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The Question Omnibus Vol. 1
Comics legends Dennis O’Neil and Denys Cowan reinvent DC’s faceless detective in this massive hardcover collection of the acclaimed 1980s series The Question!
Just a few short years after co-creating Spider-Man, artist and writer Steve Ditko created the Question, who worked as an investigative journalist in public and a vigilante in secret.
Two decades later, writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Denys Cowan unleashed their acclaimed reinvention of the Question for the late 1980s, coinciding with one of the most creatively thrilling periods in comics. While retaining familiar elements of the character—including his faceless mask—O’Neil and Cowan also imbued Vic Sage with a Zen philosophy and forced him to ask vital questions about his methods employed while fighting crime in the corrupt town of Hub City.
But with deadly martial artist assassins and political intrigue to contend with, will one man—even a master of unarmed combat—be able to make a difference?
This volume collects The Question #1-27, The Question Annual #1, Green Arrow Annual #1, andDetective Comics Annual #1.
Just a few short years after co-creating Spider-Man, artist and writer Steve Ditko created the Question, who worked as an investigative journalist in public and a vigilante in secret.
Two decades later, writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Denys Cowan unleashed their acclaimed reinvention of the Question for the late 1980s, coinciding with one of the most creatively thrilling periods in comics. While retaining familiar elements of the character—including his faceless mask—O’Neil and Cowan also imbued Vic Sage with a Zen philosophy and forced him to ask vital questions about his methods employed while fighting crime in the corrupt town of Hub City.
But with deadly martial artist assassins and political intrigue to contend with, will one man—even a master of unarmed combat—be able to make a difference?
This volume collects The Question #1-27, The Question Annual #1, Green Arrow Annual #1, andDetective Comics Annual #1.
952 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
53 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,751 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 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 13, 2024
He’s like a broke Batman without the gadgets who never outgrows the awkward stage. The Question is a low budget vigilante who, after being left for dead, tries to avenge Chicago Hub City criminal by criminal, with lots of mistakes and surprising humanity. It’s adventurous, dark, and sometimes funny. A great underdog in the DCU.
January 18, 2026
(Zero spoiler review) 4.75/5
It is for moments like these, that I am not only glad, but grateful I've gotten into comics. Despite the industry seemingly intent on burning itself to the ground these last few years, sacrificing many decades on a fascistically motivated, totalitarian agenda, disguised as diversity and equality. One thing these talentless hacks, faceless corporate yes man and a diminishing number of apologists can never destroy, is the legacy this great medium has. A legacy that thankfully includes masterclasses like The Question omnibus. Like I said, its moments like these, I'm both glad and grateful I've gotten into comics, albeit at a pretty strange time.
The Question, masterfully written by the late Dennis O Neil (R.I.P), and exquisitely drawn by Denys Cowyn, and not to forget the brilliant Rick Magyar, is hands down one of the greatest comics run I've ever read. I'm still a little wistful and starry eyed having just finished it. I'll need a few days to fully come to terms with what I've just read and how much it meant to me. Typifying pretty much everything I love in storytelling, many facets of which aren't always properly executed within comics, particularly superhero stories. Is The Question even a superhero? I'm glad to say probably not. The grounded, gritty and graphic nature of this book, whilst barely ever featuring a cape or cod piece is a thing of beauty to me. Intergalactic threats, boundless super powers, continually shifting continuity, not to mention the ability to always scrape through, no matter the threat are just some of the super hero tropes that will forever keep me from falling for the traditional comic book fare (excellent runs aside). That this is essentially a tale of one man, with an outstanding cast of supporting characters, on a very grounded and believable fight against political corruption and turmoil across a bleak and troubled cityscape... its mana from heaven to me. This is how Bruce Wayne should be portrayed, if he didn't too frequently fall down the superhero trope well again and again. Ric Sage, A.K.A The Question, is a magnificent character. How many more discoveries there are out there like this for me, I can't say. I certainly hope there's a few more at least. I'm not ready for it to be all downhill from here.
Dennis O Neil shows mastery of his craft few others in the industry could hope to equal. The harrowing beauty, the cleverly crafted narratives, the excellent dialogue, the restraint shown... I can't tell you how many times I closed my eyes and just breathed in the magnificence of what I was experiencing. Not only was this some of the best writing in a comic book, but some of the best art as well. Cowan's art perfectly, and I do mean perfectly encapsulated everything The Question and Hub City epitomised. Sure, there may be more talented, more lauded artists out there, but until they can put a consistent run like this together, and have it be this damn amazing, I'll take this any day of the week. The art wasn't the same after Rick Magyar left. His inking perfectly accompanying Cowan's pencils, but hey, there has to be something this book falls slightly short with. My only other gripe, apart from the last few issues not quite hitting the highs of everything that came before it, was Myra Fermin. An amazing supporting character, who just happened to quite possibly be the most gorgeous women to ever grace a comic book. Think Jean Grey crossed with a young Jennifer Connelly, but with a wonderful late 80s art style. I was smitten and then some. Sadly, and there is a narrative reason for it, but the change in her character model towards the end in my opinion was unjustified and disappointing in ways that didn't simply add up to a piece of eye candy being taken away. Read it for yourself and you'll see what I mean.
This is almost certainly one of my top 3 comic book reads. Top 5 without question, pun intended. Quite what volume two will look like, I'm not sure. I worriedly looked up how much material these creators still had that could fill a volume two. It didn't look like much, so I can foresee some Longbow Hunters volume two levels of disappointment in my future. Until then, this will remain something very, very special to me, and something everyone needs to read before shuffling off this mortal coil. 4.75/5
OmniBen.
