When Tracy and I started our "Swamp Thing" discussion back in 2022, it was with the intention of reading every appearance of Swamp Thing from 1972 through 2018. We didn't quite make it, but we did read all 24 issues of the original series, all 171 of the second, seven annuals, seven issues of Challengers of the Unknown, and seven "miscellaneous" comics (including issues of The Brave & the Bold, DC Comics Presents, House of Secrets and two unpublished stories) for a total of 216 comics.
I bought this volume the day it was released in October 2025, and the publication of the first issue of Rick Veitch's unpublished (i.e., "censored") Swamp Thing story this week has put me in the mood to read it. It collects every Swamp Thing story written Wein and drawn by Jones, plus every story drawn by Jones but not written by Wein: Convergence: Swamp Thing #1-2, Swamp Thing (2016) #1-6 and the Swamp Thing Winter Special, as well as the never-before-collected Swamp Thing (v2) #94 & #100 (Kelley Jones' debut on the character) and Batman #521-522 by Doug Moench and Jones (guest-starring Swamp Thing), plus the unpublished layouts with surviving pencils for Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson's never-complete return to the character, Swamp Thing: Deja Vu, as well as other scripts, artwork and whatnot. First up...
CONVERGENCE: "From Convergence comes Rebirth" (says no one but me). This is a good story to start the volume. I didn't like the post-Flashpoiont "New 52" and I didn't care for the post-Convergence "Rebirth" much, either, but this two-parter is a step in the right direction. Taken out of context of the crossover series, "our" Swamp Thing meets the vampire Batman of the "Red Rain" universe. It leads directly into...
SWAMP THING (2016): This is the sixth volume of Swamp Thing (if you're scoring at home), and it truly is a "rebirth." All of Wein's original run, plus some of Alan Moore's (and probably everything in between) are considered "in" as far as continuity is concerned. "Anatomy Lesson" "happened," as did the "Parliment of Trees" and Anton Arcane in Hell. What didn't happen was a romantic relationship between Alec and Abby, and Matt in a coma. Abby and Matt are an estranged couple, however. This six-issue run is the best Swamp Thing since Lem Wein's and Alan Moore's, and it is as good as both.
THE SWAMP THING WINTER SPECIAL: This would have been #7 in the Wein/Jones run. It was plotted and the artwork completed, but Wein died before he could add dialogue. It is published without words, but presented alongside Wein's script which Jones worked from. (This was where Tracy and I would have ended out 2022 discussion.)
SWAMP THING #94 & 100: I read these in the course of our previous reading prioject, but I have no memory of them whatsoever. HJere is what I had to say about #94 then: "An ax which served as muse for a serial killing blues musician back in the '20s now latches on to a guitarist in a jazz band," and here is what Tracy had to say about #89-96: "I agree that this story arc for ST is getting to be a mental slog. I am ready for him to return to Abby." Here is what I had to say about #100: "This issue is one big metaphysical EYKIW. It's what I've been afraid the post-Moore issues would be like all along. the Rick Veitch ones were all quite good, and I really enjoyed the early Doug Wheeler "done-in-ones," but the whole Tefé-needs-a-body plot is not even resolved," and here is what Tracy had to say about #96-101: "Tefé goes on an adventure, ends up in Hell, now needs to learn how to rebuild her human body. I had a huge mental block preventing me from reading because I knew Arcane and demons were coming up. Honestly, I remember what I read before, know what's coming up, and truly cannot stomach the artwork of Arcane and the underworld.I am trying to get through this stack and be caught up. Re-reading it, I long for a good mystery for Swamp Thing to solve. Definitely not more demons."
I can't speak for Tracy, but my opinion hasn't changed. that art's good, though.
BATMAN #521-522: After my recent spate of "Batman Villains" discussions and now this, I feel as if the universe is conspiring to get me to read the Moench/Jones run of Batman. If Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers were the "definitive" Batman team of the '70s, then Doug Moench and Kelley Jones were the definitive team of the '90s. Killer Croc escapes from Arkham Asylum and makes his way to the swamp outside Houma. Swamp Thing physically appears only in #522, but he's behind Croc's escape.
The rest of the book is filled with penciled pages and scripts as I mentioned. Despite my negative reaction to the two Doug Wheeler-written issues, I can still recommend this collection on the basis of the 2015-2018 material alone. The rest is icing on the cake.
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I read the Wein/Jones collection Swamp Thing: The Dead Don't Sleep, which collects the six monthly issues. I remember liking it, but since I read it in 2022, I don't remember much. Kelley Jones was scheduled to appear at HeroesCon a few years back, but he finally gave up after a series of canceled flights. I own a bunch of books I would have liked to get autographed, so I was bummed. I keep hoping he'll come back, but so far it's been no dice.
Hey, Mark! Are you reading the Swamp Thing 1989 series?
I'm not sure! I have tried to keep up with the newer series. What is the creative team?
Rick Veitch, Michael Zulli, Vince Locke, Trish Mulvihill. I've started a discussion of it HERE. So far it's just me and Rob.