Back into The Swamp Thing. Covering Rick Veitch’s issues #65-87; and Doug Wheeler’s issues #88-93.
At the conclusion of Part 4, I talked about a series of writers who would follow Moore’s steps. It would be a challenge of creativity and writing. Moore claimed to have done it all, and while he certainly expanded the mythos and characters of the series, it’s interesting to see how these writers stretch and push the boundaries of these new concepts and ideas, and add a few new fresh ideas of their own. There’s a lot of swampy grounds to cover here. We’ll start with Rick Veitch, and carry on towards Doug Wheeler, who wrote issues #88-109. We’ll stop at issue #93, and continue the rest, along with Nancy A. Collins’ run (#110-138) in the next part. For now, let’s begin with the obvious. This will be filled with SPOILERS. In preparation for Pasko’s run, I did online research, looking to see what the comics audience thought about the run. As I mentioned, not many people had thoughts on it, and a large amount of people had not read it, compared to how countless people have read, reviewed, and loved Alan Moore’s run. As such, I decided for Pasko’s run, I would in part discuss the plot of issues, and give my thoughts on them, as well as my given research on it. Because Moore’s was widely read, I felt I had no need to include a rundown of the plot. Veitch’s run falls somewhere in the middle. People picked up Swamp Thing when Moore was writing, and so it makes sense people still followed it when he left, wouldn’t you? It looks like a lot of people however didn’t stick with the series, perhaps feeling it lost it’s thunder after Moore’s departure. And so, while more people read this run than Pasko’s, it hasn’t been on the same level as Moore’s. This could also be in part that DC/Vertigo have since republished Moore’s run into these beautiful new collected editions, filled with introductions, that contained a lot of insight and behind the scenes look at what was going on at the time. It saddens me that Veitch has received no such treatment, especially after the falling out he has with DC over issue #88, the issue where Swamp Thing was to meet Jesus; but we’ll get to that.
And so, caught in the middle, I’ll have to highlight some issues and their plot, but overall continue the flow, not retelling the entire story. And while Veitch certainly is a capable writer, it doesn’t feel to be on the same depth as Moore. An example would be the little touches Moore included, such as book titles that related to the issue, are absent in this run. It’s by no means bad, nor do I consider it a waste of time. A lot of the writing is top notch, and is filled with “pretty words”. However at the end of the issue, they’re just that, pretty words. When I look back at the issue, it feels as if it’s simply talking without speaking, similar to Pasko. The difference however, is that this is enjoyable to read, but while it is enjoyable, it ultimately felt like filler, especially when the art did such a fantastic job at telling us what we needed to know on it’s own. I’d recall Mark Millar’s words on the daunting task of writing Swamp Thing after Moore, and I think Veitch felt that first hand. One should take into account how Veitch was also taking on art duties, while simultaneously writing a monthly title. I respect Veitch in this regard, and am overall pleased with the story he gives us. Although I focus more on the negative, as I’ve said, his ideas were deep and interesting, unique and colorful. A lot is left to be desired however and I don’t just mean how his run was cut before issue #88. For example, overall his run consists of what you may call two story arcs, the first of which feels like it goes on for far too long. I can probably guess that he took inspiration from Moore’s American Gothic, where he wanted to tell stories that overall had an arc, and were connected by the same threads, but issue by issue, would be a different situation, and problem at hand. It certainly is enjoyable to read, and without further ado, let us begin.
Most of Veitch’s run can be read in the original Swamp Thing collected editions, Volumes 7, 8 and 9 ending with #81; which is a shame, given that #82-87 remain uncollected of not only his run, but everything after that up to the recently released Mark Millar run. These trades also have an extremely odd way of collecting the issues (by the way, they’re also pretty rare to find. So if you have any desire to read these, I’d highly suggest looking at back issue bins or an online website.) in which they have all the covers at the very end of the trade (the “cover gallery) and simply begin each new issue with “Chapter 1” or 2, 3, ect. I don’t mind this format in some cases, where the story is so tight and well put together, you just want to read it non stop. However, I also quite enjoy looking at the cover before I begin each issue, studying it and wonder what it is foreshadowing. The “Chapter 1” is also always put up top, and every single time I’ve missed it. I continuously became confused when the issue would continue going. It was a strange change in pace that I missed, like watching a movie that cuts from one major scene to another, without any sort of warning or cut away. All that aside issue #65 starts right where Moore left off. I always felt Moore had given Abby and Swampy a good send off. No more adventures, no more crazy aliens or monsters or horrors. They could just live in the swamp, at peace with themselves. It’s because of this, I find what happens in issue #65 so hilarious, where Abby already misses and craves a diner’s breakfast. To be entirely fair, there’s never a clear distinction how much time has passed between issues, so it may well be months have passed. However Swampy’s next actions makes it feel like it wasn’t too long after, because he goes back into the Green, to meet with the Parliament of Trees once again. This issue is vital, because it explains what the rest of the run is about. See, when Swamp Thing almost died in Gotham and left Earth, he was alive, but disconnected from the Green. As such, the Parliament declared the elemental dead, and actions had to be taken, to ensure a new elemental was to be born, or created. With Swamp Thing back, this creates a massive problem, where there will be two elementals on Earth, which is a massive no-no, and will cause many natural problems. All the while, Abby has a hallucinogenic journey in the swamp. Interestingly, it’s not a blissful sense of euphoria like it was prior, it now awakens many dark and horrifying visions as well. Oh, and Constantine appears! There’s a great bit at the end of the issue where Swamp Thing basically tells, and shows Constantine that he’s not having any more of his little games, nor will he be manipulated by him any longer. Constantine obviously has something up his sleeves however. Overall it’s a really solid first issue. It sets everything up nicely, and everything following this issue is a direct result of what happened here. While Swamp Thing has a chance to correct the balence by killing the unborn power that would be the new elemental, he does not do so, hoping he can find an alternate solution. You could say there’s sort of two plots happening in every issue. One usually focuses on Abby, the other on Swamp Thing. It’s an interesting way to format the issues, and gives us an interesting spotlight on Abby, and other characters, such as Constantine, Chester, and Liz. Kudos to Veitch for retaining the supporting cast, and using them in interesting ways, instead of creating an issue called “Loose Ends” and killing everyone off.
