"Achieve something that is...Logically...Impossible..."
Most recently my Batman/Grant Morrison reviews have got me on a mad Analytical craze. The knowledge writers like Milligan and Morrison have is astounding. A guy like Peter Milligan can create much depth in their comics that only few can match. The ability to create a "Cryptic Crossword" in Hellblazer is very appreciated by a guy like me. I love comics where you actually have to read them, not just the words, but the pictures and what the pictures truly mean. Comics are like no other medium they take the best of books, but have picture that give it more depth if used properly.
Milligan month after month has done just that with Hellblazer, this run is a Cryptic Crossword. Miss a piece then the crossword will be harder to figure out, get a piece and you can solve the next line. Some fans can complain Milligan is being loose with the continuity (all writers have been loose), but he is dealing with Time and may be what Grant Morrison is doing with Batman, Milligan may be trying to do with John Constantine. Both men are true Vertigo alumni and are only peers to each other. Not many men can do what they can. The Blurring of John Constantine's Real Time aging is the key to this run. We have a younger Punk John and the old mature John. Both the same man, just at different times. Milligan is teaching us so much about John in so little pages.
This is not a flawless issue, I have to complaints, but so minor the genius of this issue makes me over look how unimportant those flaws are. The two flaws are (1) on page two, frame 3, Gloria's eyes are horrible. (2) the sequence page 19, frame 3, where John and Epiphany are in the graveyard, it is suppose to be the year 1979, but the tombstone in the background lists 1904-1980, there is also long weeds to show ages on the tombstone. So Simon Bisley did great great art, just not accurate art.
Much like I did with the Return of Bruce Wayne review here below are things I want to point out:
The Cover
- The Scars of Old John, the hair of Young John. It is the day and night, the Ying and Yang. One of the same.
The Vitruvian Man on page 11
- Again that blurring of one's self.
- This seems to serve as a sigil
- The #1 in Numerology tends to mean "Individual. Aggressor. Yang." notice it is on page "11", again #1, but twice.
7/7 (July 7, 2005) London Bombings
- The #7 in Numerology tends to refer to "Thought/consciousness."
- Ever since Milligan has been mentioning the London Bombings his art teams have split it to two "consciousness".
There are likely more cryptic coding I am missing. Those items above are either Synchronicity in work or were put there on purpose, either way, Peter Milligan is writing Hellblazer like no one before him. I feel bad for the guy after him. Another long wait to see what is next. (To Mr. Milligan: "It is worth it Peter and I thank you.")
Cheers
- Silkcuts.