Veitch goes on a nutty little tour of the DC Universe–then the universe–with this issue. The art’s fantastic. I love how Veitch, ably assisted by Alcala, manages to be psychedelic while his artwork is still concerned with being grounded in reality. It looks amazing and deserves a bigger size. He beautifully utilizes effect and arrangement.

Alec’s observations on the world–and his problems–guide the trip, though I assume Veitch knew what he wanted to touch on. Still, it feels like an organic thought process.

It’s a long sequence, with a couple charming Abby and Alec bookends. Veitch’s Swamp Thing, at least when they’re in the swamp, feels a little like a sitcom (in a good way).

Unfortunately, knowing where Veitch takes the series next makes it hard to judge how well he foreshadows. While it’s a bridging issue, Veitch tells the story so well, it supports itself.

CREDITS

The Thinker; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

Veitch’s Swamp Thing run should be called “the convenience of communication problems. Alec discovers, but without context, something Constantine saw in his investigations many issues ago and it’s going to have a big impact. Shame Constantine didn’t just tell him. And, wait, Constantine told Abby something but she didn’t realize the full implication.

Why didn’t she? Because Veitch wouldn’t have as many issues filled if he actually had his characters communicate.

The issue’s got some really great moments, however, all bitching aside. There’s a couple pages on Mars, there’s a lot with Alec and the Parliament, there’s a bunch for Abby to do. While the pacing’s not great, Veitch does find the right mix of attention to pay his characters.

The art’s off a little. The figures are stocky. It almost looks like a different inker, but, no, it’s still Alcala.

The ending, which resolves a running B plot, misfires.

CREDITS

Center of the Cyclone; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

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.

Veitch has two big problems with this “Search for the new Swamp Thing” arc. They’re connected too, so it’s a domino effect. As Constantine observes at the end of the issue, all these prospective Swamp Things are complete asshats. They’re bad guys. This one’s a lousy husband and father and corporate scumbag. It doesn’t make any sense these guys would be in line to be Swamp Thing 2.

So Constantine has to keep Alec in the dark, because these guys have to pass his sniff test. The first is a logic problem–Veitch is just doing it to make the issues read better, but not the overall series–the second is tied to the first.

Still, this issue works. Veitch writes Alec and Abby well as a couple. Their hanging out time is the best thing here.

And his storytelling visualization is creative.

But he needs to get this arc done.

CREDITS

Gargles in the Rat Race Choir; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

All of Veitch’s planning the last few issues comes to fruition. There’s not a lot of payoff, however, because Veitch decides to be a little too creative in his writing.

He follows a prospective new Swamp Thing through his day while Constantine is trying to coordinate events neatly. As for Alec and Abby? She gets a page saying goodbye to Alec, while Alec gets all of three scenes. Again, why didn’t they just cross this book over with Hellblazer and actually have some Swamp Thing in Swamp Thing?

Even the resolution flops. There are two, but the little one–where Alec hid the precious new Swamp Thing’s elemental soul–is better than the big one. Veitch should have focused on what he was doing well. Instead, this issue feels like a day-in-the-life comic for a new character who just happens to cross paths with some super guys.

CREDITS

Fear of Flying; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

Veitch deals with a big thing–the birth of a new Swamp Thing–rather quietly. The issue sails by, most of the pages dedicated to the mindless new Swamp Thing. Veitch used it for comic relief while Alec (eventually) rebels against the Parliament.

But these are all bridging actions. Nothing much happens this issue. Abby goes back to the swamp; Chester takes her part of the way, they have a conversation to fill some pages. Nothing happens.

The new Swamp Thing trashes a highway in Metropolis. There’s no conflict–Superman never shows up, Veitch doesn’t spend any serious time with the terrified motorists.

There’s a little of that Veitch Swamp Thing logical lyricism but only a little. When the greeter tree at the Parliament talks to Alec on the last page, it’s the first personality the plant’s have shown. Alec’s big moment is his eyes firing up.

It’s too perfunctory.

CREDITS

Wild Thing; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

So in twenty-four pages, Veitch manages to track three narrators and four protagonists. Alec gets the least amount of page time, as he’s tied into one of the other narrators (well, sort of). Veitch mostly splits the issue between a fundamentalist terrorist, Abby and Liz and Chester. Alec’s busy consulting the Parliament, where Veitch brings in four other retired earth elementals.

Of Veitch’s (few) issues so far, this one is easily the best. It has the DC Universe flavor (a Superman appearance), the logic, but also an expanse of emotion. Veitch gives Abby and Liz’s trip to the post office more dramatic impact than the threat of the terrorist blowing up a building. Chester’s story has the most humor; it also shows how Veitch is trying to play with his storytelling.

The strangest thing is the art. Veitch and Alcala do far better on the humans than the plants.

CREDITS

Reflections in a Golden Eye; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.