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The Question Reading Order, from Vic Sage to Renee Montoya

Like The Peacemaker, The Question was originally a Charlton Comics character. In fact, he made his first appearance in Blue Beetle #1 in 1967–in the backup feature. Created by Steve Ditko, he was based on Mr. A, a hero based on Ditko himself. The Question was however more mainstream, even if he was more ruthless than what readers could expect at that time.

The Question is Vic Sage, a TV investigative journalist who fights crime, hiding his true identity behind a special mask created by his former professor, the scientist Aristotle Rodor–inventor of an artificial skin called Pseudoderm. That mask transformed Sage into a man without a face. He had no power, but a great sense of what is right or wrong.

After only a few stories in Blue Beetle, and a compilation of unpublished materials in Mysterious Suspense #1, The Question‘s run at Charlton Comics ended. He only reappeared briefly in the anthology Charlton Bullseye years later, before joining DC Comics in 1983.

The Question’s introduction in the DC Universe was discreet, during 1985’s Crisis On Infinite Earths. He also appeared in the new Blue Beetle title. But it was in 1987, when DC gave him his own solo series, written by Dennis O’Neil and primarily drawn by Denys Cowan, that Vic Sage really became a known entity.

Once again, Vic Sage was a TV investigative journalist turned vigilante (working for the news station KBEL in Hub City), but he was trained by Richard Dragon (he learned Martial arts and Eastern philosophy). With the help of his mentor Aristotle Rodor, he was still fighting for what was good but in a different way. The Question fought corruption, was motivated by social issues, and was concerned with international conflicts.

The Question’s ongoing series ended after 36 issues. The character came back occasionally, but Vic Sage never became a staple of DC Comics. In fact, in 2006, he gave his secret identity to Renee Montoya.

Introduced in Batman #475, Renee Montoya was a Gotham City Cop in 1992, but she left that work behind her in 2006. That’s when she met Vic Sage, during the 52 series. At the end of it, she was the new Question and, since then, she appeared in multiple series and events.

As for Sage, dead at one point, other versions of the character were exploited (one in Suicide Squad), but he was re-established as the Question during the DC Rebirth era.

The Question Reading Order

Vic Sage is The Question

The Question adventures from the Charlton Comics era are hard to find and not really connected to the character as we know it since the late 1980s. The reading order is focusing on the DC Comics era. Though, if you want to read Steve Ditko’s The Question series, it has been collected in Action Heroes Archives Vol. 2.

Vic Sage was introduced in the DC Universe during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. More precisely, in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6-7 that are collected in:

The Question then made a few appearances in the Blue Beetle series (Blue Beetle #4-7) collected in:

 

The Question by Dennis O’Neil – Omnibus Edition

If you only had one book to read, The Question by Dennis O’Neil is still the ultimate series about the character.

The Question by Dennis O’Neil – Paperback Edition:

Once The Question ongoing series concluded, Vic Sage occasionally appeared here and there. He got a short 5-issue miniseries in 1990, The Question Quarterly, once again by Dennis O’Neil and Denys Cowan, hard to find though.

He was also in 1992’s Brave and the Bold Vol. 2 with Green Arrow collected in:

  • Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Saga Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Saga Omnibus Vol. 2 collecting Green Arrow #51-80; Green Arrow Annual #4-6; Who’s Who #14; The Brave and the Bold #1-6; Shado: Song of the Dragon #1-4; Green Arrow: The Wonder Year #1-4.

 

After that, The Question made some guest appearances in series like Guy Gardner: Warrior, Green Arrow Vol. 3, Azrael, Steel, Detective Comics, and Batman Chronicles. The more notable books are:

  • Question Returns #1
  • The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons)
  • Batman & Huntress: A Cry for Blood (recently recollected in Birds of Prey: Huntress)
  • Batman: Gotham Knights #38-39

In 2005, Vic Sage got a new miniseries, this time by Rick Veitch.

Renee Montoya is The Question

Before becoming The Question, Renee Montoya was one of the main characters in the Gotham Central series. If you want to familiarize yourself with her, this is a must-read. The “52” series takes place after that. She meets Vic Sage and he helps her to become The Question.

Collections featuring the Renee Montoya Question:

 

During the Blackest Night event, Vic Sage came back to life and attacked Renee and Lady Shiva in The Question #37 collected in Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns.

With the New-52 reboot, Renee Montoya came back to being a cop, and a new spin on the Question is introduced during the Trinity War/Trinity of Sin storylines. This version of the Question was short-lived as Vic Sage made his return (but not under the faceless mask) in the New Suicide Squad. This take is different from before as Sage is a corrupt and amoral government agent.

During the DC Rebirth era, Renee Montoya got her faceless costume back. First in the Lois Lane series:

Vic Sage is also back as The Question for Event Leviathan, but the two reunite in Lois Lane (2019) #3.

With the Lazarus Planet event that introduces the Dawn of DC line, Renee Montoya is once again The Question, but we are seeing her more often than not out of her costume, doing her work as the GCPD commissioner. As The Question though, she still investigates from time to time (like in a short storyline in I Am Batman), but mostly in anthology books.

After a short story in Detective Comics #1076, Renee Montoya started wearing her costume for a new investigation as The Question in #1081…

Alternate Version of The Question

There are other versions of The Question in the DC Universe. The most notable story is the following:

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