The Question (1986)

The Question is a DC Comics ongoing series following Vic Sage, a faceless investigative journalist operating in Hub City, one of the most corrupt and dysfunctional cities in America. Written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn primarily by Denys Cowan, the series ran 36 monthly issues from 1987 to 1990, with a single revival issue published in 2010 as a tie-in to the Blackest Night event.

O'Neil reimagined the character Steve Ditko had created for Charlton Comics in the 1960s. Where Ditko's Question was driven by Objectivist philosophy, O'Neil's version rebuilds the character around Zen Buddhism and martial arts training under Richard Dragon. The result is a morally complex protagonist who pursues truth in a city where almost nothing can be saved.

The series addresses poverty, race, political corruption, religion, and the limits of vigilante justice through street-level crime stories. Lady Shiva, Green Arrow, and the Riddler each appear in supporting roles. O'Neil's letters column, which featured a wide reading list of fiction and non-fiction, became a distinctive element of the book.