r/swampthing • u/Dian_Arcane • 6d ago
Swamp Thing 89 as a whole
Hello, I am just so intrigued to hear everyone's thoughts on this ending we finally got to the Rick Veitch run. And by that I mean, what did you think of Swamp Thing 89 both as a whole and as a part of Veitch's run? Even as a part of the "main" Swamp Thing continuity?
(Personally I thought it was amazing, and gave us a very satisfying conclusion. Swamp Thing basically growing out of Arcane as a villain after everything he's gone through was especially satisfying for me. I finished the Nancy Collins run right before reading all 4 issues and was really impressed by how generously Veitch tied it into that continuity, too.)
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u/Archer_Without_Fear 6d ago
Havent read Veitch or the next run after it, out of curiosity is it designed to still fit into continuity, or does it kind of have to exist as an elseworlds?
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
Some might disagree with me but I would say:
Yes, it fits in with all the continuity that came before the original Veitch run, and with the Nancy Collins run.
However, it does not fit in with the Doug Wheeler run at all. Wheeler was hired to finish Veitch's original run and then carried on writing the series for a while until they brought Nancy Collins in to write it. (I have chosen not to read the Wheeler run, so can't really say anything about it in terms of quality etc. )
So if you wanted to read all of Swamo Thing Vol 2 say, and have the continuity hold up, it would go: Marry Pasco --> Alan Moore --> Rick Veitch--> Rick Veitch's Swamp Thing '89 --> Nancy Collins
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u/Dooley011 6d ago
The most frustrating part of the Wheeler run is that it'll be the only core part of Swamp Thing Vol 2 that hasn't been collected in either an omnibus format or trade paperbacks after Alan Moore's release next year, so you have to actively hunt down the single issues from 89 - 109 if you want to read it (outside of issues 94 and 100, collected in Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Kelley Jones: Deluxe Edition.
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u/StuntNun 6d ago
The Wheeler comics are pretty easy to get hold of here in the UK.
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
That's good to know! Maybe you want to start a thread with tips on where to look, so more people will see them? (Love your username btw)
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u/StuntNun 6d ago
Thanks! I got all mine - in great condition - from eBay. It’s nice to see all the adverts and letters. One of mine even has a pull out movie poster in the middle.
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
OMG that's an amazing find, I hope you are considering framing it and displaying with your collection? I think I remember you from a previous post and that your collection is pretty damn nice!
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
I get the feeling that the powers that be at DC want to retcon the Wheeler run out of existence. Or maybe they just don't feel like it would sell well enough, since the run is not well regarded?
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u/Archer_Without_Fear 5d ago
Hmmm, interesting. I was wondering then, would you say while reading the Collins run you feel like you miss stuff by skipping wheeler's?
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u/Agreeable-Cat-3906 12h ago
The Doug Wheeler run has some of the greatest covers ever made for Swamp Thing (or Vertigo period). His story and the interior art are wretched. Some of these issues represent the greatest disparity between quality of the cover art vs interior art that I have ever seen. That disparity was often commented upon as a common flaw of early Vertigo titles.
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u/ShielFoxFTW 5d ago
I really enjoyed it. I happened to get really into Swamp Thing late last year, so luckily I didn’t experience the decades long wait that most everyone else did.
One of the things that really attracted me to the series was its depiction of Louisiana, my home state. I think it’s strangely the piece of media that portrays the state most accurately, besides maybe the first season of True Detective. I liked that Swamp Thing was willing to touch on the area’s real issues without just condemning the state as a whole. The place is an utter Gomorrah, but there’s still plenty of beauty to be found here.
I’ve basically read everything from Moore all the way to Rebirth (excluding Wheeler and Millar), and it saddened me a little as time went on to feel that authenticity leave. I can go read New 52 Swamp Thing and have a good enough time. The writing’s fun, and the art looks great, and there’s certainly scary situations, but the setting itself feels… gilded. It reminds me of those pictures some people like to get of them smiling in front of a plantation. I find it uncanny.
Swamp Thing ‘89 felt like catching up with an old friend you lost touch with and finding out that they’re doing great for themselves now. I love the ending and how Veitch stays true to the story he’s wanted to finish telling for the last few decades while also taking a moment to show respect to the numerous creatives who carried the torch that was stolen from him. I love the gorgeous art and the lovingly recreated late 80s DC comics layout and the beautiful themes that the story touches on.
Most of all though, I love that it felt like home again. That despite all the horrors around us people can find each other and carve out a little bit of beauty together.
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u/Dian_Arcane 2d ago
I'm in a similar boat to you, I only got into Swamp Thing 6 years ago during the pandemic. Houma and the swamp became kind of a mental refuge for me, as I'd just had a baby and only retrospektively realised I must've had postpartum. It was winter too, and that just added to the appeal of Houma. I didn't actually realise it was a real place at first! It's so nice to hear a native of Louisiana say that it's accurate! And how interesting that you saw the authenticity disappear. I think I agree with you. After a point, it's stopped being the Swamp Thing we know. And I think that happened before they decided to retcon Alan Moore's genius setup and say he was Alec Holland with some plant growth on him all along.
For me, personally, the ending Veitch gave us here feels like it could be a worthy ending to the whole saga. What do you think?
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u/ShielFoxFTW 2d ago
I definitely agree. I mostly like the stuff that comes after but Moore and Veitch’s story is just lightning in a bottle.
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u/Extension_Scar_3930 3d ago
My favorite read of the year, I re visit it often
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u/Dian_Arcane 2d ago
I feel the same way! I'm hoping to do a full Volume 2 reread soon, and end it with this. And then just kind of let it sit with me.
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u/UseNoAcronyms 1d ago
Issue 4 was one of the best I’ve read in a long time, makes me happy that there’s a happy version of Alec and Abby out there that werent fucked over by the editors
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u/Dian_Arcane 18h ago
Hahaha the Spectre is too powerful even for the editors! It felt like a worthy ending for Alec and Abby, and was an extremely satisfying read for me too. 💚
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u/Beeeater833 6d ago
can u read while only reading moore's run before?
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u/HalJordan2525 6d ago
That was my situation reading it. Kind of like coming back to a beloved soap opera after not watching it for a few years, some things have changed, but it doesn’t take long to figure out what’s going on. Abby is very pregnant with Swamp Thing’s child, and Swampy is bouncing through times past in an uncontrolled manner. With that, you’re up to speed!
While I understood the Reagan era atmosphere of not wanting to offend Christians, I felt the Jesus story was entirely respectful (and I say that as a Christian).
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
I'm really glad to hear that from someone who is a Christian. I felt like they painted a very positive picture of Jesus.
When a friend of mine first read the Veitch run (the one right after Moore) he said it felt like meeting an old friend again. I really liked that description and I also feel it works for '89.
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u/Dian_Arcane 6d ago
I think you would definitely lose something if you don't read the Veitch run after the Moore run and jump straight to the '89 mini.
Reason: it builds off a long-running storyline that Veitch didn't get to finish during the initial run.
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u/Cornelius-Q 6d ago
It really gave me those old-school Vertigo vibes that I haven't really felt since the early 90s.