It is for moments like these, that I am not only glad, but grateful I've gotten into comics. Despite the industry seemingly intent on burning itself to the ground these last few years, sacrificing many decades on a fascistically motivated, totalitarian agenda, disguised as diversity and equality. One thing these talentless hacks, faceless corporate yes man and a diminishing number of apologists can never destroy, is the legacy this great medium has. A legacy that thankfully includes masterclasses like The Question omnibus. Like I said, its moments like these, I'm both glad and grateful I've gotten into comics, albeit at a pretty strange time.
The Question, masterfully written by the late Dennis O Neil (R.I.P), and exquisitely drawn by Denys Cowyn, and not to forget the brilliant Rick Magyar, is hands down one of the greatest comics run I've ever read. I'm still a little wistful and starry eyed having just finished it. I'll need a few days to fully come to terms with what I've just read and how much it meant to me. Typifying pretty much everything I love in storytelling, many facets of which aren't always properly executed within comics, particularly superhero stories. Is The Question even a superhero? I'm glad to say probably not. The grounded, gritty and graphic nature of this book, whilst barely ever featuring a cape or cod piece is a thing of beauty to me. Intergalactic threats, boundless super powers, continually shifting continuity, not to mention the ability to always scrape through, no matter the threat are just some of the super hero tropes that will forever keep me from falling for the traditional comic book fare (excellent runs aside). That this is essentially a tale of one man, with an outstanding cast of supporting characters, on a very grounded and believable fight against political corruption and turmoil across a bleak and troubled cityscape... its mana from heaven to me. This is how Bruce Wayne should be portrayed, if he didn't too frequently fall down the superhero trope well again and again. Ric Sage, A.K.A The Question, is a magnificent character. How many more discoveries there are out there like this for me, I can't say. I certainly hope there's a few more at least. I'm not ready for it to be all downhill from here.
Dennis O Neil shows mastery of his craft few others in the industry could hope to equal. The harrowing beauty, the cleverly crafted narratives, the excellent dialogue, the restraint shown... I can't tell you how many times I closed my eyes and just breathed in the magnificence of what I was experiencing. Not only was this some of the best writing in a comic book, but some of the best art as well. Cowan's art perfectly, and I do mean perfectly encapsulated everything The Question and Hub City epitomised. Sure, there may be more talented, more lauded artists out there, but until they can put a consistent run like this together, and have it be this damn amazing, I'll take this any day of the week. The art wasn't the same after Rick Magyar left. His inking perfectly accompanying Cowan's pencils, but hey, there has to be something this book falls slightly short with. My only other gripe, apart from the last few issues not quite hitting the highs of everything that came before it, was Myra Fermin. An amazing supporting character, who just happened to quite possibly be the most gorgeous women to ever grace a comic book. Think Jean Grey crossed with a young Jennifer Connelly, but with a wonderful late 80s art style. I was smitten and then some. Sadly, and there is a narrative reason for it, but the change in her character model towards the end in my opinion was unjustified and disappointing in ways that didn't simply add up to a piece of eye candy being taken away. Read it for yourself and you'll see what I mean.
This is almost certainly one of my top 3 comic book reads. Top 5 without question, pun intended. Quite what volume two will look like, I'm not sure. I worriedly looked up how much material these creators still had that could fill a volume two. It didn't look like much, so I can foresee some Longbow Hunters volume two levels of disappointment in my future. Until then, this will remain something very, very special to me, and something everyone needs to read before shuffling off this mortal coil. 4.75/5
OmniBen.
December 10, 2022
The Question Omnibus volume one collects The Question #1-27 plus The Question Annual #1, Green Arrow Annual #1, and Detective Comics Annual #1.
It hasn't been that long since I read Denny O'Neil's run on The Question in trades but I had some money in my pocket after hauling a bunch of crap to Half Price Books so I picked this up.
Along with Green Arrow, The Question was one of the corner stones of DC's Mature Readers line that was a precursor to Vertigo. The Question fights crime in Hub City, a stand-in for Denny O'Neil's home town of East St. Louis, Illinois. Vic Sage, TV reporter, fights crime both in his daytime career and by night as The Question, a faceless crusader for justice. Hub City is a cesspool of corruption and Vic's battle is uphill both ways.
Denny O'Neil, with Denys Cowan and others on art chores, puts a Charlton character with 64 pages of story to his name through the wringer and turns him into a bonafide headliner. There aren't many comics that have the main character get shot in the head and dumped in the river to end the first issue. Vic Sage learns at the feet of Richard Dragon and becomes a much better crime fighter, the last good man in a city full of shitheads.
Sage goes up against drug dealers and other criminals but his biggest enemies are corrupt politicians and a culture of incompetence and negligence. Much like Green Arrow, intrusions from the rest of the DC Universe are kept to a minimum, apart from the three part Batman/Green Arrow/Question crossover.
While this was from the mid to late 1980s, the themes of corrupt cops and douche bag politicians never go out of style, unfortunately. Vic has an unfortunate haircut for a lot of the book but for the most part, it aged perfectly well. The mayoral campaign near the end of the book, in particular, has a perennial quality.
The Question Omnibus volume 1 is an easy five star read for crime fiction fans who also like comis.
DC, don't leave me hanging. Where's volume 2?
