This is a feature called "Nothing is Better." I have a feature called "Reason to Get Excited," where I spotlight aspects of current comic books that have particularly impressed me. I had started to expand it to older comics, but it just didn't feel right. I really think "Reason to Get Excited" should be reserved for current comic books. Therefore, this is the equivalent column for older comic books, "Nothing is Better," where I spotlight aspects of classic comic books that have particularly impressed me.

In honor of the late, great, Denny O'Neil, who we lost today, I thought I'd spotlight some of my favorite Denny O'Neil stories. Here is the stunning opening arc to The Question by Denny O'Neil, Denys Cowan and Rick Magyar (with a brilliant Bill Sienkwiecz cover for the first issue).

The Question has a bit of a metafictional beginning to it. This was the first Question story since DC purchased the character from Charlton Comics. The Question, under Steve Ditko, was an Objectivst superhero. That was not the type of hero that O'Neil was interested in writing, but instead of ignoring the Question's past, he built it into the story itself, as the first issue stars Ditko's Question and that Question DIES AT THE END OF THE FIRST ISSUE!

O'Neil totally leans into the conceit, with the amazing opening line explaining that Charles Victor Szasz has just over 25 hours left before dying...

After seeing the Question kick some ass, we see him then transform into his secret identity of journalist Vic Sage and go on TV with one of the most embarrassing pieces of journalism you can expect. Just pure id.

His friend/mentor explains that Vic is walking a dangerous path, but Vic doesn't care. He is getting off on this stuff.

However, he then runs into Lady Shiva (who O'Neil had introduced in one of his novels during the 1970s before adapting her into comics), in a beautiful fight sequence by Cowan and Magyar and she quickly kicks his ass and he is then shot in the head...

he sinks to the bottom of the river, left for dead. Yes, he dies at the end of his first issue! Another amazing page by Cowan and Magyar, right?

Someone drags him out of the river and resuscitates him and he recovers from his injuries. He is then visited by Batman, who basically tells him what a dick he is...

He is then sent to the middle of nowhere to train under Richard Dragon (also from that aforementioned kung fu novel that O'Neil adapted into the DC Universe) and it is here that Vic learns zen philosophy...

It turns out that he was brought here by Lady Shiva, who had saved him after leaving him for dead, as she sensed something in him...

He sets off to take down the villainous "reverend" who is trying to tear Hub City apart. However, when he stops the reverend from literally sacrificing an innocent kid to the devil, Vic realizes that he is no longer the same man he was before and he can't bring himself to kill. The kid's mother, though? Different take on things...

The Question's reaction to her actions, though, is fascinating in and of itself. The Question was an unsurprisingly enigmatic character.

The series lasted for 36 issues and a couple of annuals and it was a wonderfully spiritual journey.

Okay, folks, this is a feature that is a BIT less conducive to suggestions (as it really is about stories that spoke to me, ya know?), but hey, feel free to still send suggestions for future, non-O'Neil installments, to brianc@cbr.com! Maybe you and I have the same take on things and I'll use your idea!