Swamp Thing 1989 #2 – Rick Veitch, Writer; Tom Mandrake, Artist; Trish Mulvihill, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: This is one of the most fascinating projects to come out of DC in a long time, because it’s a true time capsule to an era of DC Comics that no longer exists. This was the dawn of Vertigo, when the comics were mature readers but still very much immersed in the world of the DCU, featuring some of its most bizarre concepts. After our diversion into the world of 1st-century Judea last issue, the controversial story that got the book shelved for 37 years, Rick Veitch is able to continue his story at last with a new artist in the legendary Tom Mandrake. It features some of the strangest concepts I’ve ever seen in a comic book, but one thing it doesn’t feature all that much…is Swamp Thing. He’s lost in time, and much of the issue follows John Constantine as he tries to track his friend’s path through time and space. This issue begins with Constantine arranging a sex worker for the Spectre, in case you were wondering if this was truly authentic Vertigo Constantine.
From Shining Knight to obscure Jack Kirby creations, there are a ton of surprising guest appearances here as Constantine pieces together what happened to Swamp Thing – and if he can be retrieved from the void in which he finds himself. This is paralleled with a much more human story, as Swamp Thing’s love Abigail finds a peaceful retreat in the swamp where she can prepare to give birth to her child with Alec. That child, Tefe Holland, obviously became a big character in her own right despite the story where she entered the world being censored for so long. It’s a great, meaty read, and it’s also fascinating that this is a facsimile, right down to the ads that would have ran in the comic decades ago. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see a full-page spotlight for a forgettable Friday the 13th film in this, but that’s all part of the fascinating reading experience of this one-of-a-kind book.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