It hasn't been that long since I read Denny O'Neil's run on The Question in trades but I had some money in my pocket after hauling a bunch of crap to Half Price Books so I picked this up.
Along with Green Arrow, The Question was one of the corner stones of DC's Mature Readers line that was a precursor to Vertigo. The Question fights crime in Hub City, a stand-in for Denny O'Neil's home town of East St. Louis, Illinois. Vic Sage, TV reporter, fights crime both in his daytime career and by night as The Question, a faceless crusader for justice. Hub City is a cesspool of corruption and Vic's battle is uphill both ways.
Denny O'Neil, with Denys Cowan and others on art chores, puts a Charlton character with 64 pages of story to his name through the wringer and turns him into a bonafide headliner. There aren't many comics that have the main character get shot in the head and dumped in the river to end the first issue. Vic Sage learns at the feet of Richard Dragon and becomes a much better crime fighter, the last good man in a city full of shitheads.
Sage goes up against drug dealers and other criminals but his biggest enemies are corrupt politicians and a culture of incompetence and negligence. Much like Green Arrow, intrusions from the rest of the DC Universe are kept to a minimum, apart from the three part Batman/Green Arrow/Question crossover.
While this was from the mid to late 1980s, the themes of corrupt cops and douche bag politicians never go out of style, unfortunately. Vic has an unfortunate haircut for a lot of the book but for the most part, it aged perfectly well. The mayoral campaign near the end of the book, in particular, has a perennial quality.
The Question Omnibus volume 1 is an easy five star read for crime fiction fans who also like comis.
DC, don't leave me hanging. Where's volume 2?
April 6, 2023
This was one of my favorite Omnibus I ever had the privilege of reading.
The Question always was interesting but I haven't had a chance to read a lot of his stuff. But now I finally got to read his first major by the late great Dennis O'Neil I now know why people love this character so much.
During 1986 we had Watchmen come out and it changed the comic game. Some comics got ALOT darker, and some worked really well with it. Green Arrow was one of them but luckily the Question was born of this, and it was a smash hit (Least in my opinion).
Dennis O'Nel and Cowan really put their best work here with creating Vic into a TV station spokesman to trying to uncover crime and stop it. It's similar vibes from Watchmen, and maybe Batman, mixed with a little Green Arrow for politics. A lot of these issues are one shots, with a overarching main story of voting for a new mayor in a broken city.
The best issues for me involved The Question being tortured by US Soldiers gone crazy, really hit the nail on patriotisms. I also loved the racism issue, as Vic was about to lose his mind with this piece of shit racist only for a crazy twist to happen. The stories get even darker as we go along this book with assassination attempts, racism, and common political warfare you still see today.
I really can't recommend this Omnibus enough. Despite few bumps or weaker issues here or there this one totally consumed me and I hope we really do get a volume 2 down the line.
A 4.5 out of 5.
The Question always was interesting but I haven't had a chance to read a lot of his stuff. But now I finally got to read his first major by the late great Dennis O'Neil I now know why people love this character so much.
During 1986 we had Watchmen come out and it changed the comic game. Some comics got ALOT darker, and some worked really well with it. Green Arrow was one of them but luckily the Question was born of this, and it was a smash hit (Least in my opinion).
Dennis O'Nel and Cowan really put their best work here with creating Vic into a TV station spokesman to trying to uncover crime and stop it. It's similar vibes from Watchmen, and maybe Batman, mixed with a little Green Arrow for politics. A lot of these issues are one shots, with a overarching main story of voting for a new mayor in a broken city.
The best issues for me involved The Question being tortured by US Soldiers gone crazy, really hit the nail on patriotisms. I also loved the racism issue, as Vic was about to lose his mind with this piece of shit racist only for a crazy twist to happen. The stories get even darker as we go along this book with assassination attempts, racism, and common political warfare you still see today.
I really can't recommend this Omnibus enough. Despite few bumps or weaker issues here or there this one totally consumed me and I hope we really do get a volume 2 down the line.
A 4.5 out of 5.
September 22, 2023
La obra maestra clásica e irrepetible de Dennis O'Neill, el justiciero enmascarado de Hub City (la New York decadente de la vida real) que lucha por hacer la diferencia día a día en un entorno sombrío y hostil. Es fabuloso el ambiente de corrupción y nihilismo que sabe fabricar Cowan, y se nota que va mejorando capítulo a capítulo. Novela negra, filosofía existencialista, crítica descarnada a la política y agujas viñetas que quedan para el recuerdo, es un cómic que hubiera deseado leer con unos cuantos años menos, y que no deja de marcarme y interpelarme. Uno de los buenos de verdad, de los que hay que leer si o si.
September 8, 2025
This wasn't what I expected, and it was also slightly worse than I expected. I expected philosophy or film noir, when O'Neil's question is really more 80's grime. I think for the most part the run does do a great job of balancing self-contained stories and mini-arcs in the individual issues with recurring characters and overarching plots—there's never the sense that Hub City is stagnant, and some of the individual issues really are incredible.
If anything, the setting and other characters display slightly more change than Vic himself; as I said, the beginning primed me to expect a stronger change of Vic into someone either more philosophical or more Rorschach, when actually he stays a pretty typical 80's wisecracker the whole run through.
Overall, the quality is extremely spotty. Hub City is portrayed as practically irredeemable—maybe worse than Gotham is made out to be—and there's probably on average at least three people murdered every issue. Things spiral down and down with barely any sign of improvement, and while this does sometimes make for some incredible and tragic moments, it doesn't seem to affect Vic as much as it ought to. There's also more than a couple of occasions of just very stupid shit, wacky nonsense that undercuts the grim tone of the entire run.
