DC Comics is making history by publishing the once-canceled story arc featuring Swamp Thing and Jesus Christ. The first issue saw Swamp Thing go back in time and witness Etrigan the Demon’s attempt to kill Jesus. Now unstuck from time and captured, Swamp Thing 1989 #2 integrates even more DC Comics mainstays including John Constantine and Chronos!
Swamp Thing 1989 #2 is, in many ways, a setup issue, with some deep DC history required to fully feel invested. The story opens with Swamp Thing trapped in an hourglass after being captured by Chronos. He’s capable of this thanks to Professor Hyatt, a character unfamiliar to me, but once I read up on him, it seems like a clever choice. The situation Swamp Thing is in gives the story ample stakes and tension, at least until he escapes midway through the issue.
The B plot of this issue centers on John Constantine, who is bothered by a knock at the door. For the time, the scene inside would be a shock to readers, but I think modern readers will appreciate the sexual openness of Constantine with a naked man and woman in his bed, along with what seems to be quite dirty objects being used. Of course, it’s played off like a ritual, but still, the adult nature of Vertigo is alive and well.
Soon, Constantine is off and running to help Swamp Thing by meeting up with DNAliens, who are tending to the wounds of the Shining Knight. Again, most of these characters were unknown to me and get very little backstory, so you’re best off googling them if you’re unfamiliar, or you’ll feel a bit lost. Still, it’s pretty neat to see such storied characters getting wrapped into this narrative.
John, what on earth are you up to?
Credit: DC Comics
The C plot involves a pregnant Abby Holland seeking help from a doctor in the swamps rather than attending a hospital. Much like the other plots in this issue, everything here is setup, all of which wasn’t even hinted at in the last issue. It makes this issue denser and slower to be sure.
There is action, however, once Swamp Thing is sucked back into the time stream. Artist Tom Mandrake, with colors by Trish Mulvihill, depicts a slightly more evil-looking Swamp Thing who witnesses cavemen being attacked by giant birds ridden by rival humans. It’s a rather wild scene that involves Shining Knight, but again feels quite random. It leads to a great montage of Swamp Thing going further into the past, with Rick Veitch’s captions keeping us up to date on what is going on in Swamp Thing’s mind.
The final few thirds of the issue are great, turning this rather overcomplicated issue into a madcap speed run through the cosmos and eventually leading Swamp Thing to the Big Bang. Meanwhile, Abby’s the end of pregnancy grows nearer, only to end the issue on a full-page splash of Hell. Given the lack of Jesus or Christian elements until this final page, it’s a welcome sight since so much of this issue seems way off from the first issue’s point.
Swamp Thing 1989 #2 leans hard into deep-cut DC lore and cosmic weirdness, sometimes to its own detriment. Rick Veitch and Tom Mandrake deliver unsettling imagery, strong atmosphere, and an ambitious time-hopping narrative, though the issue can feel overloaded with characters and concepts that lack enough grounding. The final stretch finally reconnects the story to the theological and apocalyptic intrigue promised in the debut, ending on a memorable cliffhanger that restores momentum heading into the next chapter.
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