Comic Title: Question Annual #1
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: 1988
On Sale Date: June 7, 1988 Shipping Date June 7, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #5

Shipping Date June 7, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #140

Shipping Date June 7, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #756, #758, #760, #762

Shipping Date May 31, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #4

Newsstand Date June 20, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #756

Newsstand Date June 21, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #758, #760, #762

Copyright Date June 21, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Cover Price: $2.50
Page Count: 48
Editor: Mike Gold

Title: "The Silent Parable"
Pages: 44

Feature(s):
Question (Post-Crisis)

Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Penciller: Denys B. Cowan
Inker: Rick Magyar
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Tatjana Wood

Reprinted In:
Question by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2022)

Feature Character(s)

• Question (last appearance in Detective Comics Annual #1; next appearance in Question #20)

Guest Star(s)

• Lady Shiva (last appearance in Green Arrow Annual #1; next appearance in Batman #427)
• Batman (last appearance in Detective Comics #590; next appearance in Justice League International #19)
• Green Arrow (last appearance in Green Arrow Annual #1; next appearance in Green Arrow #9)

Supporting Character(s)

• Aristotle Rodor (last appearance in Question #19; next appearance in Question #20)

Villain(s)

• Jake (dies in this story; last appearance in Question #4; no further appearances)
• Jake's henchmen (Looie named; die in this story; no further appearances)
• Several hired killers (no further appearances)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Richard Dragon (in flashback; last appearance in Question #2; next appearance in Question #34)

Other Character(s)

• A sensei (dies in this story; last appearance in Green Arrow Annual #1; no further appearances)
• Jeremiah Hatch (as a corpse; last appearance in Question #4; no further appearances)
• The sensei's wife (in flashback; no further appearances)
• Members of the sensei's wife's family (in flashback; no further appearances)
• A college professor (in flashback; no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Question (during his training with Richard; last appearance in Question #2; next appearance in Question #2)
• Vic Sage (in college; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Question Annual #2)

Comments:
Fables Part III

This story is continued in part from Green Arrow Annual #1.

Synopsis:
Jake, the thug who worked for Jeremiah Hatch, returns to Hub City. He wants to find the money, Hatch had hidden before his death. He also wants revenge upon the Question whom he knows is Vic Sage. Jake and his henchmen confront Vic at the home of Professor Rodor. They use the old man as a hostage to ensure the Question's cooperation.

The Question leads them to the burned down mayor's manor where Hatch died. In the cellar of the house, they find Hatch's corpse and a safe containing the money. Jake intends to kill both the Question and Tot, but the timely arrival of Shiva saves them. She kills Jake and his men, then helps administer medical care to Tot.

Shiva recruits the Question to join with Batman and Green Arrow to fulfill the sensei's quest to be buried next to his wife. Batman has done most of the detective work already, tracking the woman's family to a small island. The Question asks Batman to stay behind on the journey, so that he doesn't feel useless.

The Question, Green Arrow, Shiva, and the Sensei reach fly to Malaya where they will take a boat to the island. On the docks, they are attacked by killers hired by the family who see the sensei as a demon. Shiva, the Question and Green Arrow defeat them. They then board the boat which capsizes during a storm. The sensei is lost at sea.

The Question, Green Arrow, and Shiva reach the family home. They inspect the burial chambers and find an empty place where the sensei's wife should have been placed. After the group returns home, Vic receives a letter from Batman explaining that while the wife's body was being transported to the island, her ship went down. Therefore, her body and that of the sensei are both and the bottom of the sea. The mission was not a failure after all.