and doles out a spectacularly bleak ending that is rather daring for a superhero comic of any time period.
Though the final stretch of O'Neil's run doesn't maintain the same momentum built up from earlier stretches, issues like The Question #28 where Vic Sage engages in a lavishly drawn fight with Lady Shiva (a likely homage to Frank Miller's use of Elektra in Daredevil) really stand out. The remaining bulk of this omnibus collects the odds-and-ends of other '90s Question related works, like a series of Quarterly issues that are each standalone with different artists and an arc from The Brave and the Bold. This stuff isn't nearly as interesting, particularly as it doesn't quite looks as good as the stuff drawn by Denys Cowan who really stamped his mark on the aesthetic and tone of Hub City.
To me, O'Neil's and Cowan's The Question remains quintessential superhero comics and an apt reflection of attitudes from its era. It has the grim disposition and heftiness appropriate for a more serious crime story, but still the eclectic allure of a conventional superhero comic. It's a fantastic companion to Grell's own Green Arrow series (both runs have a decent amount of tangential connections), where both really serve as gauges to the shift in readership attitudes that would ultimately lead to the rise of Vertigo Comics and similar publication ventures. Though this second omnibus doesn't quite match the magnificence of the first volume, I'd still recommend it simply since the entirety of the O'Neil and Cowan run is worth reading together.
With The Question, O'Neil had a pulpit of some form, one where he could examine the world as is but filtered through the lens of a comic book character. It wasn't a unique design for its time since Mike Grell was doing the same with his Green Arrow run (Grell indicated using real like newspaper headlines as inspiration for stories), but O'Neil's touch was really to have his series be a portrait of the crumbling American metropolis. Though the series stars Vic Sage, a reporter turned vigilante, it's easy enough to consider the setting of the crime-ridden, corrupt and continuously crumbling Hub City as a secondary protagonist of sorts. The first omnibus collects the major fraction of O'Neil's run on The Question, where the story focuses largely on the mayoral election that will effectively decide on saving the soul of the city as the corrupt incumbents fight tooth and nail to protect their positions. In this second omnibus, Vic Sage's time as the Question is under the spotlight, with uncertainties about his standing in a city that does not seem to improve despite the untold violence he's inflicted on the criminal element of Hub City. Much of this is covered in the first third of this omnibus which wraps with issue #36, and doles out a spectacularly bleak ending that is rather daring for a superhero comic of any time period.
Though the final stretch of O'Neil's run doesn't maintain the same momentum built up from earlier stretches, issues like The Question #28 where Vic Sage engages in a lavishly drawn fight with Lady Shiva (a likely homage to Frank Miller's use of Elektra in Daredevil) really stand out. The remaining bulk of this omnibus collects the odds-and-ends of other '90s Question related works, like a series of Quarterly issues that are each standalone with different artists and an arc from The Brave and the Bold. This stuff isn't nearly as interesting, particularly as it doesn't quite looks as good as the stuff drawn by Denys Cowan who really stamped his mark on the aesthetic and tone of Hub City.
To me, O'Neil's and Cowan's The Question remains quintessential superhero comics and an apt reflection of attitudes from its era. It has the grim disposition and heftiness appropriate for a more serious crime story, but still the eclectic allure of a conventional superhero comic. It's a fantastic companion to Grell's own Green Arrow series (both runs have a decent amount of tangential connections), where both really serve as gauges to the shift in readership attitudes that would ultimately lead to the rise of Vertigo Comics and similar publication ventures. Though this second omnibus doesn't quite match the magnificence of the first volume, I'd still recommend it simply since the entirety of the O'Neil and Cowan run is worth reading together.
March 16, 2024
Broken into the last 3rd of O'Neil's run and also the minis and crossovers after.
The first part, the final third of Neil's run, is just as strong as the rest of his run. The Question is starting to lose it. No matter how much "good" he wants to do, every action he does seems to either backfire or not pan out the way he hopes. Eventually leading him down a path of self destruction, of loss, of not believing in himself or his city or any of his friends.
It's a tragic look into giving up but one that feels so real, I give kudos for O'Neil for nailing the themes and ending to his run. I honestly could have been happy just ending the entire character right there. However, this is comics so...
