Spoilers Ahead
Initial Thoughts
Swamp Thing: 1989 #3 took us to Hell, the time before the Big Bang, the prehistoric age, and the late 80s, all in one issue. The penultimate issue of this unique series left us on a big cliffhanger, with the reincarnated demon Arcane trying to reach Abby and their baby before Alec, or at least his consciousness. The series has become one galactic chase, and the winner will be the one who gets to Swamp Thing first. Despite the controversy this series received in the late 1980s, it has become a comic book with substance and an exciting premise.
Swamp Thing: 1989 #3 was a fantastically fun read that has me really excited for the end of this highly anticipated series. Rich Veitch's story has built up layers of stakes that make it feel like a time-traveling, otherworldly Rat Race in which one of our characters will reach the finish line. Although the story is massive, expanding through time and dimensions, the setup issue still feels oddly and comfortably existential. Time is a human construct, and I love how Veitch knows that and plays with it. Overall, Swamp Thing: 1989 #3 was a great issue and a fantastic setup for the final issue.
Darkseid is…
Ok, follow me on this. The Source Wall wants to merge with Swamp Thing and get him reborn in time. Darkseid is after Swamp Thing because of this connection to the Source Wall. The demon Nergal wants Constantine because of the times he has vanquished him, and Arcand can hand Constantine to him if he helps him escape from Hell. John Constantine is looking for Swamp Thing in the time stream, while demons are looking for him, while Swamp Thing is trying to get back to Abby before the birth of their child. Oh, and Arcane has made it to Abby before Swamp Thing! Let the dominoes start to fall!
I love how the stakes were raised and how it felt organic, flowing tremendously down the stretch in Swamp Thing: 1989 #3. Everything is intertwined with each other, but-- at least to me-- it never felt like too much or overwhelming. Really surprising to me was the inclusion of Darkseid in this final battle. Uxas made an appearance in Swamp Thing #62-- which was during this Rick Veitch run-- where he saw Swamp Thing’s connection to the Source Wall. I think this is a great way to close that loop. That is probably the one angle I am most looking forward to in the finale.
An Uphill Battle
Swamp Thing is facing an uphill battle (Almost literally?) as he continues to work his way back from the Big Bang Theory to try to make the birth of his and Abby’s child. I love that sentence and premise even more. However, the ultimate peak of the issue, for me anyway, didn’t come until the end. The entire issue peaked at the ending, the very last page actually, as Arcane showed up just in time to beat Swamp Thing to Abby and their almost newly born baby. Arcane beating Alec to Abby and the baby has set in motion what will be the main conflict in the last issue of this series, and has set the timer on Swamp Thing to get back to the main timeline.
We might be able to see Darkseid, Swamp Thing, Constantine, Arcane, and the demon Nergal all in the swampy lands of Louisiana. I love that setting for a final fight. The final question is: will Swamp Thing get there in time —and remember, he is currently a stiff tree before the start of written history —to stop one of his archenemies from hurting Abby and possibly killing Constantine? This was a great setup for what is going to be a chaotic ending.
Light In A Dull World
Tom Mandrake's art not only transports us in time but also remains exemplary, regardless of the era. I've really enjoyed his work throughout this series, but Swamp Thing: 1989 #3 has been a highlight. His depiction of Hell is especially striking: very traditional and specific to the era, yet still fitting. So while the art evokes the styling of the 1980s, it doesn't feel outdated. I enjoyed Mandrake’s interpretation of Darkseid and Apocalypse. The one element we were missing in Swamp Thing: 1989 was the intergalactic perspective, and we got it with Darkseid. I think it would have been a big risk to scrap the art and have someone take over with something more modern. However, releasing it as originally designed and intended adds an extra layer of storytelling to Swamp Thing: 1989.
Trish Mulvihill's lush, vibrant colors—only dimmed by the world's dark tones and the series' newspaper texture—create an excellent juxtaposition between the dark undertones of the world Swamp Thing lives in and the lively colors of that same world. Mulvihill's coloring is phenomenal. She moves smoothly between different settings, between time, space, and hell. Together, Mandrake's penciling and Mulvihill's coloring continue the vision Alan Moore had in mind and carve out their own in the Swamp Thing universe.
Final Verdict
Swamp Thing: 1989 #3 was a complex yet fun issue that sets us up for the final issue of the once-controversial series. The stakes have been raised as Swamp Thing has been reborn into the timestream once again but still has to make it back to his timeline to beat Arcane from hurting his pregnant love, Abby. Not only that, Alec now has Darkseid after him for his connection to the Source Wall. Swamp Thing: 1989 has been a fantastic blast from the past, and issue #3 has set us up for what will be a tremendous finish to the revived series.