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Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch Book One: Wild Things
Following Alan Moore’s legendary run, Rick Veitch was hand-picked by Moore to continue the saga. Experience the run as it was meant to be read with the interweaving narrative between Swamp Thing and Hellblazer restored. Collects Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #65-73, Swamp Thing Annual #3, John Constantine, Hellblazer #4-5, and a story from Secret Origins #23.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2024
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45 people want to read
About the author
Rick Veitch
427 books82 followersRichard "Rick" Veitch is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 9, 2024
Alan Moore's a hard act to follow, but Rick Veitch does a pretty good job of it. In this first of (hopefully) two collections of his run, we see the fallout of Alec's trip across the universe, as a second Swamp Thing is growing, and the Parliament Of Trees are all out of shape about it. Oops.
The volume takes a little while to get going. There are two issues of Hellblazer included, apparently for context, but they don't seem to have any impact on the rest of the book (though maybe they're more important in the next volume?), and there's an oversized annual about all the ape characters in the DC Universe going nuts, which is...yeah.
The second half of the book is much better though, as Alec tries to deal with the Sprout and find it a new body, with varying degrees of success. Constantine's along for the ride, and there are some neat subplots for Abby, and even Chester and Liz.
The voice that Veitch has for the series feels very much in line with Moore's. There's a lot of sweeping description, some insane imagery (he does the art for most of this too), and it feels very much like the Swamp Thing I'm used to, if a little more grounded than before.
Good stuff, though it takes a little while to spin up the wheels. DC better do the second half, or I'm gonna be mad.
The volume takes a little while to get going. There are two issues of Hellblazer included, apparently for context, but they don't seem to have any impact on the rest of the book (though maybe they're more important in the next volume?), and there's an oversized annual about all the ape characters in the DC Universe going nuts, which is...yeah.
The second half of the book is much better though, as Alec tries to deal with the Sprout and find it a new body, with varying degrees of success. Constantine's along for the ride, and there are some neat subplots for Abby, and even Chester and Liz.
The voice that Veitch has for the series feels very much in line with Moore's. There's a lot of sweeping description, some insane imagery (he does the art for most of this too), and it feels very much like the Swamp Thing I'm used to, if a little more grounded than before.
Good stuff, though it takes a little while to spin up the wheels. DC better do the second half, or I'm gonna be mad.
Read
October 1, 2024I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped. I count Alan Moore's Swamp Thing as one of the greatest things I've ever read (I'm surely not alone in thinking so), and have been curious about the follow-up by Rick Veitch, who penciled multiple issues of Moore's run. Collected editions of Veitch's run have been out of print for a while, so I was happy to see DC begin reprinting it; this is presumably the first of two collections.
No surprise, Veitch isn't as strong a writer as Moore, even as his style is similar. I wasn't very engaged with the slow-moving stories. It feels like a long buildup to the Sprout (later named Tefe Holland) being born, which doesn't even happen yet. Honestly, John Constantine was more interesting to me here than Alec and Abby. Abby comes off as ditzy and obsessed with Alec, a definite step down from how Moore characterized her. The collection actually leads off with two Hellblazer issues from Jamie Delano's run, curiously included before the Swamp Thing issues that they chronologically follow, although I guess they explain why Constantine is in America. And I have to say they're the best issues in the collection, not a good sign. I'll still probably read the second volume when/if it's released though.
No surprise, Veitch isn't as strong a writer as Moore, even as his style is similar. I wasn't very engaged with the slow-moving stories. It feels like a long buildup to the Sprout (later named Tefe Holland) being born, which doesn't even happen yet. Honestly, John Constantine was more interesting to me here than Alec and Abby. Abby comes off as ditzy and obsessed with Alec, a definite step down from how Moore characterized her. The collection actually leads off with two Hellblazer issues from Jamie Delano's run, curiously included before the Swamp Thing issues that they chronologically follow, although I guess they explain why Constantine is in America. And I have to say they're the best issues in the collection, not a good sign. I'll still probably read the second volume when/if it's released though.
