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Swamp Thing (1982) (Collected Editions) #2
Swamp Thing, Vol. 2: Love and Death
What Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben accomplished during their time on the comic book series Swamp Thing shouldn't be underestimated in the history of comics and, specifically, the history of horror comics. The modern comics landscape has been changed by the Vertigo line of books--an imprint that traces its roots back to this version of Swamp Thing. By taking a horror character fully entrenched in a superhero world (as silly as that might seem), this creative team put a new face on horror comics and on horror in general. Swamp Thing: Love and Death is the second collection of the team's work on the series, presented here in full color. Don't let the mediocre Swamp Thing movies fool you, this book is filled with sophisticated suspense and terror.
Collects issues #28–34 and Annual #2.
Collects issues #28–34 and Annual #2.
207 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1985
288 people are currently reading
3601 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,553 books21.4k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 687 reviews
August 3, 2024
Dark, terrifying, swampy goodness from start to finish.
People kept telling me that Moore's series only got better with each issue, but I thought they were probably just trying to encourage me not to stop after the 1st volume.
Nope.
They were 100% truthing. And while I really loved the first volume, this just took it all to a whole other level of horror comic storytelling.
His appearance was only teased in the last volume, but in this one Arcane shows up and completely wrecks Swamp Thing and Abby. This sets Alec (not Alec!) on a quest to the underworld to save Abby's soul. And it is pretty unforgettable. Jason Blood as Etrigan shows up to guide him through Hell and it was great. I'm just loving seeing DC's mystic characters all over the place in this series.
Swamp Thing also confronts Holland's death, his ghost, and his bones in a touching story that was very well done.
For me, the imagery in this is off the charts, as well. Some of the older comics have art that ends up looking dated and scratchy, but I don't see how these panels will ever go out of style.
Oh, and lest I forget, Moore somehow manages to make sex with a swamp monster into a lovely story.
WHAT?
I know.
When Abby & Swampy decide to become boyfriend-girlfriend, your mind immediately goes to how the fuck is that going to work, and in an unbelievable turn of events, Uncle Alan actually gives you an answer that satisfies.
I swear. You've got to read it to believe it.
This is excellent storytelling and I'm an idiot for not diving in sooner.
Highly Recommended.
People kept telling me that Moore's series only got better with each issue, but I thought they were probably just trying to encourage me not to stop after the 1st volume.
Nope.
They were 100% truthing. And while I really loved the first volume, this just took it all to a whole other level of horror comic storytelling.
His appearance was only teased in the last volume, but in this one Arcane shows up and completely wrecks Swamp Thing and Abby. This sets Alec (not Alec!) on a quest to the underworld to save Abby's soul. And it is pretty unforgettable. Jason Blood as Etrigan shows up to guide him through Hell and it was great. I'm just loving seeing DC's mystic characters all over the place in this series.
Swamp Thing also confronts Holland's death, his ghost, and his bones in a touching story that was very well done.
For me, the imagery in this is off the charts, as well. Some of the older comics have art that ends up looking dated and scratchy, but I don't see how these panels will ever go out of style.
Oh, and lest I forget, Moore somehow manages to make sex with a swamp monster into a lovely story.
WHAT?
I know.
When Abby & Swampy decide to become boyfriend-girlfriend, your mind immediately goes to how the fuck is that going to work, and in an unbelievable turn of events, Uncle Alan actually gives you an answer that satisfies.
I swear. You've got to read it to believe it.
This is excellent storytelling and I'm an idiot for not diving in sooner.
Highly Recommended.
March 28, 2016
The first volume was great but the second one is even greater!
This Hardcover TPB collects "Swamp Thing" #28-34 plus Annual #2, and along with some material from "House of Secrets" #92
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrators: Stephen Bissette, John Tottleben, Rick Veitch & Shawn McManus
PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS
The levels of the writing, the levels of the events, the levels of the characters, all got higher and higher.
You're playing with the big boys now!
In this epic volume, Swamp Thing finally accepts what he really is, giving him a whole new scope and perspective, preparing the road for his singular fate in the following volumes.
Arcane, his most dangerous enemy is back and now he is playing in the big leagues, having such power levels that will make to tremble (literally!) the whole world, and forcing to Swamp Thing to dare entering where all hope is lost.
Even you will find a totally unexpected meeting with a classic comic strip character.
Finally you will enjoy the "Rite of Spring", one of the most celebrated issues in the history of comic books.
HARDCOVER TREASURES
This collection of hardcovers are mandatory to have for any Alan Moore fan.
In here, Alan Moore is in total control of the title and he shows that he had a clear view not only of where the story was "in the present" but also where the story will be "on the future" of the title.
Nothing is random.
Each issue has a solid purpose to develop the characters on the title and not just for merely filling the numbers in the run. Showing truly respect for the characters in the title, not only the main character, but also all support characters and their value to enrich the story.
He is constructing a masterpiece in comic books history and the greatest thing is that he is doing it with the least expected character...
...The Swamp Thing!
Sensational mix of supernatural horror in what once was a traditional "super-hero" comic book title, becoming something totally different, something bigger, something greater.
This Hardcover TPB collects "Swamp Thing" #28-34 plus Annual #2, and along with some material from "House of Secrets" #92
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrators: Stephen Bissette, John Tottleben, Rick Veitch & Shawn McManus
PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS
The levels of the writing, the levels of the events, the levels of the characters, all got higher and higher.
You're playing with the big boys now!
In this epic volume, Swamp Thing finally accepts what he really is, giving him a whole new scope and perspective, preparing the road for his singular fate in the following volumes.
Arcane, his most dangerous enemy is back and now he is playing in the big leagues, having such power levels that will make to tremble (literally!) the whole world, and forcing to Swamp Thing to dare entering where all hope is lost.
Even you will find a totally unexpected meeting with a classic comic strip character.
Finally you will enjoy the "Rite of Spring", one of the most celebrated issues in the history of comic books.
HARDCOVER TREASURES
This collection of hardcovers are mandatory to have for any Alan Moore fan.
In here, Alan Moore is in total control of the title and he shows that he had a clear view not only of where the story was "in the present" but also where the story will be "on the future" of the title.
Nothing is random.
Each issue has a solid purpose to develop the characters on the title and not just for merely filling the numbers in the run. Showing truly respect for the characters in the title, not only the main character, but also all support characters and their value to enrich the story.
He is constructing a masterpiece in comic books history and the greatest thing is that he is doing it with the least expected character...
...The Swamp Thing!
Sensational mix of supernatural horror in what once was a traditional "super-hero" comic book title, becoming something totally different, something bigger, something greater.
March 1, 2022
In a DC office in 1985, an executive visits with writer Alan Moore.
