After Alan Moore’s acclaimed run on Swamp Thing, series artist Rick Veitch had a tough act to follow when he put on the writer’s hat. And almost inevitably, his work pales in comparison to Moore’s fantastic – if not always consistent – storytelling. However, to judge this in the shadow of the work that came before it is not doing it justice, because Veitch puts out a story that is interesting, if a little awkwardly told.

The story of the Swamp Thing as he fights against the Parliament of Trees over the life of The Sprout definitely has its share of intriguing moments, and the art tells the story well enough when the words fail. The final issue in this collection, “The Secret Life of Plants” shows just how imaginative Veitch can get with his visual stortyelling. John Constantine shows up and has a few deliciously amoral moments as well, even if his dialogue rings a little false at times. The book gets better on re-reading, as I found it easier to judge it on its own merits. All told, this is a good Swamp Thing collection even if it can’t quite live up to what came before.