During New York Comic-Con 2025, DC Comics announced several new series that will launch next year under its new publishing imprint “Vertigo.” The most exciting announcement for longtime DC fans, however, is a story decades in the making.
DC will publish the final four lost issues of Rick Veitch’s “Swamp Thing” series, under the title “Swamp Thing 1989”, which is the year it was first supposed to be published. At NYCC, DC editor-in-chief Chris Conroy was quoted as saying that issues 88-91 would be written and published in such a way that “you can put [them] in your long boxes as if this race was never over.
Why this long delay? This story, “The Morning of the Magician”, would have seen Swamp Thing travel back in time and meet Jesus Christ. According to Rick Veitch, Swamp Thing appeared before Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent his final hours before his arrest. The story would have also featured DC’s obscure Roman-era hero Golden Gladiator and told the origin of Etrigan the Demon.
The story was written, drawn by Michael Zulli, and ready to go, but apparently the concept and images (like Veitch’s cover showing Swamp Thing transformed into a crucifix) drew criticism from some DC religious employees. Indeed, stories about Christ are rarely without controversy. DC President/Editor-in-Chief Jenette Kahn said at the time: “We thought the concept of the story would be offensive to many of our readers. »
The story was pulled and Veitch left “Swamp Thing”, leaving the character in limbo for a while and this series unfinished…until now. Photos at the show in New York Veitch, along with colorist Trish Mulvihill, drew a new cover for issue #88, featuring Swamp Thing holding a lamb, as in the lamb of God. Zulli also drew a variation showing Swamp Thing in a crucifixion pose wearing a crown of thorns. Once scrapped for being too controversial, Veitch is now finishing his story, making no secret of what it’s about.
Swamp Thing, get ready to meet Jesus Christ
What is “vertigo”? Created in 1993 by DC editor-in-chief Karen Berger, Vertigo was the company’s publishing imprint for mature, creator-driven comics. It’s where acclaimed comics like Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s secular western “Preacher” or Brian K Vaughan’s post-apocalyptic epic “Y: The Last Man” were published.
Vertigo was discontinued in 2020 and largely integrated into the “DC Black Label” brand (under which “Swamp Thing 1989” will be released). However, DC quickly reversed this decision and relaunched Vertigo in 2024. Vertigo 2.0 recruited some of the best writers in American comics, such as Ram V (who wrote “Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy”, a spy thriller with wizards drawn by Mike Perkins) and Deniz Camp (who wrote “Bleeding Hearts”, a drawing by Stipan Morian, and Matt Hollingsworth, about a zombie who discovers his heart is beating again).
Created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in 1971, Swamp Thing is part of the mainstream universe; Unlike “Preacher” or “Y”, Batman can embark on a Swamp Thing adventure, no questions asked. However, Alan Moore’s series on “Swamp Thing” in the 1980s is often cited as a proto Vertigo comic. Moore transformed the series from a simple “Frankenstein” monster comic into something stranger (and more romantic).
Moore’s second issue, “The Anatomy Lesson” (drawn by Steve Bissette), crucially revised the Swamp Thing’s origin. He was not Dr. Alec Holland transformed into a plant being, he was a collection of living plant matter brought to life by the memories of the late Holland. The book’s previous narrative reader, Swamp Thing trying to become human again, was abandoned because he agreed to live and love like a plant.
Veitch drew several issues of Moore’s “Swamp Thing” and took over as writer of the book after Moore finished his story with issue 64. Veitch’s journey largely followed Moore’s lead. We can’t judge the ending yet, but the concept seems like one that would make Moore’s “Swamp Thing” proud.
“Swamp Thing 1989” is expected to be released in 2026.