Exec: Alan, we’re all just so thrilled at how your run is going so far, the first few issues have been great, sales are up, and it’s clear that you’re on to something special.
Moore: Hold this.
Exec: Em, ur, what?
Moore: Hold my beer.
I don’t know that any such meeting took place, or that Alan Moore asked the executive at DC / Vertigo to hold his beer, but metaphorically that’s what happened. As good as the initial few issues were, the next run, collected here as volume two, were even better.
As far as great runs on a comic series this is high in the running for best ever, I also think of Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, Denny O’Neil’s Batman and John Byrne’s X-Men. Other honorable mentions will come up, Peter David’s run on the Hulk, Tom King’s Batman and Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk. But Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing is comic book royalty.
First of all the writing is extraordinary. Moore added not only a horrific element to the Swamp Thing tale (loved the inclusion of Cain and Able’s Houses of Secrets and Mystery) but also a very literate sensibility. His dialogue, both internal and communicative, between Swamp Thing and Abby is noteworthy.
The Annual where Swamp Thing goes to Hell to find his love is Dante’s Inferno revisited. Issue #32 Pog, inspired by the humorous comic Pogo is first rate.
So pop a top of Abita Purple Haze, order a muffuletta, kick back and enjoy.
Exec: Alan, we’re all just so thrilled at how your run is going so far, the first few issues have been great, sales are up, and it’s clear that you’re on to something special.
Moore: Hold this.
Exec: Em, ur, what?
Moore: Hold my beer.
I don’t know that any such meeting took place, or that Alan Moore asked the executive at DC / Vertigo to hold his beer, but metaphorically that’s what happened. As good as the initial few issues were, the next run, collected here as volume two, were even better.
As far as great runs on a comic series this is high in the running for best ever, I also think of Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, Denny O’Neil’s Batman and John Byrne’s X-Men. Other honorable mentions will come up, Peter David’s run on the Hulk, Tom King’s Batman and Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk. But Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing is comic book royalty.
First of all the writing is extraordinary. Moore added not only a horrific element to the Swamp Thing tale (loved the inclusion of Cain and Able’s Houses of Secrets and Mystery) but also a very literate sensibility. His dialogue, both internal and communicative, between Swamp Thing and Abby is noteworthy.
The Annual where Swamp Thing goes to Hell to find his love is Dante’s Inferno revisited. Issue #32 Pog, inspired by the humorous comic Pogo is first rate.
So pop a top of Abita Purple Haze, order a muffuletta, kick back and enjoy.
March 30, 2017
Love and death, romance and horror. Swamp Thing is balanced, bizarre, and beautiful.
In volume two, Swamp Thing has a major revelation when it comes to his and Alec Holland's identities. And he fights demons and walks through literal Heaven and Hell. This story can be very grand. Yet he also shows Abby the minutiae of the swamp, the intricacies of insects, and waxes psychedelic and introspective. There's even an issue from Len Wein that gets philosophical and meta-fictional, discussing the differences between mystery and secret, and the power of stories. That's incredible variety in one little book.
The artwork is from 1985 and solid, but even occasionally great from so many illustrators. The living, decaying "nature" of Swamp Thing is that his biology and setting make for fascinating, detailed illustrations: roots, moss, and dirt covering his musculature, in a bubbling swamp populated by the supernatural. Psychedelia, aliens, demons, bizarre creatures. There's plenty to admire.
Over thirty years old and yet still groundbreaking, Alan Moore & co's Swamp Thing is unique even by today's standards. It's sad, horrific, heartwarming, and most of all, truly thought-provoking. A must read for all comic fans.
February 9, 2017
I think this was mostly better than the first volume, save for the aliens story, but it was the last one, the declaration of love between ST and Abs and their acid trip sex act that sealed this volume as something pretty awesome.
I mean, sure, when Abs dies during the awesome conflict with Arcane and ST goes to heaven and hell to get her back, that was pretty awesome, too, but I thought the last bit was most special. :)
But beyond that, the worst part of this volume was not the aliens, but Cain and Abel. What? How could I not have known that these two with their House of Mystery and House of Secrets was around long before Sandman? Why didn't anyone tell me? 1985, years before Sandman came out and had these characters running around the Dream, and here they are doing all the same things!
Oh the things I learn so late.
And this time, I didn't even care about their story in ST. lol
I mean, sure, when Abs dies during the awesome conflict with Arcane and ST goes to heaven and hell to get her back, that was pretty awesome, too, but I thought the last bit was most special. :)
But beyond that, the worst part of this volume was not the aliens, but Cain and Abel. What? How could I not have known that these two with their House of Mystery and House of Secrets was around long before Sandman? Why didn't anyone tell me? 1985, years before Sandman came out and had these characters running around the Dream, and here they are doing all the same things!
Oh the things I learn so late.
And this time, I didn't even care about their story in ST. lol
July 21, 2019
Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Two contains Saga of the Swamp Thing 28-34 and Annual 2.
Alan Moore's redefinition of Swamp Thing and comics in general continues in this volume. Swamp Thing buries Alec Holland forever, goes up against an old enemy, takes a trip to hell, and consummates his relationship with Abbie Cable.
Stephen Bissette and John Tottleben handle the bulk of the art, though Alfredo Alcala, Rick Veitch, and Shawn McManus are there to pick up the slack.
Alan Moore continued blazing new trails on Swamp Thing in this volume. I really like how the original Swamp Thing story from House of Secrets was included with a new framing sequence to explain how it fits into the Swamp Thing mythos. Swampy going to hell for Abbie's soul was one of my favorite parts of the book, although setting Arcane's hash was very satisfying. Abbie eating Swamp Thing's sweet potato probably raised a few eyebrows back in the day.
One thing I don't hear mentioned that often is how heavily Neil Gaimain was drawing on Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run in the early issues of Sandman. Sandman is normally the first thing I think of when I think of Vertigo but Swamp Thing was doing the same things years earlier.
It's interesting that the book was still set in the DC Universe at this time, with guest appearances by Phantom Stranger, Deadman, Etrigan, The Spectre, the Monitor, and Harbinger. Did Swamp Thing actually take part in Crisis? I guess I'll find out in future volumes.
Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Two is another great adventure into the swamp of Alan Moore's mind. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Alan Moore's redefinition of Swamp Thing and comics in general continues in this volume. Swamp Thing buries Alec Holland forever, goes up against an old enemy, takes a trip to hell, and consummates his relationship with Abbie Cable.
Stephen Bissette and John Tottleben handle the bulk of the art, though Alfredo Alcala, Rick Veitch, and Shawn McManus are there to pick up the slack.
