This issue’s pretty trippy. I think, in the final estimation (this issue’s his last), I like what Hoffman did for this Quest for the Elementals arc. He changed up his style, moved Swamp Thing away from horror to the psychedelic. Maybe he realized mushrooms can be scary, but they can be trippy.

As for Wheeler (also his last issue), he ties up the last loose end from Veitch’s run and has Abby talking about how it’s time for a new chapter to begin. Being self-aware, however, doesn’t make up for the silliness Wheeler’s put the series through.

And all he really does at the end of this huge war between the Green and the Grey is repeat Moore’s ceasefire from the war between Heaven and Hell. The issue’s decent, but because Wheeler gives his one likable character a lot of page time.

It’s much ado about nothing.

CREDITS

A Descent of Shadows, The Quest for the Elementals, Part Six; writer, Doug Wheeler; artist, Mike Hoffman; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, DC Comics.

Abby’s story comes to its predictable cliffhanger. Wheeler foreshadowed it way too early and then spends the rest of the issue building it into a cliffhanger for the whole issue. He never brings Abby and Tefé back to the others, so now Alec’s got to go on a rescue mission.

There’s also a reasonably good action sequence with Alec trying to escape his evil fish captors (it doesn’t play as silly as it sounds) but the final third of the issue is all talking. Talking heads with plants. Not the most dramatic stuff.

When there are little action asides (as the Grey attacks the Parliament), Hoffman draws it all too small. Based on the two-page spreads, it’s clear he needs both those pages for big action. Wheeler gives him a quarter page sometimes. It’s not exactly confusing, just not magnificent.

The strangest thing is how fallible Wheeler makes Alec.

CREDITS

Siege, The Quest for the Elementals, Part Five; writer, Doug Wheeler; artist, Mike Hoffman; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, DC Comics.

Didn’t Wheeler just do an issue where Alec’s in trouble in one place and Abby and Tefé are in trouble in another? It’s apparently just how he structures Swamp Thing.

This issue Abby and the baby are stuck at the Parliament, where she may or may not have unintentionally fallen into the Grey’s clutches. Meanwhile, Alec’s in some underwater prison with hundreds of other plant elementals. Wheeler’s “war” has them as soldiers, which makes one wonder how long a plant elemental is a plant elemental. There are only twenty-five or so at the Parliament, at least readily visible ones… are we talking decades here or just years?

Wheeler also rips the magic out of the plant elementals. He has the characters all explain it with pseudo-science. He’s being far too literal.

Still, it’s not as bad as it could be, just frequently predictable.

Hoffman’s trippy art’s okay too.

CREDITS

Stabs of Life Echoing in a Void, The Quest for the Elementals, Part Four; writer, Doug Wheeler; artist, Mike Hoffman; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, DC Comics.

I still can’t decide about Hoffman’s art. When he does the scenes of Alec interacting with the other plant people, it really does seem like he’s going for a particular style. When he’s drawing Abby, he can’t manage perspective or proportions. It’s all very confusing.

The issue itself is rather lame. Wheeler isn’t writing any worse, he’s just padding out a weak plot.

Abby’s been freaking out about Tefé’s new powers since the last issue–six weeks–and little else. It’s unbelievable, as Wheeler’s got Abby running away from Tefé.

Then Alec goes off to rescue some more of the elemental prisoners and runs into the absurd guest star. Alec and the guest star have a long scene with goofy exposition and one again remembers Wheeler’s inability to write real people.

He fills the issue with silly ideas instead.

Swamp Thing is getting to be more than a little tiring.

CREDITS

Dead Tribes and Forgotten Souls, The Quest for the Elementals, Part Three; writer, Doug Wheeler; artist, Mike Hoffman; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, DC Comics.

What is the deal with Hoffman’s art? If his style–which occasionally reminds of sixties and earlier comics–is unintentional, he’s incompetent. But if he’s intentionally doing this issue’s war comic scene like Swamp Thing is an old war comic, it’s fantastic.

And Hoffman’s Swamp Thing looks a lot like the Wes Craven movie costume. And if that choice is intentional, Hoffman’s giving this book a whole different layer.

However, it’s possible he’s just crap.

Wheeler’s story sets up this space opera fight against evil for the Green (Alec’s rescuing members previously captured by the evil Grey). Still, it could be worse. The development of Tefé being able to resurrect people is a neat one and it makes perfect sense.

When Abby and Tefé are in danger, Alec isn’t paying attention and easily could have been. Regardless of Wheeler’s intention for Alec’s ignorance it builds suspense.

It’s a strange issue.

CREDITS

Living Sacrifices, The Quest for the Elementals, Part Two; writer, Doug Wheeler; artist, Mike Hoffman; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, DC Comics.