February 10, 2026
This is a continuation of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run, written and drawn by Rick Veitch. For some reason it opens with two early issues of Hellblazer which have nothing to do with the main arc of the book, except that John Constantine is heavily involved in the plot of the Swamp Thing stories. However, it was soooo good to reread those early Jamie Delano stories from Hellblazer.
At the end of the Alan Moore run, the Swamp Thing's spirit was expelled from the planet, but managed to return. In the meantime, the Parliament of Trees began breeding a new elemental to take his place. This causes an imbalance in the green that can only be corrected by the death of one of the elementals. Veitch's take on the Swamp Thing is a natural continuation of Moore's run. He doesn't reinvent the wheel or take it in a shocking new direction just to make his mark, but expands on what has already been written, taking it in new places that seem like a natural progression. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The only drawback is the story does not reach a conclusion and I have to buy the next trade to see what happens.
At the end of the Alan Moore run, the Swamp Thing's spirit was expelled from the planet, but managed to return. In the meantime, the Parliament of Trees began breeding a new elemental to take his place. This causes an imbalance in the green that can only be corrected by the death of one of the elementals. Veitch's take on the Swamp Thing is a natural continuation of Moore's run. He doesn't reinvent the wheel or take it in a shocking new direction just to make his mark, but expands on what has already been written, taking it in new places that seem like a natural progression. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The only drawback is the story does not reach a conclusion and I have to buy the next trade to see what happens.
May 20, 2025
Hellblazer issues **
Annual ***
Regular issues ****
Rounded up.
Annual ***
Regular issues ****
Rounded up.
September 8, 2024
I'm glad DC is finally getting back to reprinting the Rick Veitch run, despite it being two trades instead of the Omnibus releases we've been getting which is a little irritating mainly because I like the aesthetics of matching Omnibuses on the shelf.
Picking up immediately after Moore's run ends, it actually starts with issues 4 & 5 of Hellblazer, which Swampy doesn't appear in, but sets a more cohesive theme throughout the trade as its almost a Swampy/Constantine buddy cop storyline. But also, it's not. Swampy is immediately dealing with the after effects of his time during Crisis and leaving the planet. This triggered the Parliment of Trees to assume Swampy was dead and grow a new elemental as a replacement. Swampy shows up and scares the shit outta the Parliment by revealing his connections to off-world and unexplored plant life. They demand he kill his replacement or give up his current life and join the Parliment to allow the new Sprout to take over.
Veitch takes Swampy into this nurturing life elemental, not that he wasn't before, but he refuses to kill the Sprout. There's some selfish reasons, he wants to live a life with Abby Arcane and not be an Elemental, but he also thinks life deserves a chance. Throughout, Swampy encounters ghosts in the sky with his gental caring nature and his constant exploration to finding a way out of the quagmire he's created. You see, there can be only one Elemental, with two existing it's caused nature to run amok and Constantine is busting his ass to try and get ahead of it all to find a suitable replacement body for the new Sprout (it involves death and fire) and outwitting the Parliment.
The whole team on this book feels like a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders. Alfredo Alcala's inks bring out so much detail from Veitch's pencils. Tatjana Wood's colors pop beautifully as Swampy explores different worlds, John Costanza does an incredible job with his lettering, especially during the many wonderful two page spreads. And there's Rick Veitch, who took up the reigns and delivers a wonderful Swamp Thing tale. If the rumors are true and that the second volume will include Veitch's Swamp Thing #88 story (the issue where Swamp Thing meets christ that was canceled at the last minute and made Veitch swear off working for DC ever again causing there to be a several month delay between issues 87 and 88 as DC worked on getting a replacement) then we're all in for a real treat.
If you're reading this trade, you're most likely a Swamp Thing fan. I don't know that it's a great introduction to the character as it does require knowledge from the previous Moore run right before it. But Veitch manages to make the book his and successfully continue what came before it.