Alan Moore continued blazing new trails on Swamp Thing in this volume. I really like how the original Swamp Thing story from House of Secrets was included with a new framing sequence to explain how it fits into the Swamp Thing mythos. Swampy going to hell for Abbie's soul was one of my favorite parts of the book, although setting Arcane's hash was very satisfying. Abbie eating Swamp Thing's sweet potato probably raised a few eyebrows back in the day.
One thing I don't hear mentioned that often is how heavily Neil Gaimain was drawing on Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run in the early issues of Sandman. Sandman is normally the first thing I think of when I think of Vertigo but Swamp Thing was doing the same things years earlier.
It's interesting that the book was still set in the DC Universe at this time, with guest appearances by Phantom Stranger, Deadman, Etrigan, The Spectre, the Monitor, and Harbinger. Did Swamp Thing actually take part in Crisis? I guess I'll find out in future volumes.
Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Two is another great adventure into the swamp of Alan Moore's mind. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
April 6, 2016
Well, this is one of the classics from Alan Moore. Saying anything against it would be like saying something against The Holy Bible itself. It does feel like it has a place in comics history in a number of ways. There's the inclusion of a Walt Kelly "Pogo" Tribute which felt sorta weird and out of place for me, (but you know, it's an ol' Louisiana swamp story, that Pogo, so here is Moore paying his respects to former comics greats and creating a little layering of comic history into his tale, typical of him, layering mythologies); there's a trip back to the Len Wein Arcane story, which would be completely confusing unless you knew those original stories (but is again an indication of how Moore likes to pay tribute to the esoteric comics history and origins, again); there's a trip Swampy makes into Hell for his lost love Linda which is unexpectedly epic and operatic for what must appear to most as a silly monster/horror comic that feels like the fifties pre censorship EC days; there's a really crazy drugged out/sex/love story between Swampy and his girlfriend (she wants to have sex with him in some way, and not just kiss. So he yes, well, somehow, goes into the water and comes out creating a kind of appendage for himself (not that one, actually) and he breaks it off and she eats it, and they have wild tantric Mother Earth mushroom-like hallucinatory/revelatory experiences. . .
Improbable, you say? Bizarre and clearly a sixties trip? Yep. Stupid? Ridiculous? Well, I was trying to decide that, but it comes down to what you think about the way Moore is exploring mind-body stuff and deeper philosophical ideas through comics. It's personal for him and impressive how he creates this nexus of monster comics tribute, philosopohical/environmental reflection and personal relationships exploration. Better than the first volume? Yep. I liked it quite a bit.
This volume looks ahead to Moore's own fantasy/occult/tripping series Promethea. Neil Gaiman writes an intro to this volume, and you realize that in Sandman we see Gaiman's own roots in (or conversation with) Moore. Gaiman has own trip (feels less like drug tripping in Gaiman than Moore, maybe) to Hell by Morpheus/Dream, has his own Biblical horror Cain and Abel story, his own operatic high fantasy prose that elevates myth and fantasy and horror to epic proportions. This volume of Swamp Thing Gaiman had firmly in his hands as he did some of Sandman, no doubt.
Did I love it? Well, truly, I found it more interesting as a scholarly artifact than as a story that gripped my soul (which is what Moore was audaciously going for). I mean, when King Kong and Faye Raye have this interspecies thing going on, you pretty much buy it; do I buy this here? With this sex with a plant story, you really need some super suspension of belief going on here. . . And though I have the image from the movie of Heather Locklear kissing this monster indelibly nauseating me (go ahead google it, it's there), this "Rites of Spring" experience is engaging, in the book, if not totally convincing.
And again, I do know this volume's place in history: Moore is elevating comics to the level of great mythology, and while on the one hand I am thinking it is melodrama, overwritten, and I'm shaking my head in disbelief, on the other hand I am thinking he pretty much still manages to pull it off and makes you think more deeply about what it means to be human, about love, and loss.
Improbable, you say? Bizarre and clearly a sixties trip? Yep. Stupid? Ridiculous? Well, I was trying to decide that, but it comes down to what you think about the way Moore is exploring mind-body stuff and deeper philosophical ideas through comics. It's personal for him and impressive how he creates this nexus of monster comics tribute, philosopohical/environmental reflection and personal relationships exploration. Better than the first volume? Yep. I liked it quite a bit.
This volume looks ahead to Moore's own fantasy/occult/tripping series Promethea. Neil Gaiman writes an intro to this volume, and you realize that in Sandman we see Gaiman's own roots in (or conversation with) Moore. Gaiman has own trip (feels less like drug tripping in Gaiman than Moore, maybe) to Hell by Morpheus/Dream, has his own Biblical horror Cain and Abel story, his own operatic high fantasy prose that elevates myth and fantasy and horror to epic proportions. This volume of Swamp Thing Gaiman had firmly in his hands as he did some of Sandman, no doubt.
Did I love it? Well, truly, I found it more interesting as a scholarly artifact than as a story that gripped my soul (which is what Moore was audaciously going for). I mean, when King Kong and Faye Raye have this interspecies thing going on, you pretty much buy it; do I buy this here? With this sex with a plant story, you really need some super suspension of belief going on here. . . And though I have the image from the movie of Heather Locklear kissing this monster indelibly nauseating me (go ahead google it, it's there), this "Rites of Spring" experience is engaging, in the book, if not totally convincing.
And again, I do know this volume's place in history: Moore is elevating comics to the level of great mythology, and while on the one hand I am thinking it is melodrama, overwritten, and I'm shaking my head in disbelief, on the other hand I am thinking he pretty much still manages to pull it off and makes you think more deeply about what it means to be human, about love, and loss.
October 21, 2024
This was a good continuation of the Saga of the Swamp Thing. I thought this one was a a tad but heavier and darker than the first volume. The opening segment went into more detail of the Alec Holland-Swamp Thing back story which was great to read.
Also the other psychologically darker segments including the original 1971 House of Secrets Swamp Thing appearance. I am enjoying reading these stories and will continue with all the others. I would recommend this to Alan Moore fans for sure! Thanks!
Also the other psychologically darker segments including the original 1971 House of Secrets Swamp Thing appearance. I am enjoying reading these stories and will continue with all the others. I would recommend this to Alan Moore fans for sure! Thanks!
February 12, 2025
This is great and sometimes trippy horror.
November 23, 2020
It was here where Moore (along with help from editor and future Vertigo founder Karen Berger) would make comics history by shaking off The Comics Code Authority, long a hinderance on creativity and artistic maturity in the American comics industry, and publishing a darkly mature story in direct defiance of the Code, and it would be this story that would signal the beginning of the end of the Code's influence on the American comics industry.