I finish this omnibus wishing that it were better.
If anything, the setting and other characters display slightly more change than Vic himself; as I said, the beginning primed me to expect a stronger change of Vic into someone either more philosophical or more Rorschach, when actually he stays a pretty typical 80's wisecracker the whole run through.
Overall, the quality is extremely spotty. Hub City is portrayed as practically irredeemable—maybe worse than Gotham is made out to be—and there's probably on average at least three people murdered every issue. Things spiral down and down with barely any sign of improvement, and while this does sometimes make for some incredible and tragic moments, it doesn't seem to affect Vic as much as it ought to. There's also more than a couple of occasions of just very stupid shit, wacky nonsense that undercuts the grim tone of the entire run.
I finish this omnibus wishing that it were better.
October 17, 2022
I had no idea this was going to be as good as it was, having basically no knowledge of who The Question was outside of reading the Green Arrow crossover by Mike Grell, but damn did Dennis O'Neil bring the heat with this one.
I don't really want to say much because the least you know going in, the better.
It's about Vic Sage an investigative journalist in public and a vigilante in secret. He's forced to ask vital questions about his methods employed while fighting crime in the corrupt town of Hub City.
So if you're into crime thrillers with twists and turns, this isn't one to miss
I don't really want to say much because the least you know going in, the better.
It's about Vic Sage an investigative journalist in public and a vigilante in secret. He's forced to ask vital questions about his methods employed while fighting crime in the corrupt town of Hub City.
So if you're into crime thrillers with twists and turns, this isn't one to miss
October 24, 2022
Even though every issue in this collection was published in the late 80s this series has a grim, 1990s comic feel. At the same time the series doesn't feel dated. The Question is the kind of character who seems to be in a lengthy conversation with Batman, Wolverine and Rorschach about what it means to be a hero and what ends are justified by what means. Cowan's art is also totally evocative.
February 13, 2023
Como 30 números del Question de O'Neil y Conwan con invitados.
December 8, 2023
Short review:
Excellent comic noir, with distinct storytelling by Dennis O'Neil. It has very few ties to the fantastical elements of typical superhero stories.
Long review:
I've always been intrigued by the Question as a character. Not by accident, Denny O'Neil writes him as mysterious and intriguing, which is perfect given his name. Although he starts out as an annoying know-it-all, there is great character progression and growth.
As this is O'Neil writing, he tackles a lot of real world problems, but he keeps it enough in fantasy that it reads like a gritty noir for the most part. I loved that tone, and the art by Denys Cowan was next level. This was my first exposure to his art, and now I'm excited to check out his Milestone Comics work.
One thing I loved which isn't very common in comic books, was the small details like The Question's hair growing and changing in each issue and him changing his look depending on the circumstances. I loved that attention to detail.
The crossover with Green Arrow and Batman was so much fun, especially given that O'Neil had such a huge hand in the iconography of both of those characters and how we perceive them today. Because of that, their personalities leaped off the page, along with The Question.
The overall narrative with the mayoral election is great, and I loved the issue where the Question meets the Riddler. The way their interaction plays out was fascinating.
My only gripe is that it took nearly seven or eight issues out of the thirty in this book to get me invested in the story. If it had done it a bit quicker, this would be a five star rating.
Excellent comic noir, with distinct storytelling by Dennis O'Neil. It has very few ties to the fantastical elements of typical superhero stories.
Long review:
I've always been intrigued by the Question as a character. Not by accident, Denny O'Neil writes him as mysterious and intriguing, which is perfect given his name. Although he starts out as an annoying know-it-all, there is great character progression and growth.
As this is O'Neil writing, he tackles a lot of real world problems, but he keeps it enough in fantasy that it reads like a gritty noir for the most part. I loved that tone, and the art by Denys Cowan was next level. This was my first exposure to his art, and now I'm excited to check out his Milestone Comics work.
One thing I loved which isn't very common in comic books, was the small details like The Question's hair growing and changing in each issue and him changing his look depending on the circumstances. I loved that attention to detail.
The crossover with Green Arrow and Batman was so much fun, especially given that O'Neil had such a huge hand in the iconography of both of those characters and how we perceive them today. Because of that, their personalities leaped off the page, along with The Question.
The overall narrative with the mayoral election is great, and I loved the issue where the Question meets the Riddler. The way their interaction plays out was fascinating.
My only gripe is that it took nearly seven or eight issues out of the thirty in this book to get me invested in the story. If it had done it a bit quicker, this would be a five star rating.
November 22, 2025
Spider-Man'in ortak yaratıcısı Steve Ditko'nun bir başka harika karakteri Question. Özünde Charlton Comics karakteri olsa da Charlton DC'ye geçince Crisis on Infinite Earths sonucu DC'ye geçen bir karakter Question.
Vic Sage adlı televizyon muhabirinin yozlaşmış polislerin, halkına sırt çevirmiş politikacıların hüküm sürdüğü Hub City'de Question adı altında kanunsuzlukla kanunsuzca başa çıkmaya çalışmasını okuyoruz. Çizimler ve renkler oldukça, hikayenin atmosferini epey güçlü yansıtıyor. Dövüşlerde "paat-küüt" gibi sesler yok, sadece sahne neyse o. Bu tercih de keza sahnelerin ağırlığını hissettiriyor. Bu sert kimliğinin yanı sıra kendisi aynı zamanda Zen Budizm öğretilerini de benimsemiş bir karakter. Meditasyonlar ve içe bakış önemli bir yer tutuyor.