Issue #66 does a good job at foreshadowing future events, while creating a fantastic perspective for Abby and Swamp Thing’s relationship. I’m not even sure how to phrase this…but basically, Swamp Thing enters Abby’s pineal glad (that’s inside the brain) and sets her soul free to wander realms, while Swamp Thing remains in control of her body. I thought the focus of the issue would be how Swamp Thing reacted to being a human, and Abby to basically being a literal, free spirit. We don’t focus on Swamp Thing so much as we do Abby, as she travels into the likes of Heaven and meets Alec Holland. There’s also a subplot that involves Constantine, talking sweet things to none other than Woodrue, still stuck in Arkham Asylum. There’s also some background Batman action going around. I’m not sure what to make of it, or what it’s entirely about. I can only conclude it was a way of reminding the reader that this was Gotham City, and that the DC Universe at large was still occurring outside the swamps of Houma. Abby brings “The Sprout” that is, the unborn spirit power of the other elemental back with her, but they set it free. Issue #67 has a great first page where they make fun of the sequel to the Swamp Thing film, in an extremely unsubtle manner. There’s also a continuing story that begins here, about a uninteresting character by the name of Roy Raymond, a tv star, who has a show about…things. I’m honestly not really sure, in fact, I’m not entirely clear if this is Roy himself, or Lipchitz, his agent (I think, and honestly I couldn’t find myself caring enough to bother checking. Sorry folks) Apparently he wants Swamp Thing on his show, and continues to ask locals about him, including Chester. Ultimately, he’s taken on a massive joyride seen through the issues, where he’s kept prisoner in the back seat of his car, where a new, different Swamp Thing monster drives, seeking for the our beloved Good Gumbo, and eventually dies, dehydrated, malnourished and so on. I know not all of that made sense, we’ll get there, but I wanted to get that all out of the way now, because even after looking at it again and again, I see no point, absolutely no point this subplot, or this character. I’m sure there’s a lesson to be learned about television fame, and the search for it, and greed and so on, but I simply don’t care and lacked any interest in the character. His ultimate fate only a bitter reminder that overall, he served no purpose to the plot, other than maybe help narrate what the new Swamp Monster was doing and looking for. Almost ironically, if Veitch intended for the reader to hate the character and simply laugh at him while on his horror drive, then he succeeded, because it is indeed hilarious, and brings a strange joy to see him suffering while he appears randomly in the background of the issues.
Now that that’s out of the way, we return to Cyrus Gold, AKA Solomon Grundy, whom the Sprout has attached itself to, seeking it to be the host for the new Elemental. This kind of contradicts what Veitch says later however, when he includes that all the Elementals have similar names (or their hosts do), AKA: Alec Holland, Alex Olsen, ect. After a battle, and Grundy reflecting on his previous life, he rejects the Sprout and it feels from him. Issue #68 is where the writing takes a steep decline, in my opinion. There are three parts to this issue; one of the terrorist, one of Abby and one of Swamp Thing. Abby’s story is written so beautifully and well done, and shows us Liz starting to get a hold on her life once more, using the last line’s Liz said in Pasko’s run, and used again in Moore’s run. It’s brilliant. Swamp Thing’s story leave some to be desired. But first, we also see the Terrorist, the would be chosen for the Sprout, creating his origin story. It’s here I mentioned where it feels there are simply words. Pretty words formulated to narrate a story, that the art does in a far superior way. As another note, Abby realises she has dozens of checks from the government for her husband in a coma, which she ultimately gives to Chester, who is taking care of Liz, if you recall. Back to Swamp Thing, in his battle with Grundy, he was unable to escape his body, a fact Constantine forces him to question. He concludes the answer lies within the Parliament, as they’re trying to kill him to correct the balance. He’s redirected to a committee, to which I have no idea how it works. Looking at this issue again and again, I’m at a loss at how this committee works. It’s explained that larger problems go to this committee, but then I feel removes the entire purpose of having a Parliament of Trees to begin with; if they have their own branch (bad pun intended) of elementals to handle this. Anyway, these four beings are vastly interesting. While Moore introduced the Parliament, I have to compliment Veitch on truly bringing them out and expanding on them more. Especially giving a backstory and history to them. It’s here where it’s explained their names aren’t the only thing they have in common, but also their origin. Death by fire and a rebirth as a monster in green. The terrorist mentioned earlier is questioned if he is suited to be the successor, given his evil nature.
