Swamp Thing 1989 #4 Review

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #4 Review

Writer: Rick Veitch

Artist: Tom Mandrake

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: Todd Klein

Cover Artist: Rick Veitch

Editors: Alex Galer & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$7.99 Foil

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

Swamp Thing, John Constantine, and Abby Holland are on a journey together. They paved this path with their affection for each other and their desire to wrest good from evil. While Swamp Thing has helped the Son of God, John Constantine has aided God's Vengeance. Now, when their dream should come true, and Abby is at her weakest, the evils from her past resurface. Can John Constantine fly to Abby's aid? And after battling the Roc Riders in the Stone Age, how will Swamp Thing return to the present? Let's leap into Swamp Thing 1989 #4 and see!

 

Story

As he traveled through the multiverse, Swamp Thing witnessed acts of love and the effects of hate. But searching for home has taken a dedication that few could muster. And while he has given up everything to return to Abby, she suffers the agony of childbirth.

 

Rick Veitch begins his story at the end. Abby has given birth to their son. Now, she can finally enjoy a future with Alec Holland and Sprout. Yet like any loving couple, Abby yearns to hear about Alec’s struggle to return to her side and the adventures he enjoyed along the way. As Abby’s husband reflects on his journey, Swamp Thing 1989 #4 returns to the crisis in the bayou, when her uncle and Dr Hubert Sax arose from Hell to menace her once again.

 

As Veitch follows the lovers' long journey toward reunion, this final issue also highlights the horrors that prompted Abby to seek a midwife instead of a hospital. Like all the best love stories, Swamp Thing 1989 #4 culminates with the couple's reunion. Yet Alec and Abby recognize the need to live their lives differently from now on, so they can make a stable home life for their son.

 

Art

As Tom Mandrake opens this swan song to Alec and Abby, the couple inhabit rooms in a tree. Panels show the couple inside their eco-friendly home. Tree roots intertwine around panels, celebrating how Swamp Thing’s determination to return to Abby has finally brought them together. As Tom Mandrake shows Swamp Thing and Abby relaxing, scenes from his travels fill the air above the couple, while their final battle spreads across the bottom.

 

Anton’s greed has reduced him to a rotting, yellow head. He commands an insectile body formed by the yellow faces of doomed souls and the red hatred his benefactor savored. His companion, Dr Hubert Sax, walks naked through the bayou clutching a saw. While suffering the pangs of labor, Abby’s sapphire top and indigo skirt highlight her love for Alec and her desire to heal the world through their child.

 

John Constantine, who made Abby's pregnancy possible, represents all of us in yellow and blue, as he hopes and fears what the future will bring. While Alec Holland’s green appearance underlines his willpower to return to Abby, the orange chunk of amber represents his desire for more than the Source could give him. Yet as Trish Mulvihill lavishes a vibrant palette on Swamp Thing 1989 #4, Anton Arcane attacks, spearing Abby’s friends with his red, bug-like limbs.

 

Todd Klein places black uppercase letters in white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Anton's red words appear in black balloons. Like the chunk of amber that has plagued his travels, Swamp Thing's dialogue appears in orange polygons. The letters grow bold with intonation, while words swell with volume and deform balloons. Sound effects accentuate Swamp Thing’s bravery and herald a visitor, as laughter rings through the cosmos. After Rich Handley’s introductory essay sets the issue in context, Rick Veitch reflects on finally bringing Alec and Abby’s epic ending to readers. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Relationships take hard work. And getting along with others necessitates restraining your emotions and desires. While Anton Arcane and Dr Hubert Sax's search for power ruined their futures, Alec Holland and Abby Arcane's love for others finally allows them to enjoy the happily ever after they desire in Swamp Thing 1989 #4.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Swamp Thing 1989 #4.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #3. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #2.

For how this series resumed, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #1. 

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #3 Review

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #3 Review

Writer: Rick Veitch

Artist: Tom Mandrake

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: Todd Klein

Cover Artist: Rick Veitch

Editors: Alex Galer & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$7.99 Foil

Release Date: June 24, 2026

 

While exploring the wonders of the multiverse, Swamp Thing yearns to return to his beloved Abby. But when three Magi summon a demon, Swamp Thing follows the disturbance in the time stream to Israel 2000 years ago. After preventing Belial's efforts to subvert Earth's history, Swamp Thing once again gets drawn into Earth's past. But along the way, he encounters someone who can carry a message home.