Certainly Moore wasn't the first who had written darker stories under the Code's nose, as O'Neil, Gerber, and Miller were also writing darker, morally complex stories in American comics before Moore came to the scene. But it was Moore who gave the final kick to the Code and began its descent into irrelevancy, penning a story revolving around such taboo topics such as incest, rape, and murder, and then having it become one of the biggest successes of his run in direct defiance of the Code. With this story, Moore gave American comics the opportunity to finally catch up with the rest of the world and allow themselves to grow and become a respectable artistic medium in their own right. If not for Moore's and Berger's candor when publishing this story, we probably wouldn't have gotten Vertigo Comics or Image Comics, thanks to this one moment in comics history.
Love and Death would go on to become one of Moore's most infamous stories during his time with DC Comics, alongside The Anatomy Lesson and my personal favorite Batman: The Killing Joke. Moore had already been pushing boundaries on what the superhero genre could be capable of with Miracleman, but Moore went into an entirely different plain with Swamp Thing, and given that Swamp Thing is more of a horror based character, Alan was given the chance to tell even darker, more disturbing stories, and Love and Death showcases this perfectly. Much like The Anatomy Lesson, it's a story that is meant to be read and experienced, and I won't dare take the experience of reading it away from any of you, though I also find that this story has overshadowed the rest in this trade, which is a shame as all of the stories showcase Moore's versatility as a storyteller, which only keeps going as Alan's run moves forward.
With this trade, we begin to see Moore's versatility and experimentation with tone, theme, and character. Much of the trade feels like a collection of short stories rather than a large, cohesive arc, though some short arcs are layered in as well to create a fine balance. It is this experimentation and playfulness that keeps Moore's take on Swamp Thing unpredictable and dynamic. Some of my favorite stories of the run come from this trade, such as the "Love and Death" arc, which boldly tackles the aforementioned subject matters of rape, murder, and incest, while also exploring the supernatural aspects of the DC Universe and reintroduces older, obscure characters to readers. Included are The Phantom Stranger, Deadman, The Spectre, another appearance from Etrigan The Demon, as well as Pog, which is Moore's tribute to Walt Kelly's comic strip Pogo, which is surprisingly one of the most touching, heart wrenching stories I've read in a comic. It's one that I point out to people who may think of Moore as a cynical, sadistic old wizard.
Moore writes with precision, rarely ever rambling or meandering with his prose. He has the prose of a poet, and his style is not always easy to read, yet it never feels pretentious or pompous in its approach. His work goes from dark and disturbing to humorous and satirical, with a natural ear for dialogue and never allowing himself to not have fun when writing the series. The way that he plays with style and genre continues to have me in awe of his imagination and inventiveness of style. His knowledge and reverence of the continuity also shows his love and respect for the DC universe, as well as giving a new mythology to the Swamp Thing and continuing to reimagine the character as he sees fit.
Bissette and Totleben's art continues to impress, their combined style brings a creeping, scratchy style that works perfectly for the series, but other artists began to fill in for them as they began to fall behind on schedule. Shawn McManus proves to be a solid artist as well, bringing a bouncy energy to the series while also keeping the tone and atmosphere of the world that is established in the run, Ron Randall also gives proves to a good artist, though his style feels more standard in terms of comics art, but the real winner of the trade is Rick Veitch, who later goes on to successfully replicate Bissette and Totleben's art style and add his own twist to their style, it is the sign of a great draughtsman, though he doesn't begin to shine until Bissette and Totleben begin to stop contributing regular art to the series.
We continue to see Alan Moore's Swamp Thing prove itself as one of the most unique and unusual runs ever to be published in mainstream comics.
Certainly Moore wasn't the first who had written darker stories under the Code's nose, as O'Neil, Gerber, and Miller were also writing darker, morally complex stories in American comics before Moore came to the scene. But it was Moore who gave the final kick to the Code and began its descent into irrelevancy, penning a story revolving around such taboo topics such as incest, rape, and murder, and then having it become one of the biggest successes of his run in direct defiance of the Code. With this story, Moore gave American comics the opportunity to finally catch up with the rest of the world and allow themselves to grow and become a respectable artistic medium in their own right. If not for Moore's and Berger's candor when publishing this story, we probably wouldn't have gotten Vertigo Comics or Image Comics, thanks to this one moment in comics history.
Love and Death would go on to become one of Moore's most infamous stories during his time with DC Comics, alongside The Anatomy Lesson and my personal favorite Batman: The Killing Joke. Moore had already been pushing boundaries on what the superhero genre could be capable of with Miracleman, but Moore went into an entirely different plain with Swamp Thing, and given that Swamp Thing is more of a horror based character, Alan was given the chance to tell even darker, more disturbing stories, and Love and Death showcases this perfectly. Much like The Anatomy Lesson, it's a story that is meant to be read and experienced, and I won't dare take the experience of reading it away from any of you, though I also find that this story has overshadowed the rest in this trade, which is a shame as all of the stories showcase Moore's versatility as a storyteller, which only keeps going as Alan's run moves forward.
With this trade, we begin to see Moore's versatility and experimentation with tone, theme, and character. Much of the trade feels like a collection of short stories rather than a large, cohesive arc, though some short arcs are layered in as well to create a fine balance. It is this experimentation and playfulness that keeps Moore's take on Swamp Thing unpredictable and dynamic. Some of my favorite stories of the run come from this trade, such as the "Love and Death" arc, which boldly tackles the aforementioned subject matters of rape, murder, and incest, while also exploring the supernatural aspects of the DC Universe and reintroduces older, obscure characters to readers. Included are The Phantom Stranger, Deadman, The Spectre, another appearance from Etrigan The Demon, as well as Pog, which is Moore's tribute to Walt Kelly's comic strip Pogo, which is surprisingly one of the most touching, heart wrenching stories I've read in a comic. It's one that I point out to people who may think of Moore as a cynical, sadistic old wizard.
Moore writes with precision, rarely ever rambling or meandering with his prose. He has the prose of a poet, and his style is not always easy to read, yet it never feels pretentious or pompous in its approach. His work goes from dark and disturbing to humorous and satirical, with a natural ear for dialogue and never allowing himself to not have fun when writing the series. The way that he plays with style and genre continues to have me in awe of his imagination and inventiveness of style. His knowledge and reverence of the continuity also shows his love and respect for the DC universe, as well as giving a new mythology to the Swamp Thing and continuing to reimagine the character as he sees fit.
Bissette and Totleben's art continues to impress, their combined style brings a creeping, scratchy style that works perfectly for the series, but other artists began to fill in for them as they began to fall behind on schedule. Shawn McManus proves to be a solid artist as well, bringing a bouncy energy to the series while also keeping the tone and atmosphere of the world that is established in the run, Ron Randall also gives proves to a good artist, though his style feels more standard in terms of comics art, but the real winner of the trade is Rick Veitch, who later goes on to successfully replicate Bissette and Totleben's art style and add his own twist to their style, it is the sign of a great draughtsman, though he doesn't begin to shine until Bissette and Totleben begin to stop contributing regular art to the series.