We get into the first 5 part mini, 3 of the 5 parts are actually great. All written by Neil and feel like a sequel to his main series. Only 1 issue is just okay and the other bad, but overall gives a new character to the group for Vic and his return to his terrible city that still is fun as before.
Then we get into the crossovers. Most are pretty meh at best. The Green Arrow annuals never live up to how good the Question stories are sadly. And the return for neil at the very end feels half baked and not really needed.
So first half is excellent, a 4.5 out of 5. Second half barely a 2.5 out of 5 sadly.
So I'll end up around a 3-3.5 out of 5 for me overall. Still worth reading for people who loved the first volume, which is FANTASTIC and one of my favorite Omnibus of all time.
The first part, the final third of Neil's run, is just as strong as the rest of his run. The Question is starting to lose it. No matter how much "good" he wants to do, every action he does seems to either backfire or not pan out the way he hopes. Eventually leading him down a path of self destruction, of loss, of not believing in himself or his city or any of his friends.
It's a tragic look into giving up but one that feels so real, I give kudos for O'Neil for nailing the themes and ending to his run. I honestly could have been happy just ending the entire character right there. However, this is comics so...
We get into the first 5 part mini, 3 of the 5 parts are actually great. All written by Neil and feel like a sequel to his main series. Only 1 issue is just okay and the other bad, but overall gives a new character to the group for Vic and his return to his terrible city that still is fun as before.
Then we get into the crossovers. Most are pretty meh at best. The Green Arrow annuals never live up to how good the Question stories are sadly. And the return for neil at the very end feels half baked and not really needed.
So first half is excellent, a 4.5 out of 5. Second half barely a 2.5 out of 5 sadly.
So I'll end up around a 3-3.5 out of 5 for me overall. Still worth reading for people who loved the first volume, which is FANTASTIC and one of my favorite Omnibus of all time.
April 5, 2024
Let's face it: these are some bad comics. Only redeemed by some gorgeous art by some greats (Cowan, an early Quesada, Barreto).
I know they are fan favorites, and I had a more lukewarm reception to the previous volume, but here things do take a turn for the worse.
First, in the end of the original series, Myra, the character that was consistently the best written in the book, makes a series of very questionable (no pun intended) decisions just to precipitate the end of the book, breaking one of the few redemptive qualities of the run. This brings the end of the original run and the format migration to a quarterly that, because of the particulars of the ending of the regular series, are not that interesting or in tune with the the general tone of what was told up to that moment. By the time the book switches to a more one-off story format it is just too late.
But it does not end there... then collected here is the "Brave and the bold" mini with The Question, Green Arrow and the short-lived The Butcher. Words fail me to describe what a fiasco this is. Badly written, with some very questionable racial politics and some ugly art (you can actually see when mid run they bring in an inker to spice it up and ask Grell to pitch in with the covers).
To add insult to injury, in the back of the book you'll find the letter columns to the series collected, where readers, editor and writer kind of pat themselves on the back on how much smarter they are than everyone else. Puke inducing.
Don't get this book unless you are a fan of the artists.
I know they are fan favorites, and I had a more lukewarm reception to the previous volume, but here things do take a turn for the worse.
First, in the end of the original series, Myra, the character that was consistently the best written in the book, makes a series of very questionable (no pun intended) decisions just to precipitate the end of the book, breaking one of the few redemptive qualities of the run. This brings the end of the original run and the format migration to a quarterly that, because of the particulars of the ending of the regular series, are not that interesting or in tune with the the general tone of what was told up to that moment. By the time the book switches to a more one-off story format it is just too late.
But it does not end there... then collected here is the "Brave and the bold" mini with The Question, Green Arrow and the short-lived The Butcher. Words fail me to describe what a fiasco this is. Badly written, with some very questionable racial politics and some ugly art (you can actually see when mid run they bring in an inker to spice it up and ask Grell to pitch in with the covers).
To add insult to injury, in the back of the book you'll find the letter columns to the series collected, where readers, editor and writer kind of pat themselves on the back on how much smarter they are than everyone else. Puke inducing.