Bitirdiğimde içimde tekrar okuma isteğini bulduğum ender kitaplardan biri oldu. Aslında bu kitabı görene kadar Question karakterini hiç duymamıştım fakat karakterin dış görünüşü Street Fighter'dan Q karakterini anımsattığı için ilgimi çekmişti. Küçük bir araştırma sonucu gördüm ki o karakter Question'dan esinlenilmiş. İşin daha da ilginci şahsen hiç sevmediğim Watchmen çizgi romanının kimilerine sempatik gelen psikopat karakteri Rorschach da ilhamını buradan almış. Bu denli ilham kaynağı olan ve okuyucu nezdinde başarılı kabul edilen bir seriden sonra nasıl olmuş da DC bu karakteri gömmüş anlamış değilim.
Vic Sage adlı televizyon muhabirinin yozlaşmış polislerin, halkına sırt çevirmiş politikacıların hüküm sürdüğü Hub City'de Question adı altında kanunsuzlukla kanunsuzca başa çıkmaya çalışmasını okuyoruz. Çizimler ve renkler oldukça, hikayenin atmosferini epey güçlü yansıtıyor. Dövüşlerde "paat-küüt" gibi sesler yok, sadece sahne neyse o. Bu tercih de keza sahnelerin ağırlığını hissettiriyor. Bu sert kimliğinin yanı sıra kendisi aynı zamanda Zen Budizm öğretilerini de benimsemiş bir karakter. Meditasyonlar ve içe bakış önemli bir yer tutuyor.
Bitirdiğimde içimde tekrar okuma isteğini bulduğum ender kitaplardan biri oldu. Aslında bu kitabı görene kadar Question karakterini hiç duymamıştım fakat karakterin dış görünüşü Street Fighter'dan Q karakterini anımsattığı için ilgimi çekmişti. Küçük bir araştırma sonucu gördüm ki o karakter Question'dan esinlenilmiş. İşin daha da ilginci şahsen hiç sevmediğim Watchmen çizgi romanının kimilerine sempatik gelen psikopat karakteri Rorschach da ilhamını buradan almış. Bu denli ilham kaynağı olan ve okuyucu nezdinde başarılı kabul edilen bir seriden sonra nasıl olmuş da DC bu karakteri gömmüş anlamış değilim.
February 4, 2024
This book was older than books I traditionally read. But I’ve always loved the question since the JLU tv show! So I dived in. This book starts off by “killing” the old question and transforming him into a new philosophical version of himself. More morally grey. The book was grimy and dark but had moments of hope. I love that it asks the hard questions and doesn’t give answers. It was an awesome book and I think it helped me discover that I need to read books more outside of my comfort zone.
March 15, 2024
Riddled with as much philosophy as grim and grit, this series is a triumph of dark, late ‘80s comics.
September 23, 2025
Przełom lat 80 i 90 z pełnym komiksowym dobrodziejstwem inwentarza
January 9, 2025
I was privileged to have read this series during its initial run in the mid 80s. Heady stuff. There’s something very intimate and personal about this character and these stories. Vic Sage is hardheaded, cocky, clumsy and at times quite foolish - foibles that Bruce Wayne purged in becoming a Bat Buddha. And that’s why we love him.
October 12, 2022
The Question remains one of Denny O'Neil's greatest contributions to comics. O'Neil and Cowan craft the delightfully grimy and seedy world of Hub City, rife with corruption, crime and despair. Enter Vic Sage, a reporter who moonlights as the vigilante known as The Question.
Gone is The Question's black & white views on morality, swapped with a more Zen outlook on the crumbling state of Hub City's institutions. Bucking the traditional moralist views of the previous iteration is hilariously put on display when Vic Sage mocks Rorschach of the Watchmen. This new Vic Sage is interested in lasting solutions to problems, taking a harder look at the root causes for the corruption and crime. And sure, some issues only loosely examine deeper themes (it is after all still a superhero comic). But even approaching these themes feels like it was a revolutionary step for mainstream comics of the time.
Denys Cowan's artwork is simply incredible. Cowan's use of simple backgrounds lends to the general feeling of Hub City's decay. The attention to anatomical details provides for some of the most engaging fight sequences. There is a level of grittiness that only Frank Miller's Daredevil comes close to emulating.
Not every story works though, particularly the onerous "Fables" crossover between the annuals of The Question, Detective Comics, and Green Arrow felt clunky, but forgivable as it does take place across issues that can be skipped if desired. Some issues feel aged with their hokeyness, but overall still enjoyable. Long running arcs makes this book very enjoyable, particularly the overarching plot regarding the mayoral election of Hub City. And as an omnibus edition, the book is simply gorgeous. In a year where prestige editions have been skimping on paper quality, this omnibus has stellar paper stock and binding. The inclusion of the letters page is most welcome, though it perhaps would have been nice to include them after each issue like Marvel does with their Silver Age books.
Gone is The Question's black & white views on morality, swapped with a more Zen outlook on the crumbling state of Hub City's institutions. Bucking the traditional moralist views of the previous iteration is hilariously put on display when Vic Sage mocks Rorschach of the Watchmen. This new Vic Sage is interested in lasting solutions to problems, taking a harder look at the root causes for the corruption and crime. And sure, some issues only loosely examine deeper themes (it is after all still a superhero comic). But even approaching these themes feels like it was a revolutionary step for mainstream comics of the time.