 

When John Constantine receives a dire summons, he abandons his home in London to visit King Arthur's birthplace along the rugged Cornwall coast. There, he meets a knight who arrived on a flying horse. Are Sir Justin's suspicions about Swamp Thing's inability to return correct? And as the momentous event draws nigh, can her friends in the bayou help Abby deliver Swamp Thing's child? Let's leap into Swamp Thing 1989 #3 and see!

 

Story

Many seek to reach the Source. Yet Swamp Thing is chosen. He may stand before it as a stranger. Still, the Source greets him as a friend. And when it senses Swamp Thing's pain, it counsels him. The Source urges him to push past all the concerns that make him Alec Holland and seek the Still Point that binds all of reality together. Then, the Source asks if he would like to remain here, connected to all life, all time, and all places.

 

As Alec ponders his future, Rick Veitch weaves John Constantine into Swamp Thing 1989 #3. Just as Alec yearns to return to Abby, John seeks to help his friend. So, he touches base with Jim Corrigan, hoping the Spectre can help John achieve what Sir Justin proclaimed impossible. And as the supernatural investigator seeks to rescue a friend who has traveled back to before time began, Anton Arcane seeks to leave another realm from which escape should be impossible.

 

As Alec Holland, John Constantine, and Anton Arcane embark on journeys, all roads lead to Abby Holland. Having seen Dr Hubert Sax exploit his position to corrupt the healing arts, Abby has eschewed modern birthing methods for a midwife in the Bayou. As she struggles against the pain, Abby knows the magnitude of what she is attempting. Yet Livie is not the only one who senses the dangers swirling around the unborn child. As they ponder the mysteries of the universe and the Human heart, danger threatens all the scattered protagonists in Swamp Thing 1989 #3.

 

Art

As Swamp Thing stands on a rocky plain, a hand traces words on a black stone slab. Swamp Thing sits cross-legged, his eyes shut as he pictures his recent travels through the infinite worlds filling the multiverse. When the hand reaches out, touching his chest, seven wheels overlay his body. And before Alec vanishes, the Eye of Horus appears on the stone.

 

As Tom Mandrake propels readers on this cosmic journey, Trish Mulvihill pays homage to the four-color era in Swamp Thing 1989 #3. The Avatar of the Green stands beneath a sky streaked with violet and indigo, while the stone glows violet and orange when an orange hand inscribes yellow letters. As Swamp Thing's thoughts revolve around love, yellow, orange, and red dominate a chamber dedicated to hatred and misery. As John Constantine seeks to aid his friend, a yellow coat and blue slacks signal his fears of failure and his hopes for success.

 

Todd Klein places black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. Swamp Thing's dialogue appears in orange polygons, while his thoughts reside in melting yellow boxes. The narrator charts Alec’s cosmic journey via green boxes. As the letters grow bold with intonation, red words in black balloons signal danger. After Rich Handley’s introductory essay sets the issue in context, Todd Klein and Trish Mulvihill discuss the challenges of emulating the original letterer, John Costanza, and original colorist Tatjana Wood. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Swamp Thing can have anything he wants. Yet what he most desires is a life of service and love, even if that includes pain, danger, and uncertainty. As he undertakes a new journey to protect others, others seek to control him to increase their separation from others, and feast on the things that divide us in Swamp Thing 1989 #3.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Swamp Thing 1989 #3.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #2.

For how this series resumed, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #1. 

Summer of Supergirl Special #1 Review

 

Summer of Supergirl Special #1 Review

Writers: Sophie Campbell, Gail Simone & Mark Waid

Artists: Belén Ortega & Cian Tormey

Penciller: Emma Kubert

Inker: Sandra Hope

Colorists: Tríona Farrell, Trish Mulvihill & Alex Guimarāes

Letterers: Becca Carey, Ariana Maher & Steve Wands

Cover Artist: Belén Ortega

Variant Cover Artists: Pablo Villalobos & Tula Lotay

Supergirl Movie Variant Cover Artist: Mahmud Asrar with Mike Spicer

Editors: Jillian Grant & Brittany Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US/Variant $6.99 US (cardstock)

Release Date: June 24, 2026

 

When the weather turned cold amid the holidays, Kara Zor-El started to feel down. How could Kara enjoy time with her new family and friends when all the people she knew in Argo City are dead? Yet, life has its rhythms. And even though Kara has taken a few beatings, when trouble shook the miniaturized Kryptonian city of Kandor, she arrived to save the day.