Don't get this book unless you are a fan of the artists.
November 25, 2024
The Question omnibus vol. 2
By Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan.
The first omnibus took be surprise, a gritty cool character, great visuals and a nice flowing story. The second omnibus, not so much. The artwork is still very good and i love the coloring, but the stories are just unhinged and weird, the issues i like the most so far are the one with Green Arrow by Mike Grell, this is a bit of a letdown.
5/10
By Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan.
The first omnibus took be surprise, a gritty cool character, great visuals and a nice flowing story. The second omnibus, not so much. The artwork is still very good and i love the coloring, but the stories are just unhinged and weird, the issues i like the most so far are the one with Green Arrow by Mike Grell, this is a bit of a letdown.
5/10
February 22, 2024
Really really good, just as Vol. 1 was. Even the Quarterly issues as well as the annual are good and move the story forward. Props to DC for mapping this omnibus so well!
In a bit more detail: The ongoing series is the strongest, but the quartely issues are also very well done. I love the multiple cross overs with Green Arrow in the Annuals / Brave & the Bold.
Vic feels a bit weak throughout this book and has more than one mini redemption arc, but it didn't bother me.
My only dislike is that I didn't like how the story ends here, I'd rather have 100 more issues of the ongoing, but for now, that's all we're gonna get.
This & the Green Arrow Omnis by Mike Grell read really great together. Highly recommended!
In a bit more detail: The ongoing series is the strongest, but the quartely issues are also very well done. I love the multiple cross overs with Green Arrow in the Annuals / Brave & the Bold.
Vic feels a bit weak throughout this book and has more than one mini redemption arc, but it didn't bother me.
My only dislike is that I didn't like how the story ends here, I'd rather have 100 more issues of the ongoing, but for now, that's all we're gonna get.
This & the Green Arrow Omnis by Mike Grell read really great together. Highly recommended!
April 24, 2025
I dove into The Question Omnibus Volume 2 shortly after finishing the first volume, thinking I knew what to expect. I was half right. This volume doesn’t just continue Vic Sage’s journey -- it drags him deeper into the muck, emotionally and philosophically.
Hub City’s somehow in even worse shape, Myra’s trying to clean it up as mayor, and Vic’s back from Brazil, unsure if he still belongs in the mess. Things feel heavier this time, especially with the gut-punch of Myra’s daughter’s death hanging over everything. The crossovers are a mixed bag -- Green Arrow is a standout, with Vic and Ollie butting heads in all the right ways, while the Brave and the Bold one gets a bit too grim, even if it has some interesting politics. "The Question Returns" brings some closure, but those later stories feel like faint echoes of the main series, like it knows it can’t ever really wrap things up cleanly.
O’Neil’s writing still lands hard. Vic’s victories, when they come, are complicated and short-lived. The "Question Quarterly" stories -- especially Issue #5’s Rashomon-style breakdown of Vic punching Myra -- highlight a hero whose code doesn’t always play well with the real world. They’re messy, raw, and on-brand in the best way.
And Denys Cowan's art still pulls you in. His style is even looser and moodier this time, matching Vic’s unraveling psyche beat for beat. Apparently Sergio Toppi and Alberto Breccia inspired him as he progressed his style -- and I can see it! That Daredevil homage in Issue #28? Spot on -- channeling Miller without veering into parody. When Cowan’s not drawing, the difference is noticeable. Not awful, just ... less expressive and kinetic.
If Volume 1 was about tearing him down, Volume 2 asks whether there’s anything left to rebuild. Vic doesn’t save the city. He doesn’t “win.” But he keeps showing up. That’s the heart of it. The question isn’t whether he can fix the world -- it’s whether he can keep trying, knowing he probably won’t.
It's not as consistent as the first volume, but still it's still a good, thoughtful finale. Bleak, weirdly hopeful, and totally unafraid to sit in the gray. It's a pretty good sendoff to an introspective run.
