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.

Reader Alex suggested I take a look at a fun bit in Hitman #37 where Garth Ennis finally acknowledged all the DC crossover that took place during Hitman's tenure (this is a more general meta-message about a BUNCH of creators rather than just one).

Even though Hitman came from the Bloodlines crossover, these things are obviously not Garth Ennis' forte. Heck, the first solo Hitman story was ALSO a crossover tie-in (to a Batman crossover involving a deadly virus let loose in Gotham City).

So in Hitman #37, with Gotham City once again caught up in a crossover of sorts, No Man's Land (where Gotham City is cut off from the rest of the world after an earthquake), Ennis finally caught up with the various crossovers, in an irreverent fashion....

Cute bit.