We continue to see Alan Moore's Swamp Thing prove itself as one of the most unique and unusual runs ever to be published in mainstream comics.
December 20, 2024
In Alan Moore’s brilliant series “Saga of the Swamp Thing”, a new anti-hero/hero was born in the DC universe, one that has probably confused and infuriated more than one executive in DC corporate: What the hell is it? A superhero? A monster? A super-monster?
Moore’s iconoclastic reputation within the comic book industry is well-known, and his refusal to pigeonhole or categorize Swampy has been one of the main contributors to the success of the character and the series.
Swampy has been, over the years, reduced to camp and cheese, most notably in some unremarkable movies and a ‘90s TV show. Thankfully, the producers of the current DC Universe “Swamp Thing” TV show (apparently recently picked up by the CW), has returned Swampy back to his horror roots.
Indeed, “Swamp Thing” originally started as a horror story in the pages of DC’s “House of Secrets”, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, way back in 1971.
Moore was clearly not interested in writing just another superhero comic. (This is, after all, the guy who wrote The Watchmen, one of the most irreverent and iconoclastic anti-superhero comic book series ever.) He may have been asked to resurrect “Swamp Thing”, a dying title in the DC line-up, but he was surely going to make it his own, and he did.
“Saga of the Swamp Thing” was more than just dark. It was creepy and truly horrifying, and the artwork by comic book artists Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, and Shawn McManus (just to name three) was the stuff of nightmares.
In Book Two: Swampy finds the body of Alec Holland and gives him a proper burial, simultaneously burying any real connection to the human world; Abby’s husband has, unbeknownst to her, been possessed by the spirit of Arcane and literally sends her to Hell; Swampy finds a way into Hell, with the help of DC’s weirdest superheroes (Deadman, Phantom Stranger, the Spectre, and the Demon); some (minor) comic relief is found in the issue “Pog”, which is a moving homage to Walt Kelly’s famous cartoon character Pogo; readers revisit the House of Secrets in one of Abby’s revealing nightmares; Abby and Swampy find a way to get it on in one of the weirdest sex scenes ever to be drawn in comic book history.
Excellent stuff, and if you call yourself a lover of comic books, it's a must-read.
Moore’s iconoclastic reputation within the comic book industry is well-known, and his refusal to pigeonhole or categorize Swampy has been one of the main contributors to the success of the character and the series.
Swampy has been, over the years, reduced to camp and cheese, most notably in some unremarkable movies and a ‘90s TV show. Thankfully, the producers of the current DC Universe “Swamp Thing” TV show (apparently recently picked up by the CW), has returned Swampy back to his horror roots.
Indeed, “Swamp Thing” originally started as a horror story in the pages of DC’s “House of Secrets”, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, way back in 1971.
Moore was clearly not interested in writing just another superhero comic. (This is, after all, the guy who wrote The Watchmen, one of the most irreverent and iconoclastic anti-superhero comic book series ever.) He may have been asked to resurrect “Swamp Thing”, a dying title in the DC line-up, but he was surely going to make it his own, and he did.
“Saga of the Swamp Thing” was more than just dark. It was creepy and truly horrifying, and the artwork by comic book artists Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, and Shawn McManus (just to name three) was the stuff of nightmares.
In Book Two: Swampy finds the body of Alec Holland and gives him a proper burial, simultaneously burying any real connection to the human world; Abby’s husband has, unbeknownst to her, been possessed by the spirit of Arcane and literally sends her to Hell; Swampy finds a way into Hell, with the help of DC’s weirdest superheroes (Deadman, Phantom Stranger, the Spectre, and the Demon); some (minor) comic relief is found in the issue “Pog”, which is a moving homage to Walt Kelly’s famous cartoon character Pogo; readers revisit the House of Secrets in one of Abby’s revealing nightmares; Abby and Swampy find a way to get it on in one of the weirdest sex scenes ever to be drawn in comic book history.
Excellent stuff, and if you call yourself a lover of comic books, it's a must-read.
November 10, 2020
Swamp thing is still really cool! There's some fantastic artwork in this one and some good sinister plots.
March 28, 2017
Volume 2 of Alan Moore's epic Swamp Thing follows in the footsteps of Vol 1 by mirroring its excellence. As the story has developed we see the Swamp Thing begin to accept his role, though not perhaps the exact scope of his power, and says goodbye to his humanity. But his old nemesis Anton Arcane is not done with him or Alec's past love Abby Arcane.
What follows is an epic, and oft trippy, incursion into the mind of Alan Moore. This story is amazing in its depth. There is a lot to take in and the stories feel very different to someone used to modern comic writing. I, lacking the talent to be a good writer, reserve a deep respect for a good turn of phrase or a piece of prose that can evoke a feeling of wonder at the unique vision of the writer. Alan Moore accomplishes this in a comic book!
I will not lie- many modern comics are my guilty pleasure. I view them as entertainment. Rarely do I pause to think over the writing or the layered meanings behind the story. It's not that kind of story. Swamp Thing is something else entirely. Take, for example, this following gem:
"Amid cooling lightless mazes, deep within us rodents make love and wage vendettas, with needle teeth that tear and small hearts that spill poppies on black earth scented with urine."
You know the writer is good when his words gave you a moment's pause to just soak in the associated imagery. I stopped reading, nodded appreciatively and was jealous of Alan Moore's ability pen such verbal imagery on to paper. Not to mention quite curious as to the THC content of his brownies.
There is so much going on in this issue. There are indeed guest appearances, though not as famous as the JLA in Vol 1. I was surprised, but pleased, to see Cain and Abel from the Sandman story make an appearance. There is also an interesting and rather touching story about alien explorers that has great similarity to a comic figure of yesteryear known as Pogo. Did I mention the truly bizarre LSD like visuals for the original "plant sex" concept espoused here? If that made no sense-then good. Go read this for yourself. Be impressed. Be amazed. But most of all- maybe take away some important lessons about life that are nestled oh so subtly among the art, graphics, deep verbal imagery and the overall plot. There is more going on here than just a simple comic story. That is what impresses me the most.
The art is again amazing, considering the time. It does hold up quite well. As the Swamp Thing is a comic carried by the strong writing of AM, the visual need not be the shiny new style of the modern artist. What it does, as comic art should, is complement and add a visual dimension to help aid our perception of Moore's vision. It most certainly does that. I would like to point out that some of the individual covers are amazing!