Hub City’s somehow in even worse shape, Myra’s trying to clean it up as mayor, and Vic’s back from Brazil, unsure if he still belongs in the mess. Things feel heavier this time, especially with the gut-punch of Myra’s daughter’s death hanging over everything. The crossovers are a mixed bag -- Green Arrow is a standout, with Vic and Ollie butting heads in all the right ways, while the Brave and the Bold one gets a bit too grim, even if it has some interesting politics. "The Question Returns" brings some closure, but those later stories feel like faint echoes of the main series, like it knows it can’t ever really wrap things up cleanly.
O’Neil’s writing still lands hard. Vic’s victories, when they come, are complicated and short-lived. The "Question Quarterly" stories -- especially Issue #5’s Rashomon-style breakdown of Vic punching Myra -- highlight a hero whose code doesn’t always play well with the real world. They’re messy, raw, and on-brand in the best way.
And Denys Cowan's art still pulls you in. His style is even looser and moodier this time, matching Vic’s unraveling psyche beat for beat. Apparently Sergio Toppi and Alberto Breccia inspired him as he progressed his style -- and I can see it! That Daredevil homage in Issue #28? Spot on -- channeling Miller without veering into parody. When Cowan’s not drawing, the difference is noticeable. Not awful, just ... less expressive and kinetic.
If Volume 1 was about tearing him down, Volume 2 asks whether there’s anything left to rebuild. Vic doesn’t save the city. He doesn’t “win.” But he keeps showing up. That’s the heart of it. The question isn’t whether he can fix the world -- it’s whether he can keep trying, knowing he probably won’t.
It's not as consistent as the first volume, but still it's still a good, thoughtful finale. Bleak, weirdly hopeful, and totally unafraid to sit in the gray. It's a pretty good sendoff to an introspective run.
December 16, 2025
I was a little let down by the second volume of O'Neil's run. The first half of the book - collecting the remaining 8 issues of The Question series - is a good conclusion to the title, even if it does seem to come about a little quickly.
The rest of the book however - collecting the Question Quarterly and appearances Vic had in other titles - was less enjoyable.
Denys Cowan stills does the majority of the art in these pages but even his terrific work can't really save the second half from feeling largely directionless. Normally I'd be fine with an omnibus collecting these run of the mill appearance issues, but when they make up a solid chunk of the book it's not a great reading experience.
I'd still recommend this to people who enjoyed the first volume just to see the series' conclusion, though in all honesty even that wasn't as powerful as it could have been, wrapping things up rather quickly.
There's still a strong feeling of quality in the initial series thanks to O'Neil's structure and Cowan's style and in my heart I wanted to give this 4 stars, but when I found myself skimming through the majority of the book's back half I can't justify going that high.
Read this book if you HAVE to see how the Question's series ends. Otherwise I'd say the best stuff was contained in the first volume.
The rest of the book however - collecting the Question Quarterly and appearances Vic had in other titles - was less enjoyable.
Denys Cowan stills does the majority of the art in these pages but even his terrific work can't really save the second half from feeling largely directionless. Normally I'd be fine with an omnibus collecting these run of the mill appearance issues, but when they make up a solid chunk of the book it's not a great reading experience.
I'd still recommend this to people who enjoyed the first volume just to see the series' conclusion, though in all honesty even that wasn't as powerful as it could have been, wrapping things up rather quickly.
There's still a strong feeling of quality in the initial series thanks to O'Neil's structure and Cowan's style and in my heart I wanted to give this 4 stars, but when I found myself skimming through the majority of the book's back half I can't justify going that high.
Read this book if you HAVE to see how the Question's series ends. Otherwise I'd say the best stuff was contained in the first volume.
December 2, 2024
A collection of shorter series that see Vic Sage tackling various emergent conflicts across the world after leaving Hub City behind. He often partners with the likes of Green Arrow and other vigilantes who prefer a harsher response to criminal activity.
While some of the charm from the first 30 or so issues of the Question remain in this volume, much of it's magic dissipates after the original arc. While I can appreciate the attempt to experiment by separating the Question from Hub City, I think the tone and storytelling greatly suffer from it. This choice effectively separates the title from its most compelling component in a thoroughly eroded and increasingly hopeless metropolis that limps along through the stubborn resolve of its citizens. The plots included still have some intriguing ideas but the appeal of the previous omnibus is largely absent.
