The Justice League gets their own big murder mystery in All Along the Watchtower

Who do you want investigating a murder in the most secure superhero stronghold in the world, and when every member of the Justice League is a suspect? The answer is the Question. That is, the superhero alias of Detective Renee Montoya, in The Question: Along the Watchtower #1, a new series from DC Comics coming out in November.

Written by Alex Segura (The Black Ghost) and drawn by Cian Tormey (Son of Superman), Along the Watchtower follows Renee after Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman summon her to the Justice League’s Watchtower headquarters to solve a gruesome murder.

Segura, who made his name with mystery novels with a comic strip theme Secret Identity And Alter egois a natural fit for that hook. He told Polygon via email that the biggest influences on Lookout tower are the classics: “like Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie: plot-driven novels with colorful characters and situations, often outside the expected or mundane. But I would also have to take my hat off to more modern PI novels, like the work of Walter Mosley, Laura Lippman, and George Pelecanos — stories about flawed protagonists who push themselves too far and try to do the right thing.”

Cartoon fans will recognize Renee Montoya from her frequent appearances as a police detective in Batman adaptations – from her origins in Batman: The Animated Seriesto the Gotham TV series, based on the Birds of prey film, up until her supporting role in this summer Batman: The Masked CrusaderLess common in adaptations is her superhero alter ego, inherited from the original Question in the pages of DC’s venerable 2006 series, 52.

Segura says his comics influences when it comes to Renee include two writers: Denny O’Neil, who first wrote the Question in the DC Universe, and Greg Rucka, who guided Renee’s evolution, along with frequent collaborators Denys Cowan and Cully Hamner. “I don’t presume to carry that torch, but I’ve taken to heart the stories that they’ve told with Renee, where we see her trying to overcome her own demons to do the right thing,” Segura said. “I think the challenge of doing that in this story, where Renee is walking among a cast of heroes who are akin to gods, is part of the fun — and it reminded me of classic superhero mysteries like The Long Halloween, Human targetand the essential of Wagner/Seagle/Davis Sandman Mystery Theaterexcept on a much larger and more surreal stage: the JL Watchtower.”

Lookout tower takes place after DC’s summer 2024 crossover and features a revived Justice League and an all-new Watchtower satellite headquarters. The setup gave Tormey free rein to dream up his own take on the classic comic book setting. He described it in one word: “Scale.”

“The last book I drew was set in 1930s New York,” Tormey told Polygon via email. “So it was such an exciting challenge to draw a massive subway station full of ambitious technology. Add to that the fact that we’d be telling a noir story — usually the stuff of dive bars, smoke-filled rooms, and backstreets — in a clinical, pristine setting, the juxtaposition was too intriguing to pass up! (…)

“The Watchtower is as much a character in this film as Renee herself, but it is ultimately a noir story, so you’ll have to believe me when I say that a lot of thought went into all those backgrounds that you can’t see beneath all the blood and shadows!”

The Question: Along the Watchtower begins on November 20th, featuring a main cover by Tormey and variant covers by Danny Earls, Lucio Parrillo, and Jorge Fornés. You can check out all of those covers below, along with DC’s official synopsis.

Renee Montoya investigates a murder mystery in the Justice League Watchtower

Who’s Watching the Watchtower? In the Wake of Absolute powerJustice League Unlimited has created a sanctuary for all the heroes—but can they keep it safe? Enter Renee Montoya, who’s reeling from the abrupt end to her time in Gotham and looking for a place to hang her hat. But the Trinity hasn’t brought her to the Watchtower to relax—there’s a dark threat simmering beneath the surface, and only the Question and her ad hoc support team have a chance to figure out who the problem is before it’s too late.