Picking up immediately after Moore's run ends, it actually starts with issues 4 & 5 of Hellblazer, which Swampy doesn't appear in, but sets a more cohesive theme throughout the trade as its almost a Swampy/Constantine buddy cop storyline. But also, it's not. Swampy is immediately dealing with the after effects of his time during Crisis and leaving the planet. This triggered the Parliment of Trees to assume Swampy was dead and grow a new elemental as a replacement. Swampy shows up and scares the shit outta the Parliment by revealing his connections to off-world and unexplored plant life. They demand he kill his replacement or give up his current life and join the Parliment to allow the new Sprout to take over.
Veitch takes Swampy into this nurturing life elemental, not that he wasn't before, but he refuses to kill the Sprout. There's some selfish reasons, he wants to live a life with Abby Arcane and not be an Elemental, but he also thinks life deserves a chance. Throughout, Swampy encounters ghosts in the sky with his gental caring nature and his constant exploration to finding a way out of the quagmire he's created. You see, there can be only one Elemental, with two existing it's caused nature to run amok and Constantine is busting his ass to try and get ahead of it all to find a suitable replacement body for the new Sprout (it involves death and fire) and outwitting the Parliment.
The whole team on this book feels like a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders. Alfredo Alcala's inks bring out so much detail from Veitch's pencils. Tatjana Wood's colors pop beautifully as Swampy explores different worlds, John Costanza does an incredible job with his lettering, especially during the many wonderful two page spreads. And there's Rick Veitch, who took up the reigns and delivers a wonderful Swamp Thing tale. If the rumors are true and that the second volume will include Veitch's Swamp Thing #88 story (the issue where Swamp Thing meets christ that was canceled at the last minute and made Veitch swear off working for DC ever again causing there to be a several month delay between issues 87 and 88 as DC worked on getting a replacement) then we're all in for a real treat.
If you're reading this trade, you're most likely a Swamp Thing fan. I don't know that it's a great introduction to the character as it does require knowledge from the previous Moore run right before it. But Veitch manages to make the book his and successfully continue what came before it.
Read
March 20, 2025As you'd expect when picking up a collection called Swamp Thing By Rick Veitch, the first two issues here are from Hellblazer by Jamie Delano. Comics! It's not as if the big lad even appears, which would have been fair enough; in the second, Constantine mentions in passing that he's in America to check up on him, but that's already tenuous, and the first is set in Liverpool, with a plot that's referenced in the background of the second, at which point why not stick the whole of Crisis and Millennium in here too, since they get referenced much more thoroughly in the actual Swamp Thing issues? And often quite entertainingly, to be fair, with a wink to camera, rather than the derailing torrent of nonsense you tend to get with modern crossovers, especially DC ones.
But what rapidly becomes apparent, once the book actually gets on to Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch, is that this was very much a run that knew its own mind. Veitch had already been doing the art on the back end of the previous stretch, so when he took over writing too, he was intimately familiar with the territory; equally, that previous writer was Alan Moore, doing arguably the most important run in the history of Anglosphere comics, so Veitch had bloody big boots to fill, which must have been at least partly apparent even before the decades-long consequences really began to unspool. But there's scant sense of nerves here: Veitch opens by having the Swamp Thing declare that he's done with wandering, is happy now just to stay in the bayou with Abby (and yes, Moore had already written the two of them having hallucinogenic tuber sex communion, but it's clear that Veitch envisages a more physical connection between the couple too, and never mind that he's a hulk of vegetable matter: "Our furious lovemaking...has not been enough...to quell the sorrow"). And for a few issues, this even seems to be working, mostly – there's some light prodding at the idyll, but any action is mostly elsewhere, carried by the likes of Constantine, Jason Woodrue, even Batman. Because we may be a way along the path that will lead to Vertigo, but for now this is very much still a DCU book, the odd page from Infinity Inc included to explain where Solomon Grundy turned up from.
Because, inevitably, the retirement doesn't go entirely to plan. In a story similar to what we'll later see in Buffy, Alec's apparent death in the Moore run, which in fact set him off on a galactic odyssey, led the Parliament of Trees (who have never looked stranger or more majestic) to initiate the creation of a new earth elemental. Alec refuses to snuff him out, is happy to hand over the mantle, but it doesn't work like that, and the main plot of the volume sees this Sprout bouncing from one unsuitable host to another as it attempts to incarnate*, the biosphere getting further out of whack each time and Veitch clearly having enormous fun depicting the consequences (I've seen carnivorous pumpkins done more than once before, but never quite so well or gleefully as here).