So for originality, depth, entertainment-or just because you really ought to take some time and read something really, really good I give Vol 2 a 5 star rating. I would recommend this to anyone who sat through and read my review to the end. Why? I assume if you are foolish enough to care about my opinion of this book....well then you're likely foolish enough to listen to me when I recommend this to you. Enjoy it. I did.
What follows is an epic, and oft trippy, incursion into the mind of Alan Moore. This story is amazing in its depth. There is a lot to take in and the stories feel very different to someone used to modern comic writing. I, lacking the talent to be a good writer, reserve a deep respect for a good turn of phrase or a piece of prose that can evoke a feeling of wonder at the unique vision of the writer. Alan Moore accomplishes this in a comic book!
I will not lie- many modern comics are my guilty pleasure. I view them as entertainment. Rarely do I pause to think over the writing or the layered meanings behind the story. It's not that kind of story. Swamp Thing is something else entirely. Take, for example, this following gem:
"Amid cooling lightless mazes, deep within us rodents make love and wage vendettas, with needle teeth that tear and small hearts that spill poppies on black earth scented with urine."
You know the writer is good when his words gave you a moment's pause to just soak in the associated imagery. I stopped reading, nodded appreciatively and was jealous of Alan Moore's ability pen such verbal imagery on to paper. Not to mention quite curious as to the THC content of his brownies.
There is so much going on in this issue. There are indeed guest appearances, though not as famous as the JLA in Vol 1. I was surprised, but pleased, to see Cain and Abel from the Sandman story make an appearance. There is also an interesting and rather touching story about alien explorers that has great similarity to a comic figure of yesteryear known as Pogo. Did I mention the truly bizarre LSD like visuals for the original "plant sex" concept espoused here? If that made no sense-then good. Go read this for yourself. Be impressed. Be amazed. But most of all- maybe take away some important lessons about life that are nestled oh so subtly among the art, graphics, deep verbal imagery and the overall plot. There is more going on here than just a simple comic story. That is what impresses me the most.
The art is again amazing, considering the time. It does hold up quite well. As the Swamp Thing is a comic carried by the strong writing of AM, the visual need not be the shiny new style of the modern artist. What it does, as comic art should, is complement and add a visual dimension to help aid our perception of Moore's vision. It most certainly does that. I would like to point out that some of the individual covers are amazing!
So for originality, depth, entertainment-or just because you really ought to take some time and read something really, really good I give Vol 2 a 5 star rating. I would recommend this to anyone who sat through and read my review to the end. Why? I assume if you are foolish enough to care about my opinion of this book....well then you're likely foolish enough to listen to me when I recommend this to you. Enjoy it. I did.
November 12, 2012
I liked the first volume of Moore's Swamp Thing, but wow. This was something else again. The large storyline that takes up most of the volume is fantastic, eerie, and perfectly ties up nearly every loose end that I saw from the previous volume. One issue is a tribute to Pogo, and once I warmed up to it, it ended up being unexpectedly bittersweet and lovely. (I think anybody who's already familiar with Pogo would get way more out of this issue than I did.) Rites of Spring surprised me by the way that Moore handled the romantic elements (better, more heartfelt, and more sincerely than I would have expected) and with the sort of experimental spirit that makes me think of his later work, like Promethea. If this volume reflects the way that the rest of Moore's run on Swamp Thing went, then all of the praise I've heard over the years has been totally justified.
May 28, 2009
Here Moore laid down a marker in the history of comics, ominous and unlikely as Archduke Ferdinand's tomb. Reading through the new wave of British authors who helped to reconceptialize the genre for us poor Americans, one understands more and more why it had to be this man. There is a flair amongst them all for a certain madness and depth of psychology, but Moore was the only one who didn't think it made him special. Our curiosity is always piqued by the mysterious stranger, and Moore will always be that.
There is a quote of Emerson's which helps elucidate men of mystery: "to be great is to be misunderstood". Most Zeppelin fans don't see the band in terms of their roots in early blues, just as most Tolkien fans (and followers) don't have the education to recognize the Welsh and Norse folktales he was emulating. It seems the kernel of an author's inspiration is often so specific and poorly-understood by their audience that they it becomes an endless and entrancing mystery.
There was an undeniable and immediate difference in the comic authors of the early eighties, but many of them sinned by way of dadaism, indulging difference for its own sake. After recognizing this brazen and laughably naive rebellion, one begins to understand why most of these writers couldn't keep from breaking the fourth wall and injecting themselves into the text; Morrison has never stopped doing it.
The difference between them and Moore was one of reason; and like Milton's Lucifer, their reason was flawed; and like him still: it was pride. As a young and budding author, I saw in Morrison's 'Invisibles' and, to a lesser extent, in Ennis's 'Preacher', what a silly thing it is to believe your own stories.
Gaiman we may reprieve: unlike the others, he has never imagined himself mad. His penchant for myth and psychology stays rather trimly in the realm of the curious academic, though becomes quite laughable when he attempts to portray chaos. Gaiman's is the most predictable chaos you will ever meet this side of a fourteen-year-old girl who likes penguins.
Moore, however, has loomed over us in a state of questionable sanity for his entire career. Bearded, wild-eyed, long-winded, and obsessed with little things we don't even think about, and yet completely generous and unselfish with his pen. There is something we do not trust about the man who avoids the spotlight; who spurns money; who believes in the power of names enough to remove his from this or that film. The man who stands over and over a proven genius and who plods on into stranger and wider territory is almost an unknowable commodity.
That Alan Moore cares about things we cannot see, and cares nothing about that which we expect him to becomes his strength. In his unpredictability, we come to find new and inspiring sides of ourselves, and of comics, and of others.
If Morrison has lived his entire career as the incorrigible teenager of comics, inspiring in his gusto but disappointing in his ego, then Moore has always been the old man of comics, a crafty wizard who knows things we don't want to know, who leads us patiently through our wide-eyed bumbling and self-absorption, past the explosions and gun battles, and into our own back yard to show us something beautiful that was there the whole time.
We'll wonder why he doesn't want our thanks. Or our praise. We'll wonder why he seems tired and haggard. We'll try to catch his red-rimmed eyes, as if he'll betray by some gesture or expression just what it is he gets out of the deal.
As if sudden curiosity makes us worthy to know.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
There is a quote of Emerson's which helps elucidate men of mystery: "to be great is to be misunderstood". Most Zeppelin fans don't see the band in terms of their roots in early blues, just as most Tolkien fans (and followers) don't have the education to recognize the Welsh and Norse folktales he was emulating. It seems the kernel of an author's inspiration is often so specific and poorly-understood by their audience that they it becomes an endless and entrancing mystery.