 

After Lesla-Lar offered Kara a means of regaining what she lost in Kandor, Kara also discovered something that could give her more power than before. But when she interrupts Lobo during his first job following his self-imposed isolation on Azzplaque Major, Supergirl's fate seems to intertwine with the newly reinstated bounty hunter. Will they frag each other into extinction? Or will Supergirl, Lobo, Krypto, and Dawg team up for an extraordinary mission together? Let’s leap into Summer of Supergirl Special #1 and see!

 

Main Man’s Best Friend: Story

After sitting in a jail cell, Lobo, Kara, Krypto, and Dawg attend a hearing. As they face the judge, Lobo pleads innocence, while Kara Zor-El contends they are both guilty.

 

When fate separates them, Dawg returns to Midvale with Kara and Krypto in Summer of Supergirl Special #1. Lobo’s best friend even helps as Kara uses her powers to aid others. But Dawg misses his master. And unlike Lobo, he doesn’t understand the reasons for their separation.

 

As Sophie Campbell examines the bond between a pet and its owner, she also illustrates how Kara’s attitude influences the people around her. Lobo remains the petulant child who didn't want to conform to rules on Czarnia. Yet a little love can go a long way in encouraging good behavior, turning enemies into friends, and helping make the world a better place.

 

Main Man’s Best Friend: Art

As a judge sits beneath an enormous seal, Lobo raises his chain-wrapped forearm. Beside him, Kara smiles at Lobo’s antics. As Kara’s counsel hovers before the judge, his dispassionate discourse infuriates Lobo. Yet as Krypto, Dawg, and Leegra follow Kara’s lead, Lobo’s counsel slumps and supports his head on the table.

 

As Tríona Farrell adorns Belén Ortega’s cheery art with a bright palette, blue creeps into the green courtroom as Kara makes her case. Red tinges Lobo’s retelling of events, and the evening sky on Plinko Astra. Yet as Crush’s red attire seems linked with her father’s antics, stars twinkle in the violet air when she meets Leegra in Summer of Supergirl Special #1.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters, while Kara’s thoughts fill white clouds. White offscreen dialogue appears in colored boxes. Sound effects accompany more property damage than the night of Clarissa Giltedge’s No Beer New Year party, while enlarged yellow letters help Kara appeal to Lobo’s deeply buried good side.

 

Lost Girls: Story

Taking an exercise break is a great way to relieve stress. But when Brad uses the company mascot to make a statement, Supergirl worries that it will hurt others. Yet instead of getting a good workout, Kara discovers she may have bitten off more than she can chew. When another hero arrives to help, Supergirl still wants to blow off steam. But by sharing her struggles with a like-minded person, Kara’s tension lessens, helping her reconcile with her painful past and look toward the future in Gail Simone’s story.

 

Lost Girls: Art

When a futuristic female robot tears through a concrete wall and a chicken-wire fence, guards brace to fire, while a fireman warns people of danger. As they gaze through a window, Brad’s coworkers look concerned and aghast, while his expression makes an unintended comparison with a supervillain. After Supergirl’s face reflects off the robot’s smooth metal face, Emma Kubert and Sandra Hope combine a tilted silhouette scene with a close-up of the robot’s attack.

 

When the gold robot induces fear, the guards respond with yellow-and-orange gunfire. While the red in her costume links Supergirl with the emergency responders, her gold belt suggests empathy for the robot’s plight. As Trish Mulvihill adorns this ten-page story in vibrant colors, Supergirl shares two colors of her costume with the hero who comes to her aid.

 

As Ariana Maher fills white balloons with black uppercase letters, the robot speaks in a machine font. Small black letters in a yellow banner locate the reader in time and space. Kara begins her tale by sharing her white thoughts in blue boxes. But her narration gradually disappears as Kara interacts with the similarly minded hero.

 

Who Is Supergirl: Story

Having regained a physical form, Red Tornado’s consciousness no longer inhabits the Justice League Watchtower’s computer systems. So, when he needs to recheck the data in the personnel files, Red Tornado asks Conner Kent to review the Super-Family archives. In Mark Waid’s story, Jon Kent finds Steel helping Conner with his assignment. Yet while both belong to the Super-Family, they are puzzled by contrasting entries. Jon may enjoy teasing Conner about living in the past. Yet as he recognizes Conner and Steel's concerns, Jon realizes he can help them understand Kara's place in the Super-Family.

