Swamp Thing 69 (February 1988)

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.

Swamp Thing 68 (January 1988)

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.

Swamp Thing 67 (December 1987)

There’s some more humor with Constantine, some more romance for Alec and Abby and yet another trip to the Parliament of Trees. Well, there’s also the Sprout–that being the soul of the next plant elemental–possessing Solomon Grundy to see if he’s a good fit.

Alec then gets into a fight with Grundy, who doesn’t like the uninvited soul.

Veitch is really seeped in DC history and setting. Not so much with Alec, but with the guest stars and their little stories. For example, the year annual’s ape-related events are having repercussions here. It makes more a strange comic; Veitch’s Swamp Thing is a slightly distorted view of the DC Universe, but an inclusive one.

He’s also writing Abby a lot better, which helps. His pacing isn’t great–he frequently dawdles– but the comic’s good enough it doesn’t matter. It’s a fun, engaging read with some outstanding artwork.

CREDITS

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

Swamp Thing 66 (November 1987)

Veitch sure does write a lot. This issue is packed–and not just because Veitch has excerpts from a superhero psychology book as narration. Abby goes for an awesome trip when Alec discovers how to free her soul. There’s a process to the procedure and Veitch carefully goes through it. Under Veitch’s pen, Swamp Thing is still lyrical, but it’s a logical lyricism.

While Abby’s off on a tour of the afterlife–with the soul of the real Alec Holland–Constantine is getting Jason Woodrue messed up on a tuber so he can get information. It requires Constantine to break into Arkham. The narrating superhero psychology book author works at Arkham, knows Constantine; their reunion is fun and maybe Veitch’s best writing in the issue. Except his Batman postscript.

Veitch does seem to forget Abby went to Hell, but maybe she didn’t remember the trip? I mean, I can’t either.

CREDITS

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

Swamp Thing Annual 3 (1987)

This issue, even for an annual, has way too many hands in the art pot. Besides Veitch, who pencils some in addition to writing the script, there’s Shawn McManus, Jim Fern and Stan Woch. Tom Yeates gets the unpleasant task of inking the hodgepodge. He fails at marrying them together.

Just guessing, Woch does the worst work. He gets the finish and some of the interior and Abby and Alec just look wrong. The rest of the comic is a bunch of guest stars–DC ape guest stars. There’s Angel and the Ape, there’s Monsieur Mallah and the Brain, there’s B’wana Beast (or, more accurately, his female ape friend), there’s Congorilla, there’s some other apes.

And, of course, there’s Gorilla Grodd. Now, Veitch is basically doing an eclectic DC crossover here–the Flash’s Crisis death is mentioned–but it just doesn’t belong in Swamp Thing.

It’s not bad, just useless.

p style=”font-size:11px;”>CREDITS

Distant Cousins; writer, Rick Veitch; pencillers, Veitch, Shawn McManus, Jim Fern and Stan Woch; inker, Thomas Yeates; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Agustin Mas; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

Swamp Thing 65 (October 1987)

Rich Veitch takes over writing and the result is fine. It’s a good comic, it’s a Swamp Thing comic. Veitch doesn’t try to mimic Alan Moore, which is good; Abby trips on a tuber while Alec goes for a swim in the Green to check in after his outer space adventure.

The art gets, occasionally, psychedelic for Abby’s trip while Alec’s is a little more muted. Maybe it’s the context. Veitch sets up what’s been with Abby–the family problems, the marriage problems, the furry demon problems–and the coming problems for Alec. The issue’s a little repetitive, with Alec repeating his intention to quit the plant elemental business.

Oh, Constantine shows up at the end, sort of a sitcom special guest star, and Veitch writes him overly British. Still looks like Sting, of course.

It’s a good, comfortable issue. Veitch doesn’t try to stake a claim on Moore turf.

CREDITS

(We Could Be) Diving for Pearls; writer and penciller, Rick Veitch; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.

Swamp Thing 64 (September 1987)

One could, if so inclined, sit and try to figure out who drew what–Alcala’s such a unifying inker on Swamp Thing, it’s hard to tell Bissette and Veitch apart. Yeates I could easily identify, just because of the startling photorealism.

For his last issue, Moore avoids sentimentality. His plotting is gradual, relaxed. Much of the issue is spent with Swamp Thing thinking about the state of the world and his place in it. The big decisions in the issue are rather small. He and Abby decide to retreat from the world for a while.

Moore is putting his characters–he owns them in this incarnation–up off the floor for a while, in a lovely treehouse to stay safe.

It almost feels like Swamp Thing can’t go on; not because Moore’s shut off narrative possibilities, but because there’s no point.

Moore’s writing is gentle. His finale is nearly precious.

Swamp Thing (1985) #62

Swamp Thing 62

Veitch fills in as writer for Swamp Thing’s adventure with Metron and all the New Gods stuff. He does fairly well, but it’s an easy issue. Most of it is from Metron’s perspective and writing an egotistical know-it-all probably isn’t too hard.

But the issue is easy because it’s a fill-in. Veitch spends most of the issue either exploring the DC cosmic or going through Metron’s 2001-like observations of the universe. It’s a very limited universe, as it turns out. Metron mostly just looks at Earth, which might be fun for the reader, but not likely in the mind of a galactic explorer.

Veitch relegates Swamp Thing’s importance, if there is any, to the end. And instead of providing insight into the character, Veitch just foreshadows all the upcoming events in the series (post-Moore).

It’s okay, with good art to make it work, but insignificant.

Swamp Thing 62 (July 1987)

It’s okay, with good art to make it work, but insignificant.

Swamp Thing 61 (June 1987)

Poor Adam Strange… Moore closes the issue making a joke about him. I get the reasoning–it’s a heavy issue–and it does give Strange a momentary spotlight, which he surely desires–but it’s odd.

This issue is partially about high sci-fi ideas–a planet where the plant life became sentient instead of the animals and what Swamp Thing’s presence would mean to it. But it’s more about the characters, which Moore brilliantly introduces. Though plants, it’s all human interest.

There’s the married couple unexpectedly given insight into each other’s thoughts, there’s the successful artist who’s isolated by success and, finally, there’s the aging Green Lantern.

It’s very much about that aging Green Lantern, down to the political problems on Oa; mostly it’s about his dealing with loss.

And Swamp Thing. He’s there too.

Moore packs the issue with fantastical action and quiet emotion. It’s a great comic book.