There was an undeniable and immediate difference in the comic authors of the early eighties, but many of them sinned by way of dadaism, indulging difference for its own sake. After recognizing this brazen and laughably naive rebellion, one begins to understand why most of these writers couldn't keep from breaking the fourth wall and injecting themselves into the text; Morrison has never stopped doing it.
The difference between them and Moore was one of reason; and like Milton's Lucifer, their reason was flawed; and like him still: it was pride. As a young and budding author, I saw in Morrison's 'Invisibles' and, to a lesser extent, in Ennis's 'Preacher', what a silly thing it is to believe your own stories.
Gaiman we may reprieve: unlike the others, he has never imagined himself mad. His penchant for myth and psychology stays rather trimly in the realm of the curious academic, though becomes quite laughable when he attempts to portray chaos. Gaiman's is the most predictable chaos you will ever meet this side of a fourteen-year-old girl who likes penguins.
Moore, however, has loomed over us in a state of questionable sanity for his entire career. Bearded, wild-eyed, long-winded, and obsessed with little things we don't even think about, and yet completely generous and unselfish with his pen. There is something we do not trust about the man who avoids the spotlight; who spurns money; who believes in the power of names enough to remove his from this or that film. The man who stands over and over a proven genius and who plods on into stranger and wider territory is almost an unknowable commodity.
That Alan Moore cares about things we cannot see, and cares nothing about that which we expect him to becomes his strength. In his unpredictability, we come to find new and inspiring sides of ourselves, and of comics, and of others.
If Morrison has lived his entire career as the incorrigible teenager of comics, inspiring in his gusto but disappointing in his ego, then Moore has always been the old man of comics, a crafty wizard who knows things we don't want to know, who leads us patiently through our wide-eyed bumbling and self-absorption, past the explosions and gun battles, and into our own back yard to show us something beautiful that was there the whole time.
We'll wonder why he doesn't want our thanks. Or our praise. We'll wonder why he seems tired and haggard. We'll try to catch his red-rimmed eyes, as if he'll betray by some gesture or expression just what it is he gets out of the deal.
As if sudden curiosity makes us worthy to know.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
July 10, 2018
I need something higher than 5 stars...
January 29, 2014
How it hurts my heart to say this.
Purple prose out the ass.
This book, like the first volume, has some great moments. Even incredible. But boy, parts of it feel like they were written because someone bought way too much ink and had to kill off a few vats.
I'm going to do some theorizing here. I think what we're seeing, looking back almost 30 years now, is the growing pains of comic books. The teenage years when feelings were FEELINGS and came at a cost. Not only that, but comics were working hard to prove that they weren't just nonsense, that you could go deep, use big words, and ask a little more of the reader. These were definitely books for adults. Not so much in that they had a ton of sex or violence, more in that I can't imagine enjoying this when I was 8.
It's a interesting phase as well because I don't think you could get away with this writing in pure prose. A book written like this, you'd go goddamn nuts trying to figure out what was going on. So in that way, the creators were learning to balance, to let the words do some of the work and the pictures do some as opposed to having them lift the same weight. At this particular point I think we're seeing the balance shift away from the pictures and overly towards the words, still seeking the equilibrium.
Also, this volume concludes with the issue that stopped me reading Swamp Thing the first time I tried a few years ago. Namely, the sex issue.
Swamp Thing can't really have sex with his human girlfriend. Or so he says. They kiss, and that actually goes really well. She says he tastes like a mild version of lime, which sounds a lot better than kissing SOME people (I'm not going to name names, but in my young days there was a woman who tasted like a bread factory, a flavor I'd prefer to forget. I'm not sure that I'd kiss her again over a swamp creature based on flavor alone).
So why wouldn't you go for the...you know, the whole shebang? Not to get overly graphic, but Swamp Thing can regrow arms and legs and even internal organs. How hard would it be to grow a dick? Or strategically place a cucumber? In fact, one could argue that he's got the upper hand here. Ability to grow a dick whatever size and shape he wanted and put it anywhere on his body? And include the nutritional content of any vegetable? THAT'S a super food, my friends.
Anyway, instead of growing a dick, he grows a tuber sort of thing. Which sounds like a slag term for dick, but I assure you it isn't. It's actually a sort of vegetable thing. Sort of looks like a sweet potato maybe...
I'm sorry, I just can't get off this track now. How much less attractive is a sweet potato than a dick? Is it even less attractive? I prefer seeing a pile of sweet potatoes to a pile of dicks at the store, mostly because it means I'm in a store of nightmares, but still. I just can't really understand why he couldn't grow a sweet potato dick, sprinkle on some brown sugar and get down to business.
Okay, on track.
He grows the tuber and his girlfriend eats it. And the experience is like some sort of acid trip sex thing.
Now after all that dick talk, I have to say, if I could chomp down on a piece of ginger root and cum in my pants, I don't know that I'd be opposed to that experience. Granted, I'd have to avoid Asian restaurants when out with the family, but all of a sudden my Fridays eating sushi by hand in the car become "date night".
The problem is this.
Imagine reading eight or so pages that describe the experience of cumming. None of the physical stuff, just the mind stuff. No description that goes on the body. Just, you know, the releasing of floodgates and the rainbows of the soul and the frumious bandersnatch and all that shit. It's cool. Definitely feel free to have whatever orgasm you choose. If it's life of the mind for you, go for it. But if I'm going to read about it, I need something either a little more or a little less expressive. Because ultimately, I feel like those pages would be better replaced with a simple text box that says
Go masturbate.
Pretty much that, but better.
Purple prose out the ass.
This book, like the first volume, has some great moments. Even incredible. But boy, parts of it feel like they were written because someone bought way too much ink and had to kill off a few vats.
I'm going to do some theorizing here. I think what we're seeing, looking back almost 30 years now, is the growing pains of comic books. The teenage years when feelings were FEELINGS and came at a cost. Not only that, but comics were working hard to prove that they weren't just nonsense, that you could go deep, use big words, and ask a little more of the reader. These were definitely books for adults. Not so much in that they had a ton of sex or violence, more in that I can't imagine enjoying this when I was 8.
It's a interesting phase as well because I don't think you could get away with this writing in pure prose. A book written like this, you'd go goddamn nuts trying to figure out what was going on. So in that way, the creators were learning to balance, to let the words do some of the work and the pictures do some as opposed to having them lift the same weight. At this particular point I think we're seeing the balance shift away from the pictures and overly towards the words, still seeking the equilibrium.
Also, this volume concludes with the issue that stopped me reading Swamp Thing the first time I tried a few years ago. Namely, the sex issue.
Swamp Thing can't really have sex with his human girlfriend. Or so he says. They kiss, and that actually goes really well. She says he tastes like a mild version of lime, which sounds a lot better than kissing SOME people (I'm not going to name names, but in my young days there was a woman who tasted like a bread factory, a flavor I'd prefer to forget. I'm not sure that I'd kiss her again over a swamp creature based on flavor alone).
