Rick Veitch comes on–not sure if he joins here or is just filling in–for a very difficult issue.
Moore implies two challenges for Swampy this issue–the returned Arcane and Abby’s death. But it turns out there’s only one actual challenge (to Swamp Thing). So Moore has to balance Swamp Thing knowing something the reader cannot but also make its revelation organic. It can’t be a cheat.
Veitch’s style is probably better for the action-orientated nature of the issue; his figures are strong, his Swamp Thing not quite as mucky as Bissette’s has been. And, as is so important in Moore’s Swamp Thing, Veitch is able to deliver the tragic landscapes.
Moore nicely mixes various points of view–Swamp Thing in first and some different approaches to third. The variations never feel like a ruse to pull off the revelation.
It’s excellent, but clearly a bridging issue.
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