Issue #69 gives us insight on how Abby has retained the ability to sense Swamp Thing’s presence ever since her spirit roamed free. Swamp Thing meanwhile is almost tricked into staying with the Green, but breaks free. He once again shows his ability to go into outer space, and return, now at ease, and breaks the committee, and the terrorist, who’s gone insane since becoming the new Swamp Monster (and lugging a familiar Roy Raymond.) Issue #70, the final issue in volume 7, is a huge improvement in writing. The issue is once again, split into two stories, that converge at the end: Swamp Thing and Abby reuniting, and Constantine trying to figure something out. This issue is interesting, because up until now, it was a mystery how Constantine was able to find out his information. As we learn later, he’s trying to figure out who the Sprout will select next to be the next Elemental. He needs dates, times, and places. We are introduced to a number of new character who help him out, from dreams, to sacrifices, to math equations. It’s all riveting to read and enjoy. All the while, nature is beginning to have some negative effects, and folks are starting to notice. Back at the swamp…Abby and Swampy are apparently making love. It’s difficult to tell, since Swampy isn’t human, but the artwork looks…sensual, if a flower could ever be sensual anyway. Even their post-sex talk is…odd. I forgot for a moment I was reading a Swamp Thing comic. It’s not bad, I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s not the Alan Moore “Rite of Spring” issue, where everything is clouded in euphoric mind games and artwork. I’m also a tad confused on how the new Elemental works. Apparently now, you can simply “retire” and give the new Elemental the role. I was under the impression only one could be alive at a time, but I suppose if the Parliament didn’t know Swamp Thing was still alive, even after returning to Earth, that doesn’t really matter. He could jump to space and back and effectively be “dead”. A loophole of sorts. Thanks to Constantine’s contacts, he’s able to find exactly where the next host for the Sprout will be. The epilogue, if you will, is Liz finally typing away at Chester’s typewriter, while Chester has a marijuana plant with an eyeball.
I suppose here is also a good place to mention the annuals, #3 and 4. They aren’t collected here, and feature a story written by Bissette, but overall have little to no impact on the story itself. They’re more self contained stories that rarely even have anything to do with Swamp Thing. #4 featuring Batman and Gotham City, I found the more interesting of the two, even though #3 seems to be more connected with the current events of Swamp Thing. Either way, they’re nothing spectacular, or a must read, like how Annual #2 was to Moore’s story. They’re entirely skippable, although if you had to read one, read #4. There’s a certain mystery Batman is trying to solve surrounding spores, meanwhile Swamp Thing discovers a dark gray area within the Green, and eventually realizes Batman’s case and this area are connected. There’s a threat within that area that tells Swampy it’s name is Matango. The annual was written by Bissette and it’s good to see him back in action. The annual will pay of much later. I’ve also been incorrectly calling a character, a new Swamp Monster, but his name is actually Wild Thing. This is kind of important because of the roll he will be playing in a few issues. In #71, there’s a much better form of writing and flow to the issue. The issue is again split into 3 storylines. One about Swamp Thing journeying to the Moon to collect the Sprout (he hid him there in a previous issue for safe keeping), Constantine trying to find the new host for the Sprout, and finally the Host himself taking a trip to a plane, which ultimately leads him to his death. Unfortunately Swamp Thing helps travel the souls of everyone on board to another plane (presumably Heaven), and thus ruining the bonding between the Sprout and the Host, enraging Constantine. This issue is amazing, from the art that perfectly displays the facial expressions of numerous characters, to the details of how Swamp Thing travels from Earth into Outer Space. The issue flows beautifully, not once feeling dull or jampacked with too many words. Everything works in harmony, unlike Constantine’s plan for the Sprout.
Issue #72 primarily focuses on the selection of a new host for the Sprout. Almost immediately after being introduced to him, we see what an unlikable person he is. so much so that Constantine decides not to even use him, despite having found him. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but the Sprout would take on a lot of traits of it’s hosts. An “imprint” if you will, similar to how Swamp Thing isn’t quite Alec Holland, but retains his memories and a lot of his personality. The Sprout is already kind of whacked out by bonding with the likes of Solomon Grundy. I also want to mention Rodney: Constantine’s child math wiz. Besides composing mathematics like a symphony, he’s seen reading Batman and the Outsiders #6 here. Previously while playing with his superhero toys, he also “constructed” the story of Crisis on Infinite Earths. I wonder if Veitch had plans for this character, or if it was just a way to get some Easter eggs into the issues. Either way, it’s things like this that make the characters Constantine interacts with, all the more interesting; especially in comparison with Roy Raymond and Lipchitz. The ending also shows us Swamp Thing taking a look at Sunderland’s dead body inside a Cryo-chamber, not unlike the one he was in, in Swamp Thing #21. I can’t say for sure if this was meant to foreshadow his return, or simply Veitch paying homage to Moore. #73 is split into two stories, where non other than Chester is chosen to be the host. However, Abby finds him and Constantine, and warns Chester about being an Elemental, despite Chester considering it, and all in all wouldn’t be so bad for him. This is also the issue where Constantine corrects Chester that his name is pronounced, not as “teen” but as “tine”. I previously heard someone say Moore mentioned that in an interview. It could be they were mistaken, or it could be Veitch reminding the readers how it was properly pronounced, even though today, and even in the 2014 series, it’s pronounced “teen”. The other story is pretty genius I find, in the simply fact that it’s Swamp Thing battling a Swamp Dinosaur. The Parliament isn’t happy at all with Swamp Thing, and have unleashed an extremely ancient Elemental from within them to attack him. It’s a fantastic concept, one further emphasized in the New 52 (though not by much), where we see that before humans or mankind, who wore the title as Elementals? The Dinosaurs. And yes, we see more of Roy Raymond. I force myself to read these, only to learn more about Wild Thing. There are many clues to his true identity. First speaking in insane tv jingles, to Chinese, to now, Beowulf. The first few lines to be exact.