 

Who is Supergirl: Art

As Jon enters the immense room, Kara's numerous costume changes fill a wall monitor in Summer of Supergirl Special #1. A white-and-indigo hologram showcases her origins, while a color photo displays Kara's arrival on Earth. Alex Guimarāes adorns Kara’s early choices with yellow, orange, and brown. But as Kara takes on more color, Cian Tormey’s blue line drawing of all the people who helped Kara appears behind her. 

 

Steve Wands introduces characters and the location with black uppercase letters in yellow boxes. Black uppercase dialogue fills white balloons as they debate Kara’s position in the Super-Family. Offscreen dialogue in white and colored boxes helps the trio realize the breadth and depth of Kara’s contributions to the people around her. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Kara Zor-El may always feel like an outsider. Yet her vibrant spirit and positivity help her make friends wherever she goes. Lesla-Lar’s memory lingers as Kara protects Midvale while advocating criminal reform. And as friends bond over similar interests, histories, and food, Superman's son helps encapsulate Kara's rich history in Summer of Supergirl Special #1.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Summer of Supergirl Special #1.

 

For how Lesla-Lar offers to help Supergirl power-up, see my review of Supergirl #14.

For Supergirl's encounter with Lobo, see my preview of Lobo #4. 

For Clarissa's No Beer New Year party, see my review of Supergirl #9. 

For the latest entry in DC's Elseworlds Universe, see my review of Supergirl: Survive #1. 

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #2 Review

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #2 Review

Writer: Rick Veitch

Artist: Tom Mandrake

Colorist: Trish Vulvihill

Letterer: Todd Klein

Cover Artist: Rich Veitch 

Editors: Alex Galer & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$7.99 Foil

Release Date: May 27, 2026

 

Forced from his time, Swamp Thing floats through the cosmic sea. He travels the multiverse, visiting other worlds and alternative realities. Yet there's no place like home. As he lets the current draw him homeward, Swamp Thing suddenly senses a need to visit a specific locale in his homeworld's history. So, setting his desires aside, Swamp Thing swims against the current to witness events that reorder the universe through the power of love. Where will Swamp Thing travel next? And what injustices will he confront? Let’s leap into Swamp Thing 1989 #2 and see!

 

Story

After witnessing events two thousand years in his past, only to be thrust back into the timestream, Swamp Thing grows determined to return home. When he abruptly washes ashore next, two other time travelers seemingly control his fate. Yet as he has learned from his journeys, Swamp Thing rarely stays in one place for long.

 

While Swamp Thing wishes to return to his time, his beloved Abby also undergoes a journey in Swamp Thing 1989 #2. Most people would visit their local hospital. Instead, Abby opts for a return to nature. As Abby trades one danger for another, John Constantine tries to help his friend. But as he works to give Jim Corrigan a measure of peace from the horrors of being the Spectre, John’s friend Chaz arrives. And when he mentions that a magical visitor has arrived with news of Swamp Thing, John Constantine drops what he’s doing to take a ride to Cornwall.

 

As Rick Veitch interweaves past and present, danger surrounds Swamp Thing and Abby. John Constantine, no stranger to supernatural events, attends to the visitor's experiences with his big green friend. Abby's decision to embrace natural birthing methods links her with someone from Swamp Thing's last adventure. Yet the people hosting a magical visitor exemplify futuristic birthing methods. As Swamp Thing's remains the glue that binds all their lives together, he struggles to sink his roots in one time or place. For all his elemental powers, he seems a sailor adrift on the seas of fate in Swamp Thing 1989 #2.

 

Art

After floating amid globes bearing images of people and locales, space disappears, replaced by streaks of beige, yellow, maroon, and green. Amid the storm, an image of Abby appears before him. But when he attempts to embrace her, his hands pass through the vanishing mirage. Then Swamp Thing crashes into the sand. He gazes through the blown glass at his white-faced captor atop a platform soaring above the desert. White pyramids rise in the distance, while the Sphinx looks on, framed by a painted headcloth and divine beard.

 

While Tom Mandrake provides glimpses of ancient Egypt and other eras from Humanity’s past, John Constantine travels from his London flat to the Cornish coast. At Tintagel Castle, John, Chas, and their friend descend winding stone steps cut into the cliffs. When they reach the sand, the waves lap at the beach as they gather in a building of sculpted metal. Yet in the Louisiana swamps, a man wearing a suit, with long hair and a pointy beard, punts a wooden boat between vines, ferns lining the banks, and aerial tree roots rising from the water.

