Veitch has his pacing problems back, but his creative side also gets the better of him. Alec fights a giant monster in his astral form. Veitch juxtaposes these already boring fight panels alongside the activities of the supporting cast. The Parliament, apparently, has finally got its act together and Chester’s in line to be the next planet elemental.
Odd how all these people are in the United States. Veitch must have worried about Constantine’s airfare.
The issue plays out pretty well, but this story arc is exhausted. Maybe if Veitch had given the sprout–the soul of the new elemental–a personality, it would work better. But for such an important supporting cast member… well, Linus’s blanket had a lot more personality.
There’s a lot of good art–except that astral nonsense, which looks too artificial–and the issue moves. It’s just a tired, scattershot storyline. Veitch is exhaustingly slow.
CREDITS
The Fire Next Door; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.
The Stop Button 
Leave a Reply