Denys Cowan's artwork is simply incredible. Cowan's use of simple backgrounds lends to the general feeling of Hub City's decay. The attention to anatomical details provides for some of the most engaging fight sequences. There is a level of grittiness that only Frank Miller's Daredevil comes close to emulating.
Not every story works though, particularly the onerous "Fables" crossover between the annuals of The Question, Detective Comics, and Green Arrow felt clunky, but forgivable as it does take place across issues that can be skipped if desired. Some issues feel aged with their hokeyness, but overall still enjoyable. Long running arcs makes this book very enjoyable, particularly the overarching plot regarding the mayoral election of Hub City. And as an omnibus edition, the book is simply gorgeous. In a year where prestige editions have been skimping on paper quality, this omnibus has stellar paper stock and binding. The inclusion of the letters page is most welcome, though it perhaps would have been nice to include them after each issue like Marvel does with their Silver Age books.
April 11, 2023
Wow. Likely the best run of any comic I will ever read. So dark, bleak, and yet it ends so abruptly optimistic. The references to classical philosophy bring it a sophistication not regularly seen in comics, and the monthly recommended reads ensure the reader can become just as sophisticated. I have and will continue to recommend it to people.
January 21, 2025
A Vertigo comic before there was Vertigo. Noir crime fighting goodness. I only wish that The Question had more interesting villains to go against. Almost everyone he fights is a thug or a gangster. It makes the stories feel a bit repetitive after a while.
August 8, 2023
While I'd seen The Question here and there, I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I went into this omnibus - besides the fact that its reputation precedes it. And sure enough, this is a really solid comic that's worth checking out!
So for people like me, here's the pitch of The Question: he's basically a low rent Batman. I mean, he's a vigilante with no powers, for which he makes up with nearly supernatural amounts of training. He operates in Hub City, which genuinely rivals Gotham for being the DC Universe's worst hellhole, and his best solution to solve Hub's problems is by punching them in the face. There's no Question Cave, but he does have an Alfred.
What sets The Question apart from Batman is the lack of the Caped Crusader's outlandish villains. Vic Sage deals with real problems like the city's insane rate of 'realistic' crimes - murders and such. A driving theme of this series is that, while Vic can solve individual problems through these methods, it's no substitute for actual systemic change. That theme can make the series feel pretty bleak and oppressive, and I love DC for being bold enough to publish books like this even back in the 80s.
Dennis O'Neil was pretty well known for his interest in social issues, and that's what The Question is all about. There are times when it goes a bit too far, but overall, this is a pretty great crime noir series with a superhero flair. I dunno if Christopher Nolan read this for The Dark Knight trilogy, but those vibes are definitely present here.
Denys Cowan is absolutely killer on the art. His pencils, along with the Bronze Age style coloring, make this a stark and almost cinematic looking comic. I mean the covers alone are GOAT tier!
Now, the series isn't perfect. I suppose you shouldn't expect perfection from a monthly book, but The Question does have a bum issue every now and then. The two issues in this omnibus that feature Green Arrow and a very dated take on The Riddler aren't great, but a few stumbles here and there aren't a problem. There's also the occasional typo, and one panel where a character with white hair suddenly goes blonde!
The real caveat in recommending The Question to modern readers is that this book is Bronze Age af. O'Neil channels Raymond Chandler through the lens of a comic writer in the 80s, and the result is dialogue that can feel overwrought at times. Vic is definitely a lot more talkative than Batman, that's for sure! Also, I hope you have a high tolerance for mullets and other 80s hairdos, because there's a lot of that going on here. Then again, I figure that it's still a lot more enjoyable to read in 2023 than a lot of the stuff published at the time.
Pretty great omnibus, all things considered! Well worth the look if you're interested in an old school crime story.
So for people like me, here's the pitch of The Question: he's basically a low rent Batman. I mean, he's a vigilante with no powers, for which he makes up with nearly supernatural amounts of training. He operates in Hub City, which genuinely rivals Gotham for being the DC Universe's worst hellhole, and his best solution to solve Hub's problems is by punching them in the face. There's no Question Cave, but he does have an Alfred.
What sets The Question apart from Batman is the lack of the Caped Crusader's outlandish villains. Vic Sage deals with real problems like the city's insane rate of 'realistic' crimes - murders and such. A driving theme of this series is that, while Vic can solve individual problems through these methods, it's no substitute for actual systemic change. That theme can make the series feel pretty bleak and oppressive, and I love DC for being bold enough to publish books like this even back in the 80s.
Dennis O'Neil was pretty well known for his interest in social issues, and that's what The Question is all about. There are times when it goes a bit too far, but overall, this is a pretty great crime noir series with a superhero flair. I dunno if Christopher Nolan read this for The Dark Knight trilogy, but those vibes are definitely present here.
Denys Cowan is absolutely killer on the art. His pencils, along with the Bronze Age style coloring, make this a stark and almost cinematic looking comic. I mean the covers alone are GOAT tier!
Now, the series isn't perfect. I suppose you shouldn't expect perfection from a monthly book, but The Question does have a bum issue every now and then. The two issues in this omnibus that feature Green Arrow and a very dated take on The Riddler aren't great, but a few stumbles here and there aren't a problem. There's also the occasional typo, and one panel where a character with white hair suddenly goes blonde!