 

As Trish Vulvihill lavishes a palette of pleasing colors on Swamp Thing 1989 #2, green links the bog god with Jim Corrigan, and the time travelers who trap him in an hourglass. While Swamp Thing often appears forest green when he sets foot in one place, his form lightens to apple green while passing before days and evenings from past eras. Places of power, such as the Louisiana swamp and the place where King Uther and the Duchess Igraine conceived King Arthur, glow purple. Yet as a yellow-orange object seemingly signals that he can never return home, John Constantine, with his yellow hair and yellow overcoat, lights his cigarette with a yellow flame.

 

Todd Klein places black uppercase letters in white balloons and boxes. Swamp Thing's dialogue appears in orange polygons, while his thoughts reside in melting yellow boxes. The words grow bold with intonation as sound effects punctuate a frantic air battle. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Swamp Thing is a creature of myth and legend. He has come to people in their hour of need and influenced societies. Yet a piece of amber holds sway over him. And until he learns the secrets of his power, he cannot return home in Swamp Thing 1989 #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Swamp Thing 1989 #2.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Swamp Thing 1989 #1. 

Swamp Thing 1989 #1 Review

 

Swamp Thing 1989 #1 Review

Writer: Rick Veitch

Artists: Michael Zulli & Vince Locke

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: John Costanza and Todd Klein

Editors: Karen Burger, Alex Galer & Chris Conroy

Cover Artist: Rich Veitch

Variant Cover Artists: Michael Zulli

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock/$7.99 Foil

Release Date: April 29, 2026

 

Through his connection with the Green, Swamp Thing can travel anywhere on Earth. At times, he clashes with Poison Ivy. When he descended to the Earth's core, Swamp Thing waged a ferocious battle to become King Omega. Yet instead of combating or aiding John Constantine, he battled Cyborg, another hero torn between two worlds.

 

While distance presents no obstacle to Swamp Thing, he has also broken the bonds of time. Once, cast adrift in the time stream, he could have let the currents and eddies pull him home. Yet Swamp Thing felt that he must be traveling for some purpose. What events will Swamp Thing witness as he seeks to understand himself better? And who will Swamp Thing learn from in this formerly unpublished tale judged too controversial for the 1980s? Let’s leap into Swamp Thing 1989 #1 and see!

 

Story

The Magi followed a guiding star to honor the new king of the Jews. Then, they watched the child mature into adulthood. Yet he has not become the Messiah the Jews expected. Jesus preaches against repression and exploitation. He has not raised an army to expel the Roman invaders from the Jews' homeland. Instead, he casts moneychangers from the Temple. Worse, Jesus has intruded upon the Magi’s territory. He has healed the sick and raised the dead. Jesus even refuses an allegiance with Satan as he performs miracles. Fearing how great he might become, the Magi appeal to the demon Belial to prevent Jesus from overshadowing them and changing the order of their world.

 

In Swamp Thing 1989 #1, the Magi and Belial sense the cosmos converging. As Belial leaps into action, Swamp Thing glimpses eras and locales, trying to divine his next destination. When he arrives in Gethsemane and sees Jesus, he understands why. Swamp Thing may have grown beyond the limitations of a temporal Human. Yet he remembers being Alec Holland and how the man felt about Jesus. Observing these events links Swamp Thing with his past as he realizes how Alec would have cherished this opportunity.

 

While Rick Veitch’s story speaks to how the rich and powerful seek to retain their status and influence, it also links Jesus with a Roman Centurian. A period of the soldier's past evokes Jesus’ birth, and how Christians view their relationship with their savior. Veitch's story also addresses the social inequities of the time and portrays what people had to do to survive. But as cosmic forces converge, Swamp Thing must decide whether he should remain an observer or if he should act to combat a great evil in Swamp Thing 1989 #1.

 

Art

As if cast into the ocean depths, Swamp Thing watches bubbles rise around him. Faces and places adorn many of the orbs. At first, their destination recalls the star the Magi followed to honor an infant. Then, the orbs or planets swirl in ever-decreasing circles until disappearing into a light-blue void. As Swamp Thing travels toward his next port of call, Michael Zulli and Vince Locke reveal weary men sitting around a table laden with bread and wine. While in a chamber, stone columns, chains with hooks, and severed bodies surround the Magi as they cast their latest offering into the pit before an idol.