While some of the charm from the first 30 or so issues of the Question remain in this volume, much of it's magic dissipates after the original arc. While I can appreciate the attempt to experiment by separating the Question from Hub City, I think the tone and storytelling greatly suffer from it. This choice effectively separates the title from its most compelling component in a thoroughly eroded and increasingly hopeless metropolis that limps along through the stubborn resolve of its citizens. The plots included still have some intriguing ideas but the appeal of the previous omnibus is largely absent.
August 21, 2024
Not as good as the first omnibus, here the series loses a bit of direction and focus. I think some aspects didn’t age too well, there are too many characters that are weird for the sake of being “complex and mature” without really achieving it and just messing up the plot. A lot of miniseries and guest appearances, especially from Green Arrow, are intermixed with the main narrative that doesn’t really moves forward (ok, Hub city is like a post-apocalyptic reality, but must it be the point of any plot settled there?). But maybe I sound harsher than I really wanted to.
March 14, 2025
It’s decent but given how the series started, a little disappointed. The first half while the series is still going is pretty good. But Vic’s characterization is all over the place. Particularly in the Brave and the Bold miniseries. It’s clear this is a different writer, which isn’t exactly uncommon but usually the tone is at least similar. This was a Green Arrow story that they tried to squeeze in the Question.
I’d say it’s still worth it, but temper expectations.
I’d say it’s still worth it, but temper expectations.
March 10, 2024
This actually starts off stronger than Volume 1 and goes from strength to strength, until somewhere around 3/4th mark it fizzles out. I really found the Mike Grell-portion of this omnibus kind of a slog but thankfully it ends on a well-written bittersweet note.
FINAL RATING - 3.5/5
FINAL RATING - 3.5/5
January 22, 2025
Such a great read. Beautiful art throughout the whole book. The story of trying to make a difference when it never seems possible always gets me. The Question Quarterly #3 has to be one of my favorite single issues
March 10, 2024
Not as good as the first volume - somewhere along the way, it lost that special something that made it great, and became merely a pretty good superhero comic.
August 4, 2024
Very gooda! Good art and it definitely is a beta version of some of the later greater superhero noirs.
4.5/5
4.5/5
August 19, 2024
What a ride. Pure late 80s nostalgia that wears it politics on it sleeve
November 15, 2024
This was one of the high points of an era of DC Comics that I miss very much. Denny and Denys brought out the absolute best in each other.
September 28, 2025
Not as great as the first, it was amazing in the first half, it faltered in the second half, but it was not terrible.
December 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
March 3, 2024
For my money, The Question is the best series that Dennis O'Neil ever wrote. The stories are sad, sometimes frustrating, and rooted in loss and losing. I don't know if I've read a comic where the hero loses as much and as often as The Question, and it's fantastic.
Unfortunately, this volume wasn't quite as strong as the first. That one had a stronger, clearer narrative through line and sense of purpose. Much like the character, the second volume loses its way and spends more time wandering from story to story with no clear goal in mind. In some ways it works because it fits this version of The Question, but in other ways, it hurts the overall experience because it just doesn't have that sense of cohesion.
The art is fantastic, especially the issues done by Denys Cowan. Those issues are gritty and rough and perfectly match the mood of the story and of Vic Sage's life.
Even though I didn't like it quite as much as the previous volume, this was still a hell of a lot of fun, and together they collect one of my favorite comic runs ever. It's well worth checking out.
Unfortunately, this volume wasn't quite as strong as the first. That one had a stronger, clearer narrative through line and sense of purpose. Much like the character, the second volume loses its way and spends more time wandering from story to story with no clear goal in mind. In some ways it works because it fits this version of The Question, but in other ways, it hurts the overall experience because it just doesn't have that sense of cohesion.
The art is fantastic, especially the issues done by Denys Cowan. Those issues are gritty and rough and perfectly match the mood of the story and of Vic Sage's life.
Even though I didn't like it quite as much as the previous volume, this was still a hell of a lot of fun, and together they collect one of my favorite comic runs ever. It's well worth checking out.
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