The real caveat in recommending The Question to modern readers is that this book is Bronze Age af. O'Neil channels Raymond Chandler through the lens of a comic writer in the 80s, and the result is dialogue that can feel overwrought at times. Vic is definitely a lot more talkative than Batman, that's for sure! Also, I hope you have a high tolerance for mullets and other 80s hairdos, because there's a lot of that going on here. Then again, I figure that it's still a lot more enjoyable to read in 2023 than a lot of the stuff published at the time.
Pretty great omnibus, all things considered! Well worth the look if you're interested in an old school crime story.
April 24, 2025
I’ve been curious about The Question for years -- mainly because of Watchmen. I'm sure like a lot comic nerds from our era, I met the character through Rorschach, Alan Moore’s dark twist on Ditko’s trenchcoat-and-fedora-wearing vigilante. That led me down the rabbit hole to the original Charlton version, and when I saw that DC recently released The Question Omnibus Volume 1, I had to check it out.
The story kicks off with Vic Sage -- The Question's alter ego! -- getting murdered on page one! From there, it’s less about standard superhero stuff and more about identity, morality, and trying to live by a code in a chaotic world. Dennis O’Neil takes Ditko’s rigid moralist and turns him into someone still figuring himself out -- there’s no black-and-white here, just a guy asking big questions while getting beat down in Hub City.
Denys Cowan’s art is criminally underrated. It's gritty and expressive, pulling from Gil Kane and Klaus Janson he claims, and it matches the tone perfectly. And I love the crosshatching on the close-ups and caricature style faces. His characters look like they’ve lived through hell. He seems to embrace the idea that people are a mess of imperfections, and that shows in everything they do -- even the way they slouch or stand.
The book leans hard into philosophy, using characters like Tot and Lady Shiva to challenge Vic’s worldview. Sure, some parts feel dated -- language, politics, pacing -- but even when it stumbles, it’s thoughtful and reflective in a way I didn’t expect from an '80s superhero book. What really surprised me, though, was how serialized it is. I expected self-contained stories with a philosophical twist, but the long-form character development hooked me. The supporting cast -- Myra, Tot, Izzy -- grow right alongside Vic, giving it a real Daredevil vibe.
Bottom line: The Question Omnibus Volume 1 is raw, smart, and unlike anything else. It wasn’t what I expected -- in a really good way. I loved it. I'm already about to dive into Volume 2.
The story kicks off with Vic Sage -- The Question's alter ego! -- getting murdered on page one! From there, it’s less about standard superhero stuff and more about identity, morality, and trying to live by a code in a chaotic world. Dennis O’Neil takes Ditko’s rigid moralist and turns him into someone still figuring himself out -- there’s no black-and-white here, just a guy asking big questions while getting beat down in Hub City.
Denys Cowan’s art is criminally underrated. It's gritty and expressive, pulling from Gil Kane and Klaus Janson he claims, and it matches the tone perfectly. And I love the crosshatching on the close-ups and caricature style faces. His characters look like they’ve lived through hell. He seems to embrace the idea that people are a mess of imperfections, and that shows in everything they do -- even the way they slouch or stand.
The book leans hard into philosophy, using characters like Tot and Lady Shiva to challenge Vic’s worldview. Sure, some parts feel dated -- language, politics, pacing -- but even when it stumbles, it’s thoughtful and reflective in a way I didn’t expect from an '80s superhero book. What really surprised me, though, was how serialized it is. I expected self-contained stories with a philosophical twist, but the long-form character development hooked me. The supporting cast -- Myra, Tot, Izzy -- grow right alongside Vic, giving it a real Daredevil vibe.
Bottom line: The Question Omnibus Volume 1 is raw, smart, and unlike anything else. It wasn’t what I expected -- in a really good way. I loved it. I'm already about to dive into Volume 2.
November 23, 2025
Of all his stories I’ve read, the Question feels the most Dennis O’Neil in its writing.
Vic Sage is a flawed vigilante who goes on a metaphysical journey of rediscovery after a close brush with death. The book is mainly made up of gritty episodic stories (save for an arc or two here and there) that focus on our protagonist’s attempts to save Hub City from the forces corrupting it.
Save for an appearance by the Riddler there are no supervillains in the main series. Everything Vic deals with is very real, and while the book isn’t as bloody as Mike Grell’s Green Arrow run it does feel darker and more hopeless.
Denys Cowan does excellent work depicting the book’s events, capturing a pulpy noir style that gripped me from page to page. I’m largely unfamiliar with his work but will happily look into more of his stuff in the future.
There were a handful of issues here that didn’t quite grab me, mainly the Santa Prisca arc and an episodic issue here or there, but I enjoyed a solid 80 to 85% of this book and will be moving on to the second volume soon.
My favourite issues were the opening arc, the Fables crossover with Green Arrow and Detective Comics, and the issue where the Question meets Green Arrow for the first time, it’s always a treat when Dennis O’Neil gets to write that character.
Overall a solid read with a weak issue here or there. The Question here is quite different from his popular Justice League Unlimited counterpart, but if you have an interest in solid crime stories you can’t go wrong here.
Vic Sage is a flawed vigilante who goes on a metaphysical journey of rediscovery after a close brush with death. The book is mainly made up of gritty episodic stories (save for an arc or two here and there) that focus on our protagonist’s attempts to save Hub City from the forces corrupting it.
Save for an appearance by the Riddler there are no supervillains in the main series. Everything Vic deals with is very real, and while the book isn’t as bloody as Mike Grell’s Green Arrow run it does feel darker and more hopeless.
