Azrael Plus The Question

Written by Denny O'Neil and with artwork by Vince Garriano, this issue is a semi-return to the wonderous days of Denny's Question series. In fact, it would have been if it weren't for the inclusion of the character Azrael (but what can I say, it's his book...). The story starts with Vic in a poker game with three other men, one of whom is politician Colonel Chablis. After blocking an attempt on Chablis's life, Vic is offered a job as a bodyguard. The job isn't protecting Chablis, but his klutzy, yet beautiful, actress daughter. Vic takes the job, telling Chablis to send the $8,000 a day salary to an orphanage in Hub City. What Vic doesn't know though, is that Junior Musto (remember him?) is planning to blow up the ship that Rita Chablis is acting on so that his family can regain their terrorist "prestige." Azrael, in the meantime, is facing dreams of his discontented father, who tells him to search for clues to find his destiny. Upon waking, Azrael, a.k.a. Jean Paul Valley, does find a clue: a newspaper ad for Rita Chablis starring in Secret of the Angels. So, Rita, Vic, Jean-Paul, and the Musto gang are all aboard the ship called the Thespic Queen. Vic meets and talks with Rita (even though he was supposed to remain anonymous). A possible love affair blossoms, but on his way back to the cabin, Vic notices the uniformity of some of the men on the boat, the Musto gang. He realizes that something is up, and dons his Question persona so that he can be on the lookout for trouble. Trouble does happen, as the bomb planted in a piano by the Mustos goes off prematurely. Fire overtakes the ship as Vic and Jean-Paul (appearing after Vic tells Rita, "You might try praying, one of your guardian angels might do good about now." After Jean-Paul's emergence from the fire, Vic resolvedly notes, "I'm not gonna ask.") take on the armed Musto gang. Jean-Paul tells Vic to get the innocents to safety, while he beats up the Musto gang and throws them overboard. Everyone ends up on the shore, and Vic and Azrael go their seperate ways. Azrael finds Junior Musto sobbing on the riverbank, and realizes that they both have pretty much the same problem with their fathers. They walk off together, possibly forming a new friendship?