1:1 Liz Tremayne was last seen way back in issue #20.

2:3 This refers to last issue.

2:7 This refers to events in issue #20. Dennis Barclay planned to move to Florida in that issue.

5:2 Batman and Commissioner Gordon opposed ST last issue.

5:6 Chester is becoming a regular supporting character. Chester's button refers to the incredible disaster at the Russian Chernobyl nuclear plant in April, 1986.

BRANCHING OUT: SID LIVES Before punk rockers Sid Vicious and Keith Levene were in The Sex Pistols and The Clash (respectively), they were in a group called "The Flowers of Romance" (the title of this story) in the mid-1970s. Sid was referenced on page 21 of issue 38. Levene later was in the group Public Image Ltd.(PiL), which did a song called "The Flowers of Romance".

8:3 Cajun musician Johnnie Allan was the pioneer of "swamp pop" music in the late 1950's. He is perhaps best known for his cover of Chuck Berry's song, "The Promised Land," in 1973. Lyric excerpt:
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia,
Tidewater four ten O nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line.

9:1 Note the burning leaves, reinforcing the image in Liz's thoughts.

10:1 These are the first words that Abby has spoken in this issue.

10:5 ST apparently killed Sunderland in issue 21, but 72 offers a surprise.

13:6 The sign advertises Flying A (a.k.a. Associated Oil Company), a chain of gasoline stations in the 1930's-1950's.

19:4 Are these the titular "Flowers of Romance"? They appear again in issue 68.

COMMENT: While not excusing Dennis' actions, his mental instability may have been triggered by a wartime flashback he had when he and Liz narrowly escaped the explosion set by Sunderland's men in issue 20.

COMMENT: The cover of this issue announces that SWAMP THING was the winner of four 1985 Eagle Awards.

COMMENT: In 2002, DC Comics collected issues 51-56 in the trade book "Swamp Thing: Earth to Earth".