 

As Trish Mulvihill lavishes bright colors on Swamp Thing 1989 #1, yellow suggests a link between two players in this cosmic contest. Purple surrounds the disciples and Mary Magdalene, while her skin color suggests a reason for her profession. Swamp Thing looks at home in Gethsemane, while the night sky matches the cosmos when it changes from black to blue. Yet despite his role as observer, Mary Magdalene’s garment links with Swamp Thing's act, as he beholds a person both Human and God.

 

Black uppercase letters fill beige parchment scraps as Swamp Thing shares his thoughts. A narrator’s words fill blue narrative boxes. John Costanza and Todd Klein fill white dialogue balloons with black text. Yet pain makes words grow bold and transforms balloons into stars. Rich Veitch's original black-and-white cover art and period advertisements also help this historic issue shine like a Centurian's armor. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

We all sacrifice for the people and things we want. While the Magi and Belial sacrifice to preserve their power, a respected man prepares to risk his career for the woman he loves. As Swamp Thing supports someone he respects, DC Comics looks back through the time stream and publishes a story they originally sacrificed to ensure they could continue serving superhero fans. An introduction places the story in context, and an afterward continues the discussion of a cosmic contest that enriches the mythology of DC Comics in Swamp Thing 1989 #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Swamp Thing 1989 #1.

 

For Swamp Thing's battle in the Omega Tournament, see my preview of Titans #30: All Fight Month Round Four.

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 Review

 

Writers: Dan Watters & Ram V

Artist: Matthew Roberts

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Matthew Roberts & Dave Stewart; Jenny Frison; Dani & Brad Simpson; Maria Wolf & Mike Spicer; Martin Simmonds

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 24, 2024

 

Dr Edwin Thompson hunted the Creature for thirty years, but it eluded him. Kate Marsden traveled to Peru to capture Darwin Collier. She wanted justice after he tried to drown her. When the reality of the situation grew apparent, she made a deal with Dr Thompson. Help me kill Collier, and I'll help you capture your Creature. Kate thought she had the benefit of surprise, but Collier knew she was coming and laid a trap. Now, Dr Thompson's fate is uncertain. He may be deceased. His assistant Christiano, ditto. Kate is in Collier's custody. What will the soldier with a penchant for drowning people do to her? Let's grab our knives and rifles, leap into Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4, and find out!

 

Story

The Marine Corps taught Darwin Collier how to kill. Watching the life seep out of a victim's eyes changed him. Humans once dwelt in the ocean. Collier began to wonder why we left. So he sought out people with the sea in their eyes to help them return. A business trip to Peru introduced him to the Creature. Dr Thompson’s Missing Link confirmed his beliefs. And it shed bits of itself to help him transform into its likeness.

 

In the United States, all those Collier tried to baptize into their new life died except Kate. She followed him across the world to Peru. Collier welcomes her as a disciple. He hid his transformation from others, but in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4, he reveals his changed features to her. Now, she sees through a glass darkly. Collier will use his needles, surgical thread, antiseptics, and the Creature’s shed hide to clothe her in its glory. How can she fail to recognize the gift he has bestowed upon her?

 

But Collier's misdeeds are catching up with him in Dan Watters & Ram V's story. The drug producers he helped train in military combat and surveillance found the remains of his latest victim. They won’t wait while he picks them off one by one. And then there are Christiano and Dr Thompson. The disfigured researcher tends to his wounded assistant. But when he sees the Creature, he grabs his rifle, abandons Christiano, and ventures into Collier’s sacred temple.

 

Art

Matthew Roberts shows figures treading a dirt path to the lake between stony hills in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4. A silhouette against a red field shows the man drawing his prize from the water. The narco’s eyes close as he presses the severed head of his colleague against his own. Nearby, Dr Thompson pulls his assistant from the dark water. Christiano’s face now bears similar disfiguring scars. Dr Thompson tears off a shirt sleeve. Then his eyes bulge, and he abandons Christiano. Darkness obscures his face and chest, and his eyes glow yellow as he enters the cave.

 

Trish Mulvihill paints the periphery of the cave in blues and greens. We first glimpse the Creature as a silhouette with blue eyes. Later, we see the Creature in all its green radiance. By contrast, Collier's webbed hands and the scales adorning his body are a dull and faded green. Yet his eyes glitter like gold and glow yellow as he disappears into the humid gray darkness. Red stains the dark water inside the cave, revealing the shadows of men bearing rifles as Collier seeks those who defiled his temple.

