Collecting issues 71-76 of the ’80s revival of DC’s SWAMP THING, the graphic novel SWAMP THING: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION finds comics’ greatest all-plant hero looking for his replacement, so that the balance of nature can be restored. This mission involves a mutated carrot, as well as that pesky John Constantine, who tries to foil Swampy at every turn. And when Swamp Thing can’t find a suitable successor – after many, many valiant tries – he decides to make one by getting physical with his unreasonably understanding human wife, Abby.

The storyline of SPONTANEOUS holds less emphasis on the horror as earlier issues and delves deeper into fantasy, to the point where one could mistake it for a Neil Gaiman script (complete with head-scratching cameos from the Demon and the Phantom Stranger). But the writing is the work of Rick Veitch, who took over from the series’ toughest act to follow, revivalist Alan Moore. The transition – as collected in the previous SWAMP THING: REGENESIS collection – was imperceptibly smooth, but Veitch’s scriptwork is more problematic this time. It’s a little confusing and clunky in the later issues, absent of some of the more clever touches early in the book, such as the inventive whirlpool panel layout.

Veitch also handles art duties along with the late Alfredo Alcala, which is top-notch all the way. Of all the SWAMP THING collections, this may be the least essential thus far, but for fans of the character like me, essential is still essential, no matter where the needle may fall. –Rod Lott

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