This takes us to issue #74. Chester does not become Swamp Thing (nor does he eat from Swamp Thing’s tubers at the end of the issue. I believe this is a running joke, coming from his first appearance.) and Swamp Thing takes the Swamp Dinosaur to Mars, in hopes of sprouting life. What a riveting concept, having a plant dinosaur on Mars, trying to bring it life. And yes, his name is “Swamp Knucker” but Swamp Dinosaur sounds pretty cool. Swamp Dino. Anyway, as Swamp Thing takes him away, he makes mention that the initial departure from Earth was too much for him, and he passes out. This explains why Swamp Thing was unsure of his own life when he first jumped into Outer Space, and it further would explain why no previous Elementals have tried it. As Wild Thing comes face to face with Abby and the Sprout, Swampy finds Constantine lying on the floor. He forms an exoskeleton around him and is able to look into his memories, specifically how he was able to find all the hosts for the Sprout. I was really confused here how and why Constantine was doing lying around, injured and unconscious. Apparently, this series was in a much deeper connection with the Hellblazer series than I thought. I can’t be for certain, but it appears this happens directly after Hellblazer #7, where Constantine sees “ghosts” of his Newcastle crew, and jumps out of a speeding train. This continues in Hellblazer #8, which we’ll discuss more in a bit. Back to Wild Thing and Abby, Swampy comes to rescue her, and we learn that Swampy bound the Committee to Wild Thing, in retaliation for them trying to force him to stay in the Green. Instead of fighting, Swamp Thing tells of them of the stars and planets, and they choose to explore them as he did. This is also where Lipchitz dies and Roy is taken away. It’s bittersweet trade off, losing Wild Thing, but also losing those two. Swamp Thing is off to kill the Sprout, but he can’t find himself to do so. Frustrated and out of options, this leads us into issue #75.
The story is pretty simple; Swamp Thing can’t think of a solution, so Abby suggests he grows a bigger brain to find one. I don’t think the mass of a brain is what brings insight and intelligence, but I suppose he absorbs the knowledge of the Green and the Parliament of Trees to further push his intelligence. This is never specifically explained, but it’s a safe assumption. Swamp Thing becomes rather cynical about everything. He refuses to help the famine in some countries, he considers the Metahumans a waste, and so on and so forth. A lot this issue is more pretty words, and it’s a shame, because this is a really interesting concept. I don’t want to say, “I bet Alan Moore on this issue would have been fantastic”, because I feel Veitch is more than capable of writing a grand scale, meta analysis issue here, but sadly this isn’t the case. His brain grows so big, you can see it over the treetops of the Swamp. I was finally able to find some letters to the editor for these issues (this particular one is in issue #79), and a reader asks why the city doesn’t react to Swamp Thing’s massive brain, seen in the distance. The editor (Karen, who has been on the series since the Moore days) responds that there are no nearby cities to see it. Fair enough, but isn’t the Swamp just right outside of Houma? Abby and friends are able to go back and forth in a short amount of time. And in the previous issue, the police find Roy Raymond’s car while out on patrol. A more likely answer is the people of Houma either don’t care, or know better than to involve themselves with the Swamp. They know to leave the Good Gumbo man alone.
Before we get to issue #76, the final issue in Book 8, it’s important to look at Hellblazer #8. Or at least some context, in which Constantine is given some blood to heal himself, the blood of a powerful Demon. So basically, demon blood is in his veins and body. Issue #9 of Hellblazer, ends with Swamp Thing appearing in his home, and Constantine revealing his plan. A side note, and spoilers ahead of time here, that last part doesn’t make much sense. At the end of issue #75, and building up to that moment, Swamp Thing’s grand idea for this problem is to impregnate Abby, and have that be the host for the Sprout. How that was Constantine’s plan, i’m not sure unless he’s referring to what happens next, as seen in Swamp Thing #76, in which Swamp Thing posses Constantine, so that he may have sex with Abby in order to impregnate her. Etrigan and the Phantom Stranger make a hidden appearance, wondering the reproductions of letting this happen while demon blood is inside Constantine. It’s nice to see them again, even if they don’t really do anything, besides add some context to the situation. Hellblazer #10 can also be read after this. In a similar way Swamp Thing has taken over Abby’s body before and sent her spirit to the Astral World, the same has happened to Constantine, only his trip isn’t so pleasant. In the end he flees the demon Nergal by returning to his body, disgusting Abby. I have to give the writers credit for not making it all seem like a crossover. You can still read Hellblazer without Swamp Thing and visa-versa. Obviously, some things are a little odd stand alone, but overall make sense. Until issue #77, where Constantine appears again and kind of just hangs out with Abby. The previous hatred is all ignored, and they just get drunk and dance. All the while Swamp Thing is frustrated with Constantine. He’s upset because he’s not entirely human and can’t please Abby in the way a human can. In the end, everything is smiles and the world is right again.