If that sounds prescient for a comic from the eighties, well, it's not the only thing. The Moore run already had its hippy side, albeit with an awareness of how dated that could seem made manifest in kindly but slightly dopey supporting character Chester (sobering to think now that the Summer of Love was actually only as far back then as landfill indie is now). But solo Veitch doubles down, not just in the attempted non-violence and often trippy visuals, but in prose that sometimes ends up positively Rosy May: "plunge deep into the loamy womb of our mother". And all those warnings which might have seemed paranoid at the time, villains whose environmentally dangerous schemes didn't even make sense...now they just read like the news. The emotionally unstable are easily manipulated into acting as terror troops for the elite; there's a worrying new wave of air crashes across America; "Bugs have to eat too. Who am I to begrudge the bugs an honest meal? I only wish the Russians were so reasonable when they invaded my garden back in the Ukraine." Hell, even the supporting character who wants to sell nuclear waste as fertiliser probably would have had an executive order backing him up if he'd just stuck around.
Is it perfect? Of course not. Timely as it is, it still feels clunky in places. Constantine in particular has seldom quite come off when written by Americans, and is still wobbly at this early stage, prone to saying "Roit?" and holding the reader's gaze a little too often. And then there's the annual that rounds up a load of DC's ape characters (and they really do have a lot) for a story that's half global event, half extended riff on the notion of women finding apes irresistible because of their presumed endowments (which, at least on our Earth, are in fact surprisingly underwhelming, though hey, maybe this is another area where DCU biology works differently). But especially when you consider what Veitch inherited, it's surprisingly assured and well worth reading.
*Not technically the word when it's going to be vegetable rather than animal, but still.
But what rapidly becomes apparent, once the book actually gets on to Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch, is that this was very much a run that knew its own mind. Veitch had already been doing the art on the back end of the previous stretch, so when he took over writing too, he was intimately familiar with the territory; equally, that previous writer was Alan Moore, doing arguably the most important run in the history of Anglosphere comics, so Veitch had bloody big boots to fill, which must have been at least partly apparent even before the decades-long consequences really began to unspool. But there's scant sense of nerves here: Veitch opens by having the Swamp Thing declare that he's done with wandering, is happy now just to stay in the bayou with Abby (and yes, Moore had already written the two of them having hallucinogenic tuber sex communion, but it's clear that Veitch envisages a more physical connection between the couple too, and never mind that he's a hulk of vegetable matter: "Our furious lovemaking...has not been enough...to quell the sorrow"). And for a few issues, this even seems to be working, mostly – there's some light prodding at the idyll, but any action is mostly elsewhere, carried by the likes of Constantine, Jason Woodrue, even Batman. Because we may be a way along the path that will lead to Vertigo, but for now this is very much still a DCU book, the odd page from Infinity Inc included to explain where Solomon Grundy turned up from.
Because, inevitably, the retirement doesn't go entirely to plan. In a story similar to what we'll later see in Buffy, Alec's apparent death in the Moore run, which in fact set him off on a galactic odyssey, led the Parliament of Trees (who have never looked stranger or more majestic) to initiate the creation of a new earth elemental. Alec refuses to snuff him out, is happy to hand over the mantle, but it doesn't work like that, and the main plot of the volume sees this Sprout bouncing from one unsuitable host to another as it attempts to incarnate*, the biosphere getting further out of whack each time and Veitch clearly having enormous fun depicting the consequences (I've seen carnivorous pumpkins done more than once before, but never quite so well or gleefully as here).
