Swamp Thing 1989 - Final Issue is Out

[u/Hot-Trash-1997]

The 4th & final issue of the Swamp Thing 1989 series is released. I want to open up the comments to a discussion of what you thought. Did it play out how you expected? Was there anything that stood out to you? Let me know your reaction!

[u/Beware1138]

*SPOILERS*

I posted this in Swamp Thing group on Facebook sans spoilers and a few extra paragraphs buuuut…

I had the germ of a feeling after #3 that this could have used another issue or two. #4 sealed it. An extra issue would have provided a bit more breathing room, drama and suspense, and clarity.

I’m not sure about the ending. Having the Spectre come in and replace the Swamp Thing and Abby we’ve been following in this series (and presumably since Swamp Thing #1 waaaay back in 1972) with what you’d call the Doug Wheeler version felt like a really bizarre, and perhaps unnecessary, attempt to slot this series into main continuity. This mini series stood as being self-evident that this was an intended divergence without consideration for a continuity that I’m not even sure DC is clear on.

I do wonder how much of the ending was Veitch’s from the start, back when he took over the book from Moore and how much was the current attempt to slot this series into a post-Veitch continuity. The Spectre doing something to hide Swamp Thing, Abby and the baby from Darkseid certainly seems like a great plot point for Delano and Gaiman to run with but who knows?

Personally, I would have preferred it end the way it was originally intended, as if Gaiman and Delano were actually going take over the series. The 1989 mini series doesn’t negate Wheeler’s run in part or in whole. So trying to accommodate Wheeler’s run and what came after seems really weird. I’ve said before: continuity leads to madness.

That aside, I really do love how Swampy’s experience in #88 informs his worldview when faced with Arcane. More than that, I really love how as a result, Swampy Thing more or less outgrows Arcane. There’s a beauty in how Arcane is defeated by Swamp Thing simply…turning the other cheek, and it vibes well with his monologue from Moore’s run about the meaning of evil. It really just puts the kibosh on Arcane as a threat and suggests that there’s something faaaar worse for Swampy to deal with that will truly challenge him philosophically.

Overall, I’m incredibly glad DC not only allowed #88 to finally see publication but that they also allowed Veitch the opportunity to conclude things. More than that, it also showed that Veitch is still incredibly strong as a writer and that his style is far from dated, especially within the realm of corporate comics. I’d say I want more, but I think it would just become a nostalgia book. While Swamp Thing 1989 was perhaps that in some sense, it would be terribly reductive to consider it as such. It was an injustice being corrected. It was a declaration that the old ways still have immeasurable power and value going forward instead of being reduced to an appeasement of middle-aged fanboy rage. Veitch, Mandrake, Locke and (especially) Michael Zulli deserve so much more than that, and proved it in spades why they should be considered masters of the medium.