To become the rock elemental and the water elemental, Millar put Alec through a whole bunch of grief. But to become the wind elemental, there’s really not much to it. He has to solve one of the easier riddles I’ve ever read. It’s probably not even a riddle. He just has to find a clue. A very obvious one.

No wonder Millar spent most of these last issues dealing with the fantasy world and just had Alec depressed. If he came up with the solution first, then wrote the issues, there’d be no way to give Alec an interesting journey.

Alec’s depression, of course, is well-written. Millar’s showing his dwindling humanity in his insensitivity–not to everything but to a few choice targets.

But after multiple issues promising these awesome warlocks, Millar never delivers. We don’t even get to see a single warlock.

Still, it’s fine, with excellent art.

CREDITS

The Parliament of Vapors; writer, Mark Millar; penciller, Phil Hester; inker, Kim DeMulder; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, Richard Starkings; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, Vertigo.