Almost 40 years later, DC will finally publish the controversial 1980s Rick Veitch Swamp Thing story originally planned for #88 and conclude the storyline in a Swamp Thing 1989 miniseries, the company announced during its Vertigo panel at New York Comic Con.
Swamp Thing #88 was intended to kick off a four-issue storyline titled “Morning of the Magician,” in which Swamp Thing meets Jesus Christ, with one proposed cover showing Swamp Thing as the crucifix. DC elected not to publish the story at the time, but is now making it available under its Black Label mature readers imprint.
Swamp Thing 1989, a four-issue miniseries, will launch April 2026. It will feature the original script written by Veitch for #88, plus three new scripts by Veitch. Art for #88 is based on the original layouts by Michael Zulli, replicated from surviving files, completed by Vince Locke. The remaining three issues feature art by Tom Mandrake, and all four issues have era-appropriate coloring by Trish Mulvihill.
Swamp Thing 1989 will feature an A cover by Veitch and a painted variant cover by Zulli, the final work for DC by the artist, who passed away last year. The complete miniseries will feature 1989-era DC trade dress.
DC announced 10 other new Vertigo series at the same panel, a relaunch of the brand at significant scale (see “Vertigo Returns with 10 New Series”).
Rick Veitch was nominated for the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame this year (see “Hall of Fame Nominations Announced”) but was not voted in.
Click Gallery below for both full-size Covers!
Source: ICv2
