Cover Impressions:

Swampy and Liz are on a walk, in the background is skull shaped mountain...creepy.

Swamp Thing #8 (December, 1982)

Cover Price: $.60
Title: Here's Looking At You, Kid
Credits:
Writer-Martin Pasko
Art-Tom Yeates
Editor-Len Wein
Colorist-Tatjana Wood
Letterer-John Costanza

Same creative team as the previous issues.

Issue Recap:

This issues picks up after the sinking of the Haven. Swampy, Liz and Dennis all find that they are on an island that is recreating old movies such as King Kong, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and such. However the trio find that none of it is real, but the creation of six Vietnam vets who are later forced to reveal themselves. The six were the only survivors of the USS New Hampshire which sunk in the Caribbean.  All of them were exposed to a chemical in Vietnam called "Agent Blue" (I wonder if Sunderland was involved?) which gave them an ability to reshape matter as they desired.  Liz and their leader Cheeto then get into an argument about Vietnam which causes Cheeto to pull a gun and attempt to shoot Liz. However Swamp Thing pushes Cheeto, causing the the bullet to hit Reef one of the other survivors. With Cheeto loosing control of his powers the "island" begins to turn back into the New Hampshire causing it to sink. Reef quickly creates a helicopter which allows him to escape along with Liz, Dennis and Swamp Thing.

Also we learn during the issue's interlude that Dr. Kay and Milton have tracked down Kathy and Feldner at an airport attempting to book a flight to Germany. Fledner attempts to warn Kay but is incinerated by Kathy.

Remarks:

Overall it was a decent story with Swamp Thing fighting the environment rather than a villain. It was a bit strange at the end how Reef made a helicopter for an escape, but they did not rescue Cheeto and the others, who are seen drowning at the end. Perhaps that reason will be reveled next issue.

Pros:

Interesting plot, but maybe it could have been tied into Sunderland a bit more. I can see them making Agent Blue after the whole mutated space herpes creature from the previous two issues.

Cons:

Strange choice just to let the vets just die and not rescue them. Kind of reminds me of issue 3 when Swampy just leaves the boy after the town is destroyed.

Not much movement of the overall plot of the series with Kathy, Dr. Kay and Sunderland Corp.

Grade: C+