No hat? But how is she the Question without the cool hat? Why did they take away the hat?!

I'm more disturbed by the creepy, weird, very non-Question mask than the lack of hat. I'm behind on my Countdown (a fact that doesn't really bother me) so without context I have no idea what the appearance was like, but the visual definitely isn't good.

Looking forward to where you take Montoya, Greg.

Good god, that's ugly. I think the most appropriate interweb phrase is "DO NOT WANT".

My wife was particularly happy with Renee's treatment in 52. We are very much looking forward to the Crime Bible.

This is really sad to hear -- I was certainly surprised by the appearance of what looked like Misfit switching Batgirl worship to Renee worship and wearing what looks like a not-fully-manufactured Jason X mask, but that actually being Renee I guess makes sense?

What I'm commenting to ask about, actually (longtime reader first time responder bla bla bla met you at the paradise comicon a year ago and you were the best part of the show bla bla bla) is your comment about there being a Grand Plan and a redesign.

Did you mean that DC commissioned a grand plan and redesign for the character that they just didn't let you in on at all? Because that's borderline malicious, while simply not asking about your plans is just garden variety lazy and less dangerous.

Ah, OK, then I apologize for my initially vehement/vitriolic reaction as long as there's no danger of long-term harm occurring to the character, or of any of your plans being scuttled so that I can open Countdown #25 to see Montoya giving Mary Marvel the shocker or something.

Can't wait for Crime Bible.

Christ...she looks like a jewelry store thief wearing a stocking mask! That's just wretched irresponsible.

I am deliberately ignoring Countdown, so I've been spared the horror.

Wretched. A fan's pain is less profound than the creator's, I imagine, but even so.... I learned a long time ago to divide appearances of my favorite characters into "counts" and "doesn't count." Like how Batgirl hasn't appeared since the end of her series, or how Tempest hasn't really been around since Phil Jimenez's miniseries. Comics are much better this way. And besides, Countdown as a whole is...so much *less* than 52 that it's not worth my angsting over. A file-and-forget read. But it doesn't help the character-boost cause, no.

I'm about to dive into a reread of all the Atticus books in preparation for Patriot Acts--and Stumpdown, if my suspicion about the main character proves correct. ;) Looking forward to it!

I'm looking forward to Crime Bible. I loved Charlie (in large part to my devotion to Shiva and they have such a lovely past) and out of all of the changes that happened in 52 the switch from him to Montoya was the one I enjoyed the most.

As for Countdown, I've noticed that I can only read it in chunks. If I try on issue at a time it feels like I'm not getting enough in each one, so reading it in groups of four or more seems to help that a little. I think that might just be an issue with large plots that come in weekly segments, though - just the way information has to be parted out over the whole thing.

I think disappointment is putting it mildly. That mask looks more like the Red Hood than The Question.

That said, I'm looking forward to Crime Bible. =)

Frankly, Renee's entire metamorphosis into the Question in 52 was a total turnoff to me; I just personally couldn't become emotionally engaged in the story, and I found it boring. I don't see the need to kill off a wonderful character just so another can assume his/her costumed identity. I was hoping that Renee could emerge into her own as herself, but what's done is done, and I'll certainly give it a shot. I know in some quarters the move was perceived as a bit of tokenism ("ZOMG, the new Question is a lesbian Latina, aren't we DIVERSE, we're doing SUCH a good job on the diversity front, let's all go self-congratulatory!") on DC's part, although I'm not sure that's true.

Countdown is boring, so I pay no attention to it, except for a cursory leaf through various issues at my LCS, and Renee's hackneyed tough talk thus far leaves me cold.

I guess I wasn't clear enough; any speculated motivations I referred to above were simply things that I saw vocalized in various quarters in fandom as possible reasons for Renee's metamorphosis, and so I certainly concede that those delineated reasons could be wildly off base. I'm merely conveying perceptions I saw articulated, not hard, cold truth. "Only Didio knows the truth" is what we fans whisper in the bitterly cold winter night, huddled together over an empty oil drum, burning back issues of Zero Hour to stay warm and weeping over the clusterfuck that is Hawk continuity and Amazons Attack. :-)

But Crime Bible? Are you kidding? Without sounding too gushatory and unctious, YOU'RE writing it. Of course I'll try it! You're one of three writers, Mr. Rucka, that I'll purchase a title sight unseen because your name is on it. Even if ultimately I find it doesn't thrill me, the ride's always, always interesting.

You must love all the Night of the Living Didio jokes that get bandied around the internets these days, particularly in certain quarters on LJ. ;-)

Thanks for the reply. I know it must be frustrating when you see/read fans get angry about something that isn't actually there. I've always felt that sometimes if the staff at the Big Two were a tad more forthcoming after the fact that fan resentment could be allayed, but then again, the medium of sequential literature is one where creators and decision makers expose themselves (not in a nasty way) to fans to a degree that is unthinkable in other entetainment mediums such as film, TV, etc.

So there's this cycle where fans rightfully complain sometimes that the Big Two are out of touch with aspects of fandom, particularly on issues of how women and POC are portrayed, but conversely there's such an immediacy of contact between fans, writers, and editors and then we get a little spoiled and think goddammit, they should be answering our letters five seconds after getting them, and changing that panel on page nineteen RIGHT NOW!

You know, I was talking last night to a few people and we decided that if you'd gotten to write AA, we suspect it would have been called Amazons Kick Ass Against Some Evil That 99% of Fandom Can Agree Needs Its Collective Ass Kicked, and it would have been something entirely different.

Renee is one of my favorite DC characters - I picked up Half A Life because as a gay, female Mexican-American reader (no kidding! we exist), I was interested to see how a storyline focusing on a gay latina character would be dealt with. I ended up enjoying Half A Life, but 52 was when I really got on board the Montoya train.

At Wizard World Philly, Jim Califiore told me that Montoya would be featured in Countdown, and I thought, "Cool!". It never ocurred to me that the team would write her into the story without consulting you first, Greg. I assumed it would be at least an informal policy to talk to the creator of a recently revamped character before including her in another book. Sad to hear that's not the case.

Anyway, maybe this will cheer you up - The Top Six Renee Montoya Sass Panels.
http://geekanerd.blogspot.com/2007/07/top-five-renee-montoya-sass-panels.html

Took me a second to get the ref, and now I'm imagining a Hernandez-drawn Question.

Which would, I think, be cool.

From what I saw in Countdown today...Renee has her trench and hat. So at least now she looks like the Question at the end of 52.

Yep I'm looking forward to Crime Bible. Greg, Matthew Clark mentioned to me that each issue will have a different artist. Is this because each issue will look at a different chapter of the Bible? Who besides Mandrake and Matt are on board?

BTW my username is because of you and this past weekend at the SD Con. :)

I can't wait to hear what you think about Question's appearance in this week's Countdown.

It looks better. Much better.

I loved 52. Loved it. Loved it like I haven't loved comics in a long time.
I guess to love a story something painful has to happen and the death of the only real QUESTION was the really hard part for me.
I will follow Montoya out of interest in the concept, but I dunno. I dunno. I loved Charlie.

I disagree with you strongly about including Montoya in Countdown. I think she was an awesome addition. I think she added a ton. It's great to see a Cop side character make it to the Big Show.

But killing the Question. Man.

I hope you aren't saying they are pouring salt in the wound. It's hard. It's hard.