DC Comics Presents #85
Published and © by DC, September 1985
Title: “The Jungle Line”
Synopsis: Infected by a Kryptonian fungus, a feverish, delusional Superman needs the help of Swamp Thing to survive.
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Rick Veitch
Inker: Al Williamson
Review: It may seem like everything Alan Moore touched during the mid-’80s was golden, but at DC it was green. The double meaning is intentional: The publisher quickly realized Moore’s name would sell more books, but it’s the writer’s poetic, literary approach to characters like Swamp Thing that would help an entire storytelling medium level up. Here, Moore uses a Superman team-up tale to reflect on human vulnerability and mortality. Rick Veitch’s storytelling is nearly up to the task, but Al Williamson’s fine line is not a good match for the penciler. Still, an exceptional done-in-one for its era.
Grade: A-
Second opinion: “A suspenseful and well-paced tale.” – R.A. Jones, Amazing Heroes #77, Aug. 15, 1985 … “One of the best Superman stories ever.” – R.A. Jones, Amazing Heroes #86, Jan. 1, 1986 … “What we see is the little, casual, non-combative uses of his powers, and what their loss means, how lost they leave Clark Kent.” – Martin Crookall, Fantasy Advertiser #92, August-September 1985 … “A highlight of the run, but doesn’t match Moore’s work on Swamp Thing’s own title. … Recommended.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003
Cool factor: Alan Moore’s work during this era was revolutionary.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 95¢ Canadian variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “Touch my hand … and let… the inferno within you be … extinguished … by cool darkness … by endless green …” – Swamp Thing, defender of the green
Editor’s note: This review was written April 1, 2026.
