All October long I will be exploring the context behind (using reader danjack's term) "meta-messages." A meta-message is where a comic book creator comments on/references the work of another comic book/comic book creator using the characters in their comic. Each time around, I'll give you the context behind one such "meta-message." Here is an archive of the past installments! If you have a suggestion for a future meta-message, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com.

Readers William C. and Syd M. both suggested I feature a recurring bit that Denny O'Neil did in The Question #17 where the Question takes the opportunity to read Watchmen for the first time.

The Question is chasing some bad guys to Seattle (the artwork is by Denys Cowan and Rick Magyar) and he picks up a book to read on the airplane...

Throughout the issue, the Question begins to think WWRD?

First, when he has problems holding down his liquor...

And later, when he hunts down some bad guys...

Things go poorly, and they take Question out to the woods to kill him. He briefly escapes, thinking about how similar this situation is to how Rorschach met his fate...

And then the end...

Do note that the Question does not actually think Rorschach sucks. It is a joke.

The Question is luckily rescued by Green Arrow.

Funny stuff by O'Neil (who made sure to thank Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons in the issue).

EDITED TO ADD JUST TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE CONFUSION: Oh, and just in case you don't know anything about Watchmen and/or the Question, Rorschach was based on the Question. That's the joke.