Issue #77 marks the first issue in book 9, the final book of Veitch’s published collected edition. It collects #77-81 and Annual #3 (which as I’ve said has nothing to do with anything.) This is also given the cover date of 1988-1989, which is important to realize for its part in the soon to come “Invasion!” crossover. But we’ll get to that. I’m looking at issue #80 currently, for the letters to the editor, dealing with issue #76. I find it highly amusing someone praises Pasko’s so much (and of course, the editor agrees!), and suggests new readers or future generations should NOT start with Alan Moore’s run, but Pasko’s run instead. I also hadn’t considered when the editor mentions how Veitch uses a new “modern” style of horror in his run. I wasn’t sure what this meant, but thinking about it, I find it to be true. I’m sure Veitch had a goal of not using monster-of-the-month formats. So instead of using zombies, and voodoo, werewolves and aquatic vampires, he uses terrorists, kidnappings, environmental crisis, plane crashes and so on. Things we see so constantly and frequently, it’s unsettling. Kudos to Veitch for including all of these things, and presenting them into the story in a natural way. You can consider issue #78 the final issue of the Sprout story line. By placing the Sprout into a human fetus, the new Elemental will be born human. I have to say: out of the three books, Book 9 is by far my favorite. Before I criticized Veitch for filling his issues with “pretty words”. There still exists that here, but to a much, MUCH smaller degree. In fact, this is on par with Alan Moore, or my favorite Mark Millar. Looking closely at the credits however, it appears Bissette actually wrote this. Issue #78 is a split journey once again, with Abby as a spirit in Heaven, as she watches Linda Holland become reincarnated with Alec; and Swamp Thing journeying into Abby’s womb to place the Sprout (I assume, it’s never made entirely clear, he could just have wanted a look at the fetus). What happens next, literally had me laugh out loud. In all the horror and strange tales of Swamp Thing, I don’t know if I ever enjoyed such a confusing, yet strange, yet hilarious concept. In which, Swamp Thing becomes a female, and gives birth to himself. It’s such a beautiful issue where Abby sits next to her as she gives birth, like a phoenix rising from it’s ashes. It’s great. Moore may have claimed “I’ve done it all!” but he certainly never even dreamed of this.
Issue #79 features a powerful cover, with none other than Superman appearing! I still don’t understand this next part, but apparently Swamp Thing can transform into digital information, and enter computers now. Again, I praise Veitch on his creativity and originality, even if it doesn’t always make sense, but oh well, it’s comics! The issue isn’t all too interesting. My favorite part lies in how Chester and Liz go to Metropolis for a press conference, to be held by Superman. Swampy’s in town, because he’s after Lex Luthor, the creator of the weapon that killed him in Gotham. Of course, this clashes with Superman, and the two don’t exactly do battle, but more try to swat each other away, before deciding to just talk. In the end, Swamp Thing decides Luthor is in good hands with Superman watching over him. There’s minor debate between the two, which I feel would have been extremely interesting at a closer conversation, but it never gets to that point. I also enjoyed Chester’s paranoia about Superman busting drugs, or wondering if it’s possible for him to do drugs. Issue #80 is fantastic as well. If the Sprout arc has ended, this now starts the mini-arc that ties into “Invasion!”, and goes back to the Time Travel Swamp Thing arc, ending with issue #87 for Veitch. We see the 4 members of the committee exploring space, and come across complex machines, which are the works of the aliens from the invasion to come. Meanwhile in the swamps, Swamp Thing is building…furniture. It’s moments like these that really have me enjoying Veitch’s run. No big monster, no big threat, just Swamp Thing creating furniture for Abby. We learn in the next few issues, but Abby is about three months in at this point. Abby believes her life to be perfect, but suspects Swampy’s due elsewhere, and he is. He returns to the Parliament to explain his actions, only to discover they predicted his actions long ago. There’s a lot of foreshadowing in this issue, from ol’ Alex Olson saying one of the older trees says “see you soon”, to their warning of an alien invasion, to Swamp Thing leaving Abby a ring behind, in the event anything were to happen to him. Not exactly subtle in retrospect, but I’m sure month to month reading these, it was pretty genius. Swamp Thing tries to bond with the Earth as a whole, and initially is a beautiful experience for him, until he becomes hypersensitive to all that is happening on Earth. This causes him to flee Earth, where the Aliens ….”zap” him I guess. Pretty smart to take out someone so powerful early on in the invasion I’d say. Issue #81 is a wonder issue to end the book on. Widowseed is an alien free lancer who has come to take Abby, as the Aliens deem what’s in her womb a massive threat. This alien sees Abby’s pregnancy and reveals she too is a mother, and not allied with these Aliens invading Earth, it’s all very mixed up. She simply wants to recover the remains of her mate, seen last in the original Swamp Thing #9. It has a lot of great moments, from Abby handling herself, both physically and emotionally, and Chester showing what a great friend he is, and his nice reference to “Dune”. Sadly, the compassionate Widowseed is blown to bits by the Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Everything about this issue is spot on, and I really love it, from the pacing to the scripts to the art (which I’ll talk more about in just a bit) to the foreshadowing. I’m glad Abby isn’t a ruined mess, and she has complete faith her husband is well and alive.
