This week: Rennie Montoya faces the past and represents a new future for questions.
Note: The review below contains spoilers. If you need quick spoiler purchase/pass recommendations for the manga in question, please see the bottom of the article for the final verdict.
Question: Along Watch Tower #6
Author: Alex Segura
Artist: Cian Tormey
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letter: Willie Schuber
Cover Artist: Cian Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Question: Guests are walking between the Unlimited Giants of the Justice League, following Renee Montoya. The street-level detectives tasked with managing security on board JLU’s highly acclaimed satellite headquarters are incredible premises, and the series grew only in the area around Renny as an unexpected threat from the Phantom Zone that arrived to threaten the league. This week’s final issue will focus on Renee and her journey, with the creative team of writers Alex Segura, artist Cian Tohmy, colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. and letter Willie Schuber, and more stakes while maintaining the focus in an engaging and satisfying way.
In many ways, there are books about carving your own identity all along the Watch Tower. Rennie is the second character to name the question. She teams up with not one but two legacy Blue Beetles, Ted Cord and Jame Reyes, and Kate Kane, the second Batwoman. Lenny’s mentor, Vic Surge, the first question, also makes an important appearance in the book. And the series’ big bad, Cyborg Superman, was one of the alternative Supermans back in the ’90s, and was just as famous as Eladicator, another villain in the series.
It is true that you cannot swing a stick in the DC Universe without hitting a legacy character in the face, but I feel that inclusion of these specific characters is very far ahead on the part of writer Alex Segura. Ted, Jaime and Kate, apart from adopting names, are rare in their predecessors, but the cyborg Superman and Eladicator were unable to fully emerge from under the shadow of the Steel Man. Rennie falls somewhere in the middle – she has a relationship with her predecessor, owes debts, but also her own person. Her personality serves her as “Watch Tower Security Head,” a position that sets her apart from the rest of the heroes around her, and Segura does an incredible job of conveying the complexity of her background and her role in this series.
It’s just as character-focused as in this series, and there’s still a lot of action and excitement about this issue, all of which are skilled by the linework art teams of Cian Tormey and Romulo Fajardo Jr. Tormey, with an exaggerated flowing quality to it, which captures the energy of the guardian visiting Chao. Sometimes it’s a risk that it’s difficult to follow what’s going on, but Tormey’s page layout is clear and his storytelling chops much more tightly. Fajardo Jr.’s colours complete the visuals, provide clarity and depth to the linework, and thrive in the occasional flashback and spectral appearance. It’s the story of Rip-Roaring Superhero and it’s great to watch.
Overall Question: We’ve concluded the series along Watch Tower #6, leaving the door open for further stories starring Renee and her less-than-ragtag Leaguer crew. If there is a gap in some of the sci-fi logic in what’s going on (it’s not yet known if the cyborg Superman is the people who use the Phantom Zone to mind control), they are compensated for by the strength of the character work they are on display. Also, this issue has at least one hanging development that requires future narratives to be addressed. Hopefully Segura, Tormey, Fajardo Jr. and Schuber will have an opportunity to do so soon.
Final Verdict: Purchase.
round up
Week 5 means it’s not a new release from DC this week, but it’s generally quite fun to be out. Batman/Superman: World’s Best Year #1 #1 continues the story of “We Are Togester” and continues the backstory of how future Grodd united the legions of destiny in the past, and how he brought it to the future without anyone knowing. The art of Dan McDade and John Charis is energetic and stylized, with Christopher Cantwell surrounding his and Mark Wade’s plot and keen script. Midway through this storyline, things start to come together well. The backup stories by Morgan Hampton, Clayton Henry and Neeraj Menon close the question by looking closely at John Stewart’s early days as the Green Lantern. In other Batman News, Detective Comics 2025 Annual #1 offers a mystery that Dark Knight can solve. The main stories of writers Al Ewing, artists Stefano Rafaelle, John McCree, Fico Osio, colorist Lee Lafridge, Triona Farrell, Uris Arerola and Letterer Tom Napolitano are filled with Tom Napolitano. Backups of Joshua Hale Fialkov, Mike Norton, Nick Firaldi and Troy Pitelli are the light palate cleanser of the story as Batman teams up with seventh graders to solve the mystery at his children’s school. The colours of Gotham Academy here are in a good way. Power Company: Recharge #1 continues to form a new utility company that started in one shot in February, and this time adds Jace Fox Batman. Authors Brian Edward Hill, artists Khary Randolph, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rapmund, Ray Anthony Height, Studio Skye Tiger, colorists Emilio Lopez and Alex Guimarès, letterers and world designs feel like the story of Batman, with guest stars from the Power Company. As a Batman story, it’s really solid, but as a team story, it kind of falls into a flat. Visually, the book is very well caught up in considering the five credited artists. This is the achievements of colorists Lopez and Guimares at the forefront. Hopefully they’re interested in seeing more new utility companies with stories that will function more as a team.
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