 

Uppercase black letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and gray narrative boxes. DC Hopkins' font grows bold for intonation, swells for elevated voices, and rarely shrinks. Sound effects heighten small moments, helping us hear tearing cloth and scratching claws. Yet enlarged colored dialogue joins the chorus of violence and death as Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 reaches its crescendo. Thanks to Universal Studios, Skybound, and Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Like the disease that once ravaged Christiano, the hunger for revenge refuses to release Kate. As she seeks freedom from her torment, Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 ponders the difference between animals, humans, and monsters.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3 Review

 

Writers: Dan Watters & Ram V

Artist: Matthew Roberts

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Matthew Roberts & Dave Stewart; Julian Totino-Tedesco; Dani & Brad Simpson; Anwita Citriya; David Talaski

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 26, 2024

 

Darwin Collier tried to kill Kate Marsden. Haunted by her brush with death, the journalist pursued the former Marine from her home in the United States to a remote village in Peru. Kate reports on what she can prove. So when fishermen pull drowning victims from the Amazon, Kate dismisses talk of a local legend. Likewise, she ignores the carved wooden images of the Creature in a vendor's stall. But then the Creature saves her from drowning. When Kate ventures into the jungle to apprehend Collier, the Creature saves her again. Or at least, so she remembers. What drives Kate and those involved in her quest? Let's grab our knives and rifles, leap into Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3, and find out!

 

Story

Collier victimized Kate. He tried to drown her in the Hudson River. She told herself she wanted justice. But the stark reality of life in the jungle leaves its mark on her. Now, she doesn't care about dragging Collier back to the United States and testifying against him in court. She just wants to kill him. The Creature may have helped her. But in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3, Kate's through being a victim. She's willing to become a monster to kill another. If the Creature can help her accomplish that, all the better!

 

The Creature victimized Dr Edwin Thompson. One swipe of its claws left Edwin disfigured. For thirty years, he’s endured people’s reactions to his appearance. The severed nerves in Edwin's face impinge on his sleep. So he fled civilization and took up the cause of his friend Dr Carl Maia. But if his mission is to understand how life evolved from the ocean to land, why is he fixated on this Creature?

 

Civilization victimized Christiano’s family. When they fell on the wrong side of the political jungle, his family fled the We’re Right And The Other Party Is Wrong crowd to live with the indigenous people of Peru. Like the fires that rise when loggers cut down trees and burn foliage to create grazing land, malaria burned through Christiano in his youth. He may not have a wooden idol of the Creature in his room at Dr Edwin Thompson's house, but he revels in the mysterious nature of the jungle and reveres the Creature as its guardian spirit.

 

Civilization victimized Darwin Collier. The Marine Corps unleashed an unquenchable thirst for violence. When they threw him out, he couldn’t adjust to civilian life. After Collier fled the United States to share his Marine Corps skills with others, his drug trafficking employers abandoned him when his hunger for death resurfaced. As he hides from civilization and those who wish to kill him, Collier finds a new purpose in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3.

 

 

Art

Kate swims in the river near Edwin's home. She doesn't know how much of what she's seen is real or imagined. The ripples in the water evoke the Creature's green, scaly hide. Yet the netting Christiano laid on the ground galvanizes her. She slices off a portion and hurls it onto Edwin’s desk. That evening, as Kate sits on the roof and watches the flames leaping above the trees, Christiano’s gaze drifts to her cigarette and the fire ravaging the packed tobacco. As Kate and Christiano share their near-death experiences, faces dance with skulls in the raging flames.

 

Trish Mulvihill lavishes a loaded palette on Matthew Roberts' relatable characters, drama-fueled encounters, and the explosive finale in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3. Light spears the muggy jungle, casting leafy shadows upon Kate’s head and shoulders. The vibrant green forest contrasts with the calming beige and tan in Edwin’s home. Still, he tames the Creature by sketching it in black and white. The yellow and orange fires reflect off rivers and streams while orange and mauve spirits invade the purple skies.