Denys Cowan does excellent work depicting the book’s events, capturing a pulpy noir style that gripped me from page to page. I’m largely unfamiliar with his work but will happily look into more of his stuff in the future.
There were a handful of issues here that didn’t quite grab me, mainly the Santa Prisca arc and an episodic issue here or there, but I enjoyed a solid 80 to 85% of this book and will be moving on to the second volume soon.
My favourite issues were the opening arc, the Fables crossover with Green Arrow and Detective Comics, and the issue where the Question meets Green Arrow for the first time, it’s always a treat when Dennis O’Neil gets to write that character.
Overall a solid read with a weak issue here or there. The Question here is quite different from his popular Justice League Unlimited counterpart, but if you have an interest in solid crime stories you can’t go wrong here.
November 1, 2023
Every so often, you re-read something from your youth and discover that it holds up better than you were worried it might. O'Neil's Question was a book from DC in the late eighties that was part of what was then simply called their 'For Mature Readers' line, which consisted of a mixture of noir superhero books (like this and the concurrent Green Arrow series) and the more occult fare that would be rebadged as Vertigo a few years later (Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Sandman, et al). This is a book that's been mostly forgotten before this reprint, but deserves to be considered alongside its more famous brethren. It's unabashedly experimental and shies away from easy answers wherever it gets the chance. It's a long form serialised story from a time when most of the things being published by DC were still done in ones. It's squarely set in the DC Universe of its day, but also has its own distinct, utterly unique voice. Plus, Denys Cowan's art is just plain breath-taking.
March 8, 2024
This run of The Question ranks right up there with the very best comicbook runs ever written. It hurts me, almost physically, to not give it a 5/5 stars but there are some dips along the way that readers might have to power through.
The way Vic Sage questions his own actions and motivations along the way, his unshakable sense of "curiosity" and his characterisation set him up as a unique superhero/vigilante in the DC comics universe.
Dennis O'Neil's musings on society, politics and bigotry are handled exceptionally well. And his tribute to Jack Kirby as well as Alan Moore are pretty witty.
The artwork is pretty good as well. Denys Cowan communicates a sense of realism and vibrant motion in every fight scene he draws and now I'm a fan of his work.
FINAL RATING - 4.5/5
Edit - Almost forgot to mention how gorgeous the dust jacket and the art on board are on this omnibus. Absolutely worth owning.
The way Vic Sage questions his own actions and motivations along the way, his unshakable sense of "curiosity" and his characterisation set him up as a unique superhero/vigilante in the DC comics universe.
Dennis O'Neil's musings on society, politics and bigotry are handled exceptionally well. And his tribute to Jack Kirby as well as Alan Moore are pretty witty.
The artwork is pretty good as well. Denys Cowan communicates a sense of realism and vibrant motion in every fight scene he draws and now I'm a fan of his work.
FINAL RATING - 4.5/5
Edit - Almost forgot to mention how gorgeous the dust jacket and the art on board are on this omnibus. Absolutely worth owning.
February 7, 2025
This book is disturbing in how it was written nearly 40 years ago, yet describes so many issues with today's world.
It deals with racism, gun control, public official corruption, a rigged election, white Christian nationalist violence, issues with the military, corrupt cops, and multiple philosophical inquiries on "what is right."
The Question character himself is probably one of the most realistic DC "superheroes" due to him not having powers, nor having a clear plan about his crime-fighting. He is reactionary, and deals with more realistic pain and moral grayness than Batman.
This is a good comic series, but it's not really about a superhero. It's just a dark reflection of life.
It deals with racism, gun control, public official corruption, a rigged election, white Christian nationalist violence, issues with the military, corrupt cops, and multiple philosophical inquiries on "what is right."
The Question character himself is probably one of the most realistic DC "superheroes" due to him not having powers, nor having a clear plan about his crime-fighting. He is reactionary, and deals with more realistic pain and moral grayness than Batman.
This is a good comic series, but it's not really about a superhero. It's just a dark reflection of life.
December 4, 2024
This was such an influential and amazing change for the question and a great read overall. I included the bulk of my notes on each individual issue which includes:
The Question Issues 1-19
Detective Comics Annual 1
The Question Annual 1
The Question Issues 20-27
I unfortunately did not have access to the green arrow annual that takes place in between detective comics and the question annual, but it doesn't seem I was missing much.
The Question Issues 1-19
Detective Comics Annual 1
The Question Annual 1
The Question Issues 20-27
I unfortunately did not have access to the green arrow annual that takes place in between detective comics and the question annual, but it doesn't seem I was missing much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2023
The Question/Vic Sage is a very interesting protagonist, one who is more obsessed with finding the truth than heroism. This book blends mystery and philosophy amidst the setting of city rife with political corruption and relevant social issues. The art suites the atmosphere beautifully and the action scenes are excellently choregraphed. The letters section was a joy to read.
August 23, 2022
More of a 4.5 but I'm happy to round up. Some incredible stuff. The purest distillation of that gritty 80s DC vibe. Cowan's action is so good. I particularly like that bit in the last issue about comic books as magic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
Question everything! All while reporting the truth to the people of Hub City, hard boiled journalists Vic Sage (The Question) fights mob bosses, environmental disasters, crooked police, and fixed elections.
July 17, 2022
This whole collection was a blast to read through. Fantastic comics. Wonderful Art. 10/10
December 29, 2023
Classic 1980s art and stories, with some moments that resonate well in our time now.
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