SWAMP THING 1989 #1 – A Travel Through Time

Creative Team – Rick Veitch, Michael Zulli, Vince Locke, Trish Mulvihill, John Costanza, Todd Klein

Published by DC Comics

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The Story

This is a joint review by  Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast and  Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast

Matt – This story is powerful in every way. Swamp Thing is floating through time and finds himself connected to Jesus, and takes us down an intense road of pain and sorrow. This was interesting to me as I am not a religious person, admittedly at all. In fact, maybe I would have gone to church more if they had woven comics and Swamp Thing into them more. This issue was poetic and also captures what I have always championed Swamp Thing to be, which is a soft-mannered, philosophical being. It challenges us to think, and that’s what a good story does. Of course, this issue will also make you want to turn away at times as well, and there are easter eggs within.

Megan – With a blast to the past, we are treated to the lost stories of Swamp Thing from Rick Veitch. In Swamp Thing 1989 #1, Swamp Thing is sent back through time and he meets probably the most influential person of all time, Jesus Christ. Seeing how it all went down from the eyes of Swamp Thing was fascinating from beginning to end.

Veitch takes you back in time to his incredible two year run of Swamp Thing, and even farther back in time to a more biblical atmosphere. There are many perspectives in the comic, such as Mary Magdalene’s or Marcus’, which makes the story feel larger than life. With Swamp Things narration throughout the story, it’s not hard to get lost in the story. I didn’t know what to expect going into the comic, but I had a great time with what Veitch gave us!

The Art

Matt -The artwork is stunning and teleports us back into the old days of comics. The art is bright and Earthy as a Swamp Thing comic should be; however, the colors aren’t as vibrant as modern art, which adds flavor to the pages. The scene of Jesus on the cross was an intense and powerful art sequence that even took my breath away despite not having a religious background. Lost within this issue as well is how violent it is and how gruesome as the demon eats the false Wise Men and the scenes showing Jesus’s arrest. It was all beautiful and oddly inspiring artwork full of life amongst the sorrow.

Megan – The artwork takes you back to a time of the older comics that have artwork that’s driven by intricate details and creative shading work. Each page of Swamp Thing 1989 #1 paints a new picture of the story clearly and brings even more depth to the story of Swamp Thing. The coloring is a great juxtaposition of vibrancy in the characters and the more muted backgrounds. Marcus’ character works as an excellent focal point in a lot of the panels with his bright golden armor. The lettering work creates a great flow of dialogue even when switching from Swamp Thing’s narration and the character’s words.

Michael Zulli, Vince Locke, Trish Mulvihill, John Costanza, and Todd Klein really go above and beyond to ensure the energy of the older comics is illustrated beautifully in Swamp Thing 1989 #1.

Final Thoughts

Matt – 9/10/Truthfully, I had no clue what I was going into. I am a Swamp Thing fan, not as deep into his lore as. I would like. I was surprised to see this one take a more religious setting, and it was one that was immensely powerful at that.

Megan – 8.8/10. I went into the comic not knowing what to expect, and left very happy with what I read. Rick Veitch brought this blast from the past back in a huge way.

Overall Grade -8.9/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of Swamp Thing 1989 #1!