Swamp Thing 45 (February 1986)

Woch and Alcala are good artists for this issue, which is mostly just a haunted house story.

Moore follows the genre standards. He sets up the history of the curse, splits up his unsuspecting cast, gives it an ominous ending. It’s over half the issue before Swamp Thing shows up and, clearly, the story doesn’t need him.

Only after the haunted house visitors disappear does the issue become less reliant on the horror aspect and Moore can introduce Constantine and his sidekicks. Swamp Thing around the sidekicks–who are comedy relief for Constantine–is the only breather in the issue.

Otherwise, it’s wholly downbeat. Moore manages to encourage curiosity with the haunted house, even excitement at discovering its secrets, only to make it all horrible and more horrible.

It’s an excellent issue, but Swamp Thing is the deus ex machina in his own comic. It feels like Moore’s neglecting him.

Swamp Thing (1985) #43

Swamp Thing 43

Moore introduces Chester this issue; I’d sort of forgotten when he came into the series. Chester will be a member of the supporting cast, but for now, he’s simply the protagonist in a fill-in. He finds one of Swampy’s tubers and investigates it.

Now, Chester, in addition to being a hippie nature lover, is a drug dealer. His customers really like the idea of the tuber and take it.

It gives Moore a chance to not just have a lovely little story about a dying woman’s last night with her husband, but also one where an annoying jerk goes nuts off the tuber.

There are a bunch of visual references to the original Swamp Thing series, but it’s from fill-in artists Woch and Randall… which tempers my enthusiasm somewhat. They do some excellent work, but cameos from the first series deserve Bissette and Totleben.

It’s another great issue.

Swamp Thing 43 (December 1985)

Now, Chester, in addition to being a hippie nature lover, is a drug dealer. His customers really like the idea of the tuber and take it.

It gives Moore a chance to not just have a lovely little story about a dying woman’s last night with her husband, but also one where an annoying jerk goes nuts off the tuber.

It’s another great issue.

Swamp Thing 38 (July 1985)

This issue is a follow-up to one of the pre-Moore ones, but there’s never an editorial note about it. It’s interesting to see Moore’s approach to something he didn’t create, in this case a town of vampires. Only these vampires are living underwater.

Stan Woch is filling in on pencils (it’s unclear who’s the “regular” penciller at this point) and it shows how important Totleben is to the art. Swamp Thing looks the same, basically, thanks to Totleben. Woch does a good Bissette impersonation.

Besides Moore looking at the vampire settlement, there’s more Constantine character development and a little time for Abby. After promising a focus on Swamp Thing, Moore backs off, refocusing on the supporting players again.

The approach, seemingly to stagger the expository Swamp Thing information between issues, works. It also forces Swamp Thing into the more traditional role of hero.

It’s inventive, but not deep.