So why wouldn't you go for the...you know, the whole shebang? Not to get overly graphic, but Swamp Thing can regrow arms and legs and even internal organs. How hard would it be to grow a dick? Or strategically place a cucumber? In fact, one could argue that he's got the upper hand here. Ability to grow a dick whatever size and shape he wanted and put it anywhere on his body? And include the nutritional content of any vegetable? THAT'S a super food, my friends.
Anyway, instead of growing a dick, he grows a tuber sort of thing. Which sounds like a slag term for dick, but I assure you it isn't. It's actually a sort of vegetable thing. Sort of looks like a sweet potato maybe...
I'm sorry, I just can't get off this track now. How much less attractive is a sweet potato than a dick? Is it even less attractive? I prefer seeing a pile of sweet potatoes to a pile of dicks at the store, mostly because it means I'm in a store of nightmares, but still. I just can't really understand why he couldn't grow a sweet potato dick, sprinkle on some brown sugar and get down to business.
Okay, on track.
He grows the tuber and his girlfriend eats it. And the experience is like some sort of acid trip sex thing.
Now after all that dick talk, I have to say, if I could chomp down on a piece of ginger root and cum in my pants, I don't know that I'd be opposed to that experience. Granted, I'd have to avoid Asian restaurants when out with the family, but all of a sudden my Fridays eating sushi by hand in the car become "date night".
The problem is this.
Imagine reading eight or so pages that describe the experience of cumming. None of the physical stuff, just the mind stuff. No description that goes on the body. Just, you know, the releasing of floodgates and the rainbows of the soul and the frumious bandersnatch and all that shit. It's cool. Definitely feel free to have whatever orgasm you choose. If it's life of the mind for you, go for it. But if I'm going to read about it, I need something either a little more or a little less expressive. Because ultimately, I feel like those pages would be better replaced with a simple text box that says
Go masturbate.
Pretty much that, but better.
February 22, 2021
A deep look into what Swamp Thing is plus a lot of great moments for both him and Abby.
Swamp Thing wants to let Alec rest, and so he finds the remains of him after the explosion. Upon finding his body he wants to get closure and he might just do that. Then we flip over to Abby dealing with a old enemy. When Swamp Thing must go into the world of the supernatural, into death itself, and into hell, will he be able to come back? Then we get two one shots, one very odd weird one with talking animals. And then one with Abby and Swamp Thing trying to learn how to love one another and...get on drugs and go into a weird trippy world.
Overall, a pretty great volume. Besides the one shot about talking animals, that one I thought sucked. But all the others was a nice deep look into what it means to be a creature with memories, and if you are that person, if you have the memories of that person. Because what are we as humans if not just memories till we die. But between the trippy adventure into hell and also love, this was a odd volume but engrossing the whole time.
A 4 out of 5.
Swamp Thing wants to let Alec rest, and so he finds the remains of him after the explosion. Upon finding his body he wants to get closure and he might just do that. Then we flip over to Abby dealing with a old enemy. When Swamp Thing must go into the world of the supernatural, into death itself, and into hell, will he be able to come back? Then we get two one shots, one very odd weird one with talking animals. And then one with Abby and Swamp Thing trying to learn how to love one another and...get on drugs and go into a weird trippy world.
Overall, a pretty great volume. Besides the one shot about talking animals, that one I thought sucked. But all the others was a nice deep look into what it means to be a creature with memories, and if you are that person, if you have the memories of that person. Because what are we as humans if not just memories till we die. But between the trippy adventure into hell and also love, this was a odd volume but engrossing the whole time.
A 4 out of 5.
June 1, 2009
Now I get it. I wasn't blown away by the first volume, but volume two makes it clear why people rave about Moore's Swamp Thing.
I'm not sure why I liked this volume so much more. Possibly, it just seems more epic and more suited to the adventures of a creature that is an elemental force, rather than merely another action hero. For me, at least, Swamp Thing's physicality should seem almost an afterthought.
Now, I kind of understand where Moore is going. Swamp Thing makes more sense; his supporting characters make more sense. There are even hints of some of his other works, most specifically some of Promethea's inventiveness in "The Rites of Spring".
I'm not sure why I liked this volume so much more. Possibly, it just seems more epic and more suited to the adventures of a creature that is an elemental force, rather than merely another action hero. For me, at least, Swamp Thing's physicality should seem almost an afterthought.
Now, I kind of understand where Moore is going. Swamp Thing makes more sense; his supporting characters make more sense. There are even hints of some of his other works, most specifically some of Promethea's inventiveness in "The Rites of Spring".
July 31, 2021
The Saga continues, and continues to be a masterpiece.
One issue in this collection was weird for me. I'll go rate that one separately as maybe a 3.5/5.0, but the rest was exquisite.
Also,
Also,
Also,
I think the Swamp Thing is sexy (no, not Alec Holland; yes, the big green fetid mess), okay byeee—
One issue in this collection was weird for me. I'll go rate that one separately as maybe a 3.5/5.0, but the rest was exquisite.
Also,
Also,
Also,
I think the Swamp Thing is sexy (no, not Alec Holland; yes, the big green fetid mess), okay byeee—
February 3, 2022
3.5 stars. We fell face down, ass up in the drugs.
October 27, 2017
This may be the best bunch of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run (with the amazing collaboration of Bissette and Totleben). It was a hell of a run. Around 48 comics long, and this collection of seven chapters is exceptional. And if one needs any proof that Moore is a truly great author, not just a great "comic book" author, one need look no further than this volume.
It's in his metaphors (just look at what is probably the best description of the Flash's everyday existence in the history of comics); it's in the singular moments of terror (just look at the moment that the Joker stops laughing ... in his single panel cameo); it's in the way he takes a magic tuber ride into the realm of Swamp Thing sex, conveying both real love and intimacy in a comic that was supposed to be a horror mag.
His prose and his dialogue are gorgeous. Truly. And when those words are matched with the textured, detailed art of Bissette, they threaten to overwhelm. And that art ... that art can and must be lingered on, poured over, read and reread for all the details Moore made Bissette add and all the details he added himself (see Moore-Bissette-Totleben in a book about a serial killer). Sometimes it borders on overload, but then Moore drags us back from the edge and we settle down into the simplicity of the tale, and horror gives way to love, and complexity gives way to simplicity, and we are handed a reprieve before the next mad arc begins again.
It's no wonder DC made Vertigo and let him run wild with Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Faced with his unparalleled talent it was the only thing they should have done. Thank Kal-El they actually did it.
It's in his metaphors (just look at what is probably the best description of the Flash's everyday existence in the history of comics