I like the art here, but a lot of the times it doesn’t do much for me. There were truly epic and beautiful artworks seen in Moore’s run, and while nothing here is sub-par or horrible, nothing is quite as magnificent as how it used to be. I wondered who would make an interesting person to write an introduction if they ever collected all these issues together, and I came to conclusion Alfredo Alcala would be perfect. Working with Moore, this run, and even some Hellblazer. Sadly, Alcala passed away in 2000. Tatjana Wood would also make an excellent person to write the intro, except i’m not even sure if she’s in the comics business anymore. I also completely lost track of the year this series was out. 1988, and what an era that was. Run’s like Morrison’s Animal Man was out, and more importantly Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid, a character with ties back to Swamp Thing, and concepts of the Green. Gaiman surely paid a lot of homage to his old friend Moore in this mini series, and it was popular enough to spawn it’s own series (which to my knowledge has never been collected to this date), and it even crossed over with Swamp Thing before Morison and Millar took over. Gaiman also began a small series called “The Sandman” that began around this time. I doubt you’ve ever heard of it. (Sarcasm)The series and the hunt must go on however! As we travel into issue #82, featuring Sgt. Rock! If Moore, under Veitch’s guidance, took Swamp Thing to Outer Space, now Veitch would try something bolder. Time Travel. My understanding is, desperate to flee his attackers, Swamp Thing dashes into a “rupture” of dead souls, and focuses on one so closely, he is able to be whisked back into World War II. We also see a “younger” Anton Arcane here, in his quest for immortality. Swamp Thing finds Arcane, and the two do battle, but it doesn’t end well for either one. The Epilogue features Jason Woodrue telling Abby he senses no signs of her husband within the Green. Oh yeah, and in the time Constantine visited Woodrue, he’s since been a part of the Millinium crossover, and turned hero as a part of the New Guardians, and goes by “Floro” now. Good for him! I’m not positive if he appears in future issues, but he does play a role in Millar’s run, and it’s brilliant.
Issue #83 sends Swamp Thing back a few years earlier, transformed into a half man, half monster as he is tortured by an even younger Anton Arcane. Ultimately, there’s a relic, wand object that can send Swamp Thing away, and is how he arrived there to begin with. In the end he is sent away once more. The Epilogue is Abby fighting with the Phantom Stranger, who tells her her husband cannot be found in Heaven nor in Hell. While Chester cannot see the Stranger, he believes Abby might be seeing things. There’s also the case where the checks she was receiving for Matt have stated they will cease. #84 is quite good. In a letter to the editor, I saw someone reference “Johnny Got His Gun” along with metal group Metallica’s “One”. I see the connection here, but I was more focused on the guest appearence of the Sandman. In this issue, Abby visits Matt, who is inside his own dreamscape hell, unable to face himself. When he eventually does, he meets the Sandman, who convinces him to let go of being in the world of the living, and cut his ties, both literally and metaphorically. Meanwhile, Abby is now in debt nearly 3 million dollars. The D.D.I who was paying for Matt’s care wiped itself clean a few issues ago, so now Abby bears that debt. It’s a solid issue featuring Abby and her friends, and as always, it’s amazing to see what they’ll do for Abby, and how far along Liz has come from her traumatic few years. I mentioned long ago how Swamp Thing in Moore’s run is as much a love story as anything else; and while that’s still true here, with Veitch’s run it’s also Abby’s book as much as Swamp Thing, and I love that about his run. While Abby wasn’t unimportant previously, she’s always front in center in these issues, and I find it impressing how she handles herself in these various situations. It’s also mentioned she’s six months into her pregnancy, meaning Swamp Thing has gone missing for maybe 2 or 3 months. There’s also a nice appearance by Adam Strange! I’m glad Veitch found a way to include one of his favorite characters. #85 is largely disconnected to the story for the most part, but it’s still interesting. Swampy heads back to the wild west times of Jonah Hex and Super Chief. He documents himself in hopes Abby can see him and know he is alive. Sadly in the epilogue, the “pigs” arrive to question Abby about the death of Matt Cable. There’s also an appearance by Jason Blood, AKA Etrigan. Issue #86, also showing Jason Blood, starts off with an appearance by Rip Hunter and his time sphere. All these cameos of DC legends are incredible, fun and you’ll never know who you might see next! Swampy ends up years earlier, and kind of shows the origin of “The Claw” as I’ll simply call it. The wand, relic item that continues to send Swamp Thing back in time. Abby also reads the book, and begins to come to the conclusion he really is alive. Issue #87 is pretty great as well, as Swamp Thing comes face to face with Sir Justin, aka the Shining Knight, the time traveling Knight from Camelot. We learn a lot in this issue, for example how Etrigan had