Warning: contains spoilers forThe Question: All Along the Watchtower#2!
DC just made clear, in the coolest way possible, just how serious they are about theJustice League’s“Unlimited” revamp. The recently concludedAbsolute Powerdrove home the need for the Justice League, and heroes in general.The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2, set aboard the Justice League’s awe-inspiring new Watchtower, shows fans just how big the team is now–thanks to the return of an underrated character.
The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2 is written by Alex Segura and drawn by Cian Tormey. One of the Challengers of the Unknown has been attacked and left for dead on the Watchtower. The Question, as the Watchtower’s head of security, searches for any clues that might lead to the perpetrator. The Question’s journey takes her to the Watchtower’s bar–which is tended by Nightshade. Renee tries to pry answers out of Nightshade, who is not exactly forthcoming. After a tense exchange, the Question learns Batwoman, her former lover, may be behind the attack.
The Justice League Is the Cornerstone of the DC Universe
The Justice League is one of the pillars of the DC Universe, but for a brief period, the team was on hiatus. As a result, Amanda Waller was able to enact plans that nearly wiped out every superpowered person on the planet, as documented inAbsolute Power. Using an army of Amazos, Waller stole powers and imprisoned anyone who got in her way. Waller nearly completed her objective, but was unable to account for dissension in the ranks. In the wake of Waller’s defeat, the heroes come to realize the Justice League is needed once again.
One Justice League Hero’s New Form Is Literally Straight Out of My Childhood Nightmares
This hero’s final form blindsided me with the reminder of a long-buried piece of pop culture that had once haunted my childhood nightmares.
Yet this time, the League was going to take a new approach, one befitting of DC’s newAll-Ininitiative. Taking a cue from theJustice League Unlimitedcartoon of the 2000s, every hero was now a potential member of the team. There is even a new Watchtower, one on a scale never seen before, fitting for this new and unprecedented era in the Justice League’s history. The new incarnation of the Watchtower is replete with facilities, such as zoos, botany labs, workout rooms–and even bars. Every hero on Earth also has a room aboard the Watchtower.
The Justice League’s new era has opened the ranks to everyone, and so far, throughoutAll-In, fans have been given glimpses at how far-reaching the team is now.
The Justice League’s new era has opened the ranks to everyone, and so far, throughoutAll-In, fans have been given glimpses at how far-reaching the team is now. The Question, who has never been a member of the League, is head of security. Tawky Tawny andAnimal Man head upthe biological research unit and the Challengers of the Unknown handle day to day operations. Each of these departments is vital to the Watchtower’s smooth functioning, but the recreational areas are just as important. These places need staff too, which is what Nightshade is doing.
Nightshade’s New Justice League Role Is Perfect for Her Comeback
Nightshade was the inspiration forWatchmen’sSilk Spectre.
Nightshade is a fixture of both the spy/espionage side of the DC Universe, and its supernatural corner.Co-created by Steve Ditko for Charlton Comicsin the mid-1960s, Nightshade’s shadow-based powers give her the ability to teleport through the Land of Nightshades. Nightshade has been a member of both the Suicide Squad and Shadowpact, but has never ascended as far as other characters acquired from Charlton, such as Captain Atom or Blue Beetle. Instead, Nightshade has been relegated to semi-obscurity, which undersells the character a great deal.
While mixing drinks may not be the best use of her considerable powers, it gives Nightshade a role, one that could lead to going on missions with the rest of the Justice League.
Yet now, Nightshade has a new purpose in the DC Universe: a bartender aboard the Watchtower. While mixing drinks may not be the best use of her considerable powers, it gives Nightshade a role, one that could lead to going on missions with the rest of the Justice League. Nightshade’s new job also illustrates how committed DC is to theJustice League’snew “Unlimited” era: they have recruited every hero, turning into a League for the first time, perhaps ever. Yet rather than just bolster their numbers, the League is giving everyone something meaningful to do.
The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2 is on sale now from DC Comics!
