Swamp Thing 50 (July 1986)

While touted as an anniversary issue, Swamp Thing barely figures into this story. Moore’s upfront about his limited role–the comic opens with Cain and Abel, after all. It again features guest appearances from the DC supernatural set, with a couple deaths involved.

Moore eventually does make it all about Swamp Thing, but in a relatively quiet way. His experiences and questions about himself inform the greater story, which is a really big one. It’s an all action issue, but the most important action is very quiet dialogue.

What’s strangest about the issue is the lack of intensity. Moore’s done a lot with ominous, disturbing details, but they aren’t present here. Demons are again reduced to funny looking creatures, for example. The supernatural landscape is nowhere near as disturbing as the human one Moore’s been moving through.

Moore brings the fantastical down to manageable size.

It’s excellent, if cloyingly existential.

Swamp Thing 37 (June 1985)

Veitch brings an unexpected harshness to Swamp Thing. Not to the issue overall, and not even to Swamp Thing when he’s regrowing from a sprout. But when he’s fully grown, Veitch and Totleben’s lines make Swamp Thing stand out. He’s almost more monstrous than ever before. The outline reminds, oddly, of the Karloff Frankenstein monster.

In that scene is another turning point–Swamp Thing ignores Abby. His curiosity about himself turns him into a regular guy, the one who ignores what his girlfriend is saying.

It’s a one page scene but it’s sort of startling. Moore is finally making Swamp Thing about Swamp Thing, even if he’s just spent the issue introducing John Constantine.

Besides Constantine’s quest to find out about some imminent danger, the issue is mostly Abby taking care of the Swamp Thing sprout. It’s half a cute issue; Moore splits his concentration between horror and emotional depth.

Swamp Thing 31 (December 1984)

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.

Unknown Soldier (2008) #21

This issue, which Dysart tells from an omniscient first person point of view of an AK-47, might be the perfect example of the comic book medium’s narrative potential. I cannot think of any other medium where such a story could be told.

Without the visuals, it would not work, so prose is out. As a narrated film, it would not work because there’s the problem with the narrator. In writing, the reader can give the piece some leeway, but I cannot think of a single film narrated by an inanimate object.

What Dysart does is tell a focused history lesson. Where this particular weapon came from and where it goes. Dysart’s able to tell jokes, to show horrific events, to give a history lesson, all in twenty-two pages, all without leaving the context of a commercial comic book.

It’s not even anti-war really, just matter-of-fact.