 

DC Hopkins carves uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The font grows bold for intonation, swells for elevated voices, and never shrinks. Sound effects help us hear a knife thrust and a gunshot. Yet an enlarged final sentence may shock readers most in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3. Thanks to Universal Studios, Skybound, and Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

In Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #3, Dan Watters and Ram V pit the people who inhabit nature with those who violate it to enhance their status in civilization. The jungle of Peru becomes a battleground between those who burn for revenge and those who seek to become something more.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Creepshow TP Vol 1 Review: Part 1

 

Creepshow Volume 1 Review

Writers: Chris Burnham, Paul Dini, Steve Langford, David Lapham, Maria Lapham, Steve Foxe, L Marlow Francavilla, Francesco Francavilla, Ariela Kristantina, Kyle Starks, Henry Barajas, Steve Orlando, Clay McLeod Chapman

Artists: John McCrea, David Lapham, Erica Henderson, Francesco Francavilla, Jorge Corona, Fran Galán, Dani, Marianna Ignazzi, Anwita Citriya

Colorists: Adriano Lucas, Mike Spicer, Trish Mulvihill, John Francois Beaulieu, Brad Simpson, Fabiana Mascolo, Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Chris Burnham & Adriano Lucas

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: March 22, 2023

 

The 1982 Creepshow movie ripped through cinemas with stories written by Horror master Steven King. The movie spawned two sequels, a comic book novelization, and the TV series Tales From The Darkside. After owning the ‘80s, Creepshow refused to die, returning with a web series, a streaming TV series, and Scholastic tie-in books. It's even returned to comics courtesy of the good folks at Image. Are you ready for ten new terrifying tales? Then let’s dig into Creepshow Volume 1 and brave what we find inside!

 

Take One

Writer & Artist: Chris Burnham

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

 

When three Trick Or Treaters ignore written instructions—and memories of draconian punishments awarded by the former owner of a shuttered house—they discover that Death still has its sting. Burnham’s story reminds us of society’s current trend away from traditional Trick Or Treating, and the ending highlights the sometimes twisted ethics of horror stories. Detailed penciling, tilted camera angles, silhouettes, textured coloring, and excellent shading and light sources give this comic a film noir appeal. The over-the-top violence and gore make Take One a fitting companion to Spawn: Unwanted Violence. Strangely, the morning after welcomes an October sun. Did the boys get their dates mixed up? Was that why we saw no other Trick Or Treaters on those dark streets?

 

 

Shingo

Writers: Paul Dini & Stephen Langford

Artist: John McCrea

Colorist: Mike Spicer

 

A daughter’s birthday party becomes the latest battleground for separated parents. Shingo asks: when parents refuse to get along, how does this affect their children? The circular nature of the story suggests how parents can initiate a cycle of dysfunction and abuse that lingers for generations. Its lighter, humorous tone allows readers to recover from the last story's graphic excess. The art’s more Golden Age than Modern and reminds me of the EC horror comics that the United States Senate called a Comic Book Menace in 1954.

 

The Gorgahmorahh Tree

Writers: David Lapham & Maria Lapham

Artist: David Lapham

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

 

Dysfunctional families enrich the soil in which horror stories grow. The way Lapham draws people in The Gorgahmorahh Tree reminds me of his 90s Harbinger run. Each panel compels as Lapham contrasts the majestic, ancient tree with Daphne’s cluttered, disordered home. How much of what occurs is real? How much does Daphne imagine? This third story in Creepshow Volume 1 evokes classic episodes of The Avengers, Night Gallery, and Doctor Who. It also reminded me of Patrick Ness' novel A Monster Calls and the 2016 movie. An unreliable narrator, a tortured daughter, and mesmerizing art turn an old gardener's adage on its head in this unique take on an oft-told story.

 

Creator’s Rites

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Erica Henderson

 

Creator’s Rites tackles elder abuse: a subject most don't want to face. Compare the years it takes to become a doctor or nurse with the weeks of preparation (perhaps via the Internet) to work in a nursing home. We may never become luminaries in the comic world, but if we live long enough, we’ll all need help meeting our basic needs. Do Henderson's Old School TV animation style and vibrant coloring blunt the edges of Foxe’s story or make them sharper? Seemingly ripped from the final days of Stan Lee, Creator’s Rites cuts deep.

 

Hair

Writer: L. Marlow Francavilla & Francesco Francavilla

Artist: Francesco Francavilla

 

Jimmy feels more kinship with wild animals than civilized people. The barber doesn't hurt anyone, but Jimmy’s actions aid the animals in the forest outside town. The character reminded me of activist Nick Van Owen (played by Vince Vaughn) in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Scenes of town life evoke the Andy Griffith Show and Groundhog Day, with no newcomers saying "Heavy" or asking for a Pepsi Free. Francavilla's carefree, heavy inks and limited palette--greens, yellows, and oranges—give Hair a faded appearance. Hair combines a love of nature with a yearning for a simple life in a mood piece that—while not surprising--lingers. 

 

To read this review in its entirety, and preview art from Take One, see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.