to bond to a human host, Merlin’s awareness of Crisis on Infinite Earths, and how the Claw works. Or maybe anyway. I’m guessing at an early time, Swamp Thing was captured in it. Every time he comes into contact with it, it creates a paradox of sorts, and sends him to the last major time it was used or brought out. Which makes sense (kind of). Here it was found in the Holy Grail, which Merlin hints Swamp Thing knew the location. Wasn’t the Holy Grail said to be the grail Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, and was used to catch his blood at his execution? Which brings me to issue #88. Too few are the number of Swamp Thing issues that create such an outcry, such a rip within the company, that even non Swamp Thing readers have heard of it. The basic story is, Veitch had planned issue #88 for Swampy to basically meet Jesus, and it was approved to be published. However, at the last minute it was axed and resulted in Veitch leaving the company for a while, outraged. Veitch had apparently planned this story arc to conclude at issue #91, but left after #87. I’m not entirely sure what happened next, or planned to happen, because Neil Gaiman was set to write after Veitch. I wonder if that meant Veitch wanted to complete his story with issue #91 and then depart, or if Gaiman simply wanted to write Swamp Thing, and DC told him he could be next in line. Surprising giving the fact he was writing The Sandman, and a few years later, the Books of Magic mini series. Either way, Gaiman declined. Jamie Delano was also set to be a writer for the series, but declined as well. As such, there was no content to be published, which meant there was no Swamp Thing for two months. This is in an era where the Internet was not as big or popular as it is today. There was no instant leaks and news about what was happening. Swamp Thing simply did not appear for fans. I had issue with Veitch’s writing at first, but it seemed the more he wrote, he better he got. I would have loved to see the culmination of this story arc, and my research shows he even offered to complete it when he returned to DC, many years later. Gaiman did agree to write Swamp Thing annual #5 however, which takes place during the time Swamp Thing is away, and is collected in the “Midnight Days” collection of short stories by Gaiman. Apparently Veitch also expressed writing #88 in any way that might not offend anyone, and he’s said he just wants to finish the story arc. Even here in late 2016, there is absolutely no news about this happening, and perhaps is lost forever. I can only hope at some point, they can reprint these issues, and at least include a script on how the story arc ends. The letters to the editor in issue #88 have Karen simply say Veitch had to leave prematurely, and the Doug Wheeler will be taking over the series, having written the “Comico Christmas Special” the year prior. To this day, I can only find Wheeler’s works in two comics: Swamp Thing and Negative Burn. Both receiving extremely subpar reviews. Maybe by error, but I see a lot of people saying Wheeler abandoned the time travel story, yet looking at issue #88, I see it continues the story, even if it’s written absolutely dull. I mean dull, I got bored two pages in. The saving grace was good ol’ Tom Yeats returning for art.
I want to make the distinction here, that Veitch’s run is over, as is my final thoughts on his run. In conclusion, it was a lot of fun. Extremely imaginative, strong usage of words, only hindered by using too many to convey a point. It’s not Moore, it’s not Millar, but it’s highly enjoyable, and if you can find the issues, you should pick them up.
And now onto Doug Wheeler…issues #88-93. Actually, I’ll start at #89, being I already said all I wanted to say about #88. Reading #89 makes me realize how much I loved Veitch’s run. I thought Veitch had a problem with words, I was wrong. Like previously, this is filled with words just mindless words. The problem is, it’s unenjoyable to read, and brutally boring to read as well. While the transition from Moore to Veitch was smooth and natural, this is brutal and rough. It’s so obvious the decline in quality. I’m not trying to come down so harshly on the writer, at only two issues in, but it really is painful to read at this point. Wheeler at least kind of has an idea of where Veitch was going, introducing an ancient member of the Parliament, that seems to stem from an ancient era, when the world was young. Even if the writing is pretty…bad, the ideas here are also pretty interesting. Swamp Thing meets the “original” Parliament: Eyam, Tuuru and Yggdrasil, and they are planted in what would become Eden, instead of Brazil. Swamp Thing is thrown further back in time, to find himself the first elemental, and plants seeds for the three. Meanwhile Abby continues to have contractions. The issue also has more info on Veitch’s departure from DC in the letters column. (Nothing we haven’t already discussed here). Issue #90 has Constantine discover the amber in the Claw is somehow Swamp Thing and sets him free. Constantine is attacked by people, who reveal themselves to be white and gray enemies, which Swamp Thing can feel as being “Matango”, yeah remember that name? Speaking of names, with Swamp Thing back in the present, and Abby given birth to a girl, they name her Tefè, Tefè Holland.
