Comic Book Lessons in Analytics — Ask the Question
You worry too much about answers. Learn to ask the questions.
What conclusions can you draw from an abundance of data gathered without a specific direction or purpose?
Quite a few, actually. But there’s no guarantee they will be useful.
What’s the point of an answer without a question?
The Question is a DC Comics character who is obsessed with gathering and connecting every bit of information he finds. He is further convinced that almost every occurrence, large and small, is connected in ways that only he can see.
The Question is never satisfied with the data he finds or the questions he answers. Each is simply another piece, in his mind, of a larger puzzle. And, in his mind, the larger answers are almost always sinister.
He’s known as something of a conspiracy nut, but he also solves mysteries and draws real connections where no one else is looking.
History
Like most comic characters, the Question has seen many iterations. Here, we are discussing the original and most common version of the character.
Victor Sage was a television journalist known in Hub City for uncovering hidden stories. Over time, however, he became convinced that he was only seeing the surface. He wanted to know more.
Skipping ahead a few years, Victor was gifted a mask that obscured his face and adopted the identity of the Question. He used his new anonymity to investigate deeper and wide-ranging threats around the world.
He also became increasingly paranoid.
Why It Matters
The Question is the analyst who never stops digging through the data, convinced that more and better information always lies “one level deeper”.
We have all encountered projects that produced the desired results but still left us feeling that we could have gone a little further.
In this example from the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, the Question was helping Supergirl investigate bad dreams.
When Green Arrow suggested that Supergirl stop eating nachos before bed, the Question replied that she preferred peanut butter sandwiches.
The last panel summarizes the Question’s approach to data gathering, even among friends. There are hundred of heroes on the Watchtower in this show and hundreds more support staff.
The Question goes through everyone’s trash as a matter of course, even without a specific purpose or relevant case.
While this might be an extreme example, it’s not difficult to see the comparison to the analyst who insists on searching every data model and continue gathering data beyond the point of fulfilling current requirements.
I’ve done it. I’ll search alternate data models and keep asking questions. But at least I can say that I don’t search anyone’s trash, much less everyone’s.
The “Bigger Picture”
The Question is obsessed not only with gathering every bit of available data he can find, but also with relating it internally and externally. All of it. He is thoroughly convinced that he can determine how the world really works if he can just get more information and find the right points to connect it.
I could show you any number of pictures of the Question’s board, but they generally look like this. Multiple notes connected with an intricate web of string.
Occasionally, you’ll see labels on some of the Question’s tacked notes. Government elections, local coffee houses, weather disasters, and humanitarian crises all get equal treatment. Nothing is discounted.
He doesn’t know who runs the world, but he did, at one point, feel confident that the Boy Scouts were part of the inner cabal. Even if they didn’t know it.
Lateral Thinking
When I say that the Question rules out nothing, I mean it.
Those who are familiar with Shazam (a.k.a., Captain Marvel) know that Billy Batson shouts “Shazam!” to transform.
Billy’s enemy, Black Adam, also shouts “Shazam!” to transform. However, he has a disciple, Osiris, who shouts his name (“Black Adam!”) to transform.
A newer character, Adriana, whispers “Isis” to transform.
Here we see Victor Sage, having witnessed all of these transformations, shouting each name just to see if the effect is, as he says, contagious.
Can’t hurt to try, right? Actually, in the DC universe, shouting one of those names could kill you if done for evil purposes. I guess curiosity isn’t evil.
Personality
Believe it or not, the Question does have a personality beyond his obsession. He just doesn’t bother to exercise it or very often. He thinks in purely literal terms, and nothing is more important than his work. Emotions are difficult.
Surprisingly, the Question has been known to date. He was involved in a relationship with the Huntress for a while, although most of their dates either started or ended with solving one of his (or her) open cases. Or finding a new one to investigate.
To her credit, Huntress did try to introduce him to some of the more intimate aspects of dating, including certain types of private conversation.
While the two did have feelings for each other, the relationship only lasted a couple of months. Not counting work-related time, I think that amounted to three dates. He just doesn’t know how to function outside of his mission.
Perseverance
There is another aspect of the Question’s character and his obsession that could be seen in a positive light: in the pursuit of the truth, he has no fear.
In another Justice League story, the Question discovers evidence of actions taken by Superman and others that conflict with the League’s moral code.
At that point, the Question turned his full attention to Superman, even to the point of confronting him directly. He did not hesitate.
Putting aside Batman and Lois Lane, how many human beings would confront Superman so boldly, and alone, on a very dangerous topic?
To clarify, the Question had discovered information that indicated Superman would be pushed to the point of killing Lex Luthor in order to avenge a fallen comrade and prevent more innocents from dying (remember - comic book).
When Superman, who had the same information, could not refute the possibility, the Question found an answer. He decided to kill Lex Luthor before that sequence of events could occur. That would save Superman, and, in the Question’s own words, “I’m no great loss. They think I’m a crackpot, anyway.”
Point being, he was not afraid to chase a lead. Not afraid of the information or the answer it provided. And he was not afraid to act when necessary to stop it.
Learning from a comic crackpot
So, you’ve just spent five minutes reading about a possibly insane conspiracy nut in the DC comic universe. Why would I promote him as a hero, much less spotlight his analytic prowess?
Let’s review…
Victor Sage adopted the identity of the Question in order to pursue his investigations beyond normal routes of study.
Sage is thorough to the point of exhaustion, pursuing every avenue of inquiry until he is satisfied there is nothing more to be gained.
Sage looks at every data set and every result in terms of the larger picture, always checking relationships and studying how pieces fit together.
Sage excludes nothing. Every bit of data is relevant until proven useless or redundant.
Sages fears nothing in pursuit of the facts and the truth.
Also, the Question is a hero. He could easily gather information and sell it to any number of people or organizations with less savory uses for it.
I’m not telling you to be the Question, or even to be like the Question. But I am telling you that you can learn from him.
Bonus Points: Rorschach
I’ll save you some time in the comments section by stating here that the Question was not based on Alan Moore’s Rorschach from Watchmen.
Quite the opposite, actually.
When Alan Moore wrote Watchmen, he first used a group of new DC characters including the Question. When DC realized those characters would be unusable afterwards, Moore created new characters in their place. That’s how we got awesome characters such as Rorschach and Dr Manhattan.
And no, Night Owl was not based on Batman. He was Blue Beetle.
If you don’t know who I’m talking about, go read Watchmen (watching the movie doesn’t count). And then read some Blue Beetle comics, just because.
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