If that sounds prescient for a comic from the eighties, well, it's not the only thing. The Moore run already had its hippy side, albeit with an awareness of how dated that could seem made manifest in kindly but slightly dopey supporting character Chester (sobering to think now that the Summer of Love was actually only as far back then as landfill indie is now). But solo Veitch doubles down, not just in the attempted non-violence and often trippy visuals, but in prose that sometimes ends up positively Rosy May: "plunge deep into the loamy womb of our mother". And all those warnings which might have seemed paranoid at the time, villains whose environmentally dangerous schemes didn't even make sense...now they just read like the news. The emotionally unstable are easily manipulated into acting as terror troops for the elite; there's a worrying new wave of air crashes across America; "Bugs have to eat too. Who am I to begrudge the bugs an honest meal? I only wish the Russians were so reasonable when they invaded my garden back in the Ukraine." Hell, even the supporting character who wants to sell nuclear waste as fertiliser probably would have had an executive order backing him up if he'd just stuck around.
Is it perfect? Of course not. Timely as it is, it still feels clunky in places. Constantine in particular has seldom quite come off when written by Americans, and is still wobbly at this early stage, prone to saying "Roit?" and holding the reader's gaze a little too often. And then there's the annual that rounds up a load of DC's ape characters (and they really do have a lot) for a story that's half global event, half extended riff on the notion of women finding apes irresistible because of their presumed endowments (which, at least on our Earth, are in fact surprisingly underwhelming, though hey, maybe this is another area where DCU biology works differently). But especially when you consider what Veitch inherited, it's surprisingly assured and well worth reading.
*Not technically the word when it's going to be vegetable rather than animal, but still.
Read
November 16, 2025Once I'd re-read/skimmed through the two Hellblazer issues at the beginning (since I've already read the them) and got into the actual plot, I enjoyed myself a lot. Alan Moore's run of Swamp Thing is one of my all time favourites, and although I didn't find this nearly as tightly written and quite a bit slower (we have spent a lot of time talking about the Sprout) it is no doubt interestingly written and just as wonderful to look at. I think the sprout pacing possibly isn't helped that I know the conclusion to the story because the concluding issues are - coincidentally - contained in a Hellblazer volume I have, so it might be I'm just waiting for that to come so the plot feels meandering. Still, certainly enjoyable if you like the character and the tone of Moore's work.
December 5, 2025
This was a bit more than I expected when I first opened the book, to find Hellblazer comics that I’ve already read years ago.
And following the Sprout storyline makes me feel like I filling in a gap of my knowledge of this era of Swamp Thing as I assume this is the story that eventually leads to Tefe being born later down the road.
This was an enjoyable read but felt a little drawn out at times with Swamp Thing himself not doing a lot but still moving the story forward with the use of Constantine and his interactions with characters like Abby, Chester and the Floronic Man.
And this felt like a much more artistic approach to Swamp Thing, which was a problem at all but I did find myself missing the soliloquy style narration boxes of Moore.
And following the Sprout storyline makes me feel like I filling in a gap of my knowledge of this era of Swamp Thing as I assume this is the story that eventually leads to Tefe being born later down the road.
This was an enjoyable read but felt a little drawn out at times with Swamp Thing himself not doing a lot but still moving the story forward with the use of Constantine and his interactions with characters like Abby, Chester and the Floronic Man.
And this felt like a much more artistic approach to Swamp Thing, which was a problem at all but I did find myself missing the soliloquy style narration boxes of Moore.
November 13, 2024
I've been looking for the immediate post-moore issues of swamp thing since I was in high school. So thrilled to be able to read this (and the chunk of old used swamp thing books I already own that come after this) at a time where I need a little extra joy in my life. Just the best shit ever. I love thinking about swamp thing, looking at swamp thing, telling my friends and loved ones who don't care at all everything that's insane about swamp thing. One of the great joys in my life. So happy to have a new taste of this thing I love so much.
September 2, 2025
Ez a könyv hozza a black label DC képregények hangulatát, kellően komplex és tele van morális üzenetekkel.
Ugyanakkor ennek a konkrét kötetnek a címe lehetne John Constantine & Swamp Thing, mivel az előbbi is igen sokat szerepel benne, ha nem többet, mint maga Swamp Thing. Sokszor egészen zavaros a történet, és egy cliffhanger-rel zárul.
Vizuálisan zseniálisan van még rajzolva, alig várom a folytatásokat.