Issue #91 isn’t particularly good at being subtle, or clever, but it’s also not the worst Wheeler has written. It’s over populated with words, but it’s not as bad as previous issues either. The story parallels the tale of the Three Wise Men, having sensed the birth of the Messiah among the stars, they travel with gifts and greet him. Only one is an astronomer, and one the other is a shaman, while the other is Floro, who is now in love with Abby. The three part their gifts and take off. I know Mark Millar does something similar in his run, but the differences only show the level of talent between the writers, as Mark Millar’s version is far, far superior. There’s also another story here where Abby is facing a form a depression after all she’s been through. It’s not exactly out of character, or out of nowhere. It’s a completely logical and credible situation, but I personally find it disappointing. Whereas before, Abby always seemed to be tough as nails, even in the face of all the was dealing with; what with the monsters and zombies, and evil uncle Anton and what not. I always enjoyed the idea of Abby not being the all powerful Swamp Thing, but deals with the dangers and horrors he does, in a relatable, grounded way. I’m not saying Abby looks weak here, but I simply enjoyed her being able to close her eyes and become positive, upbuilding and loving. Issue #92 is just your average story. I’m not really sure how to describe it, other than “dull”. It’s not a bad issue to read, but much like someone in the letters column points out, Wheeler adds no depth or excitement to the series. When we saw the title “Sophisticated Suspense” in Moore’s run, we got exactly that. In Veitch’s run, we got a much more imaginative, and sensual journey for Swamp Thing. And of course, Wein’s Swampy was a sort of misunderstood misfit of science. Wheeler does his best to emulate what the past writers did, but it never feels quite right. Nothing feels like true poetry as it did before, nothing has me at the edge of my seat, nothing disturbs me and nothing feels absolutely unnerving. As that same person said in the letter’s column, I echo his words, and I wish Wheeler would have tried to find his own footing and form of writing this series. I won’t lie, I struggled a lot to finish this issue and a few before this. I find them boring and uneventful, which in turn highly frustrates me. A few issues here and there are better than others, and it’s clear Wheeler did his homework on the characters before writing the series. But the best thing about this series right now is the art. The cover art for issue #92 is chilling and spooky. It looks like a morbid old painting, and I love it. The interior art is much darker and adds a lot of atmosphere to the series. Overall, Wheeler is definitely not doing it for me.
Issue #93 is an excellent example of this. The idea for the issue is interesting enough. Basically, a mega fan of Swampy wants to go in and find him. This guy is obsessed with Swamp Thing, similar to how people hunt for Bigfoot today. He wants to get funded and featured in big magazines and books and movies and so on and so forth. It’s a good idea, but the characters come off as unlikeable and unrelatable, and most of the time I lose interest in him. There’s also a split story where Swamp Thing takes care of Tefè, meanwhile Abby goes into town to look for a job. Abby however is met with disgust, after the accusations that she killed Matt at the hospital. I also put into question where Chester and Liz are in this issue. They’re Abby’s closest human friends, and they’re not featured when she ventures into town? I also admit I do enjoy Swamp Thing being a great dad, not needing to work or sleep, he can provide constant care for Tefè. I don’t mind these small slice of life stories of Swamp Thing and his family, but they still feel uneventful, and unentertaining. I feel the issue could have been stronger, if it was a series expedition into the swamp to document the Swamp Thing. If it focused more on that, and less of the town reacting to Abby, I felt it could have been more interesting, if at least more entertaining. Even the letters column lose their credibility here. This Frank Balkin, the so called “Swamp Thing snob”, mentions how issue #88 by Wheeler is on par with Issue #21, the Anatomy Lesson. There’s no way. Then again, why would DC publish any sort of negativity in their own comic, towards their own comic? Regardless, despite the various “Give Wheeler a chance!” in these letters, I overall am indifferent towards him. He can be imaginative, and he can be creative, but he doesn’t fully utilize those abilities. This is already taken us to 1990, and it feels like a long road ahead if there’s more Doug Wheeler.
Alas, there’s still more to be read, and to be fair to Wheeler, I haven’t read issues #94-109, so he very well may have found his stride in those issues. Wheeler wrote issues #88-109, clocking in about 21 issues, which is just a little more than Pasko (because the Phantom Stranger crossover wasn’t written by him) and just a bit under Wein, meaning he was on the title for almost two years before he left. And as of right now, his first year fails to impress, especially succeeding Veitch. Veitch certainly got the short end of the stick here, and I feel DC has an undying grudge for him as they will not give him another chance to finish his tale of Swamp Thing in time. When Moore left, he left the story to either be continued, or ended. You could easily finish his run and assume there is no more content afterward. You wouldn’t have to think “What happens next?” or “What would Moore have done?”, because there was no more. It was finished, it was the end. With Veitch, we’ll always be asking those questions. We’ll always wonder how that story arc ended, and what he had in store for the future. Or even what the likes of Neil Gaiman had to offer, had he picked up the series after Veitch (which you can get a taste of that in Swamp Thing Annual #5). Regardless, it’s been an interesting ride thus far. I’ve never read any of these issues prior, so I’m pleased, if anything, this little project has helped me further expand my knowledge and love for Swamp Thing. There’s still a massive bridge to gap until Mark Millar’s run, and it certainly doesn’t end there. We venture further out into Swamp Thing’s titles, with one starring a more adult Tefè Holland, and the big return to DC comics, and the reboot in the New 52. There’s a lot of swampy ground to cover, so it’s back to hunting Wheeler’s issues, along with Nancy A. Collin’s issues.
COMIC BOOK HERETIC 