Ugyanakkor ennek a konkrét kötetnek a címe lehetne John Constantine & Swamp Thing, mivel az előbbi is igen sokat szerepel benne, ha nem többet, mint maga Swamp Thing. Sokszor egészen zavaros a történet, és egy cliffhanger-rel zárul.
Vizuálisan zseniálisan van még rajzolva, alig várom a folytatásokat.
October 22, 2024
A highly underrated run. Veitch came in as writer right after Alan Moore, which is an impossible act to follow. But he doesn’t try to be Moore — he quickly makes the book his own and does some cool stuff with it.
May 26, 2025
It doesn’t quote live up to the heights of Moore’s run, but it comes close. It also gets better as it goes on. I’m excited that this run is being reprinted. But, the Hellblazer issues feel unnecessary.
December 9, 2025
runs seamlessly from Alan Moore's era without missing a beat or dipping in quality at all. Veitch's takeover was such a surprise success. Looking back now, it feels fresher, snapper and a wonderful new era for Swamp Thing. such a shame that the powers that be ruined it all
October 10, 2024
4.5 if i could, kept me hooked the while time waiting to find out who will be the next swamp thing. The subplot with the limo driver kept me laughing everytime it came up
June 16, 2025
Swamp Thing will simply never have as good of a run as it did with Alan Moore, but especially for Rick Veitch taking up the mantle immediately after Moores run, this is pretty decent.
August 4, 2025
This was a surprising read! I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it but ended up enjoying it very much. Definitely need a small knowledge of Swamp Thing to make this worth the read!
August 5, 2025
*2-2.5/5 stars. I skimmed Secret Origins #23 but read everything else. This was not as good as I hoped it would be.
September 24, 2024
Rick Veitch is no Alan Moore. But this is a terrific follow-up to Alan Moore's run that doesn't just continue on with his ideas, but expands them in new ways.
Fundamentally, you could see this as American Gothic II, with John Constantine now acting as the midwife for the next Swamp Thing, the Sprout. And Veitch's Constantine is terrific, heavily focused on the magic of synchronicity, likely thanks to the excellent Delano run of Hellblazer, which was occurring simultaneously (and which has two terrific issues in this collection, to set up the Salvation Army/Damnation Army).
But the arc goes far beyond that because it's about the attempts to find the Sprout a body that will be the next Swamp Thing, and the constant failures to do so. Maybe it all becomes a bit of a snipe hunt by the end, but seeing failure after failure is refreshing in comic world.
Beyond that, Veitch's writing is quite fresh. Issue after issue he varies the structure, often splicing together several narratives into a cohesive whole. It's fun reading.
Overall, it's terrific to finally have this back in print, with the hope that DC will finally finish out the Veitch run this time (as they failed to do two decades ago) and hopefully give us the Wheeler run as well, to close the final gap in Swamp Thing v2 collections. (Though it's quite frustrating that DC keeps leading these runs off with TPB collections rather than omnibuses.)
Fundamentally, you could see this as American Gothic II, with John Constantine now acting as the midwife for the next Swamp Thing, the Sprout. And Veitch's Constantine is terrific, heavily focused on the magic of synchronicity, likely thanks to the excellent Delano run of Hellblazer, which was occurring simultaneously (and which has two terrific issues in this collection, to set up the Salvation Army/Damnation Army).
But the arc goes far beyond that because it's about the attempts to find the Sprout a body that will be the next Swamp Thing, and the constant failures to do so. Maybe it all becomes a bit of a snipe hunt by the end, but seeing failure after failure is refreshing in comic world.
Beyond that, Veitch's writing is quite fresh. Issue after issue he varies the structure, often splicing together several narratives into a cohesive whole. It's fun reading.
Overall, it's terrific to finally have this back in print, with the hope that DC will finally finish out the Veitch run this time (as they failed to do two decades ago) and hopefully give us the Wheeler run as well, to close the final gap in Swamp Thing v2 collections. (Though it's quite frustrating that DC keeps leading these runs off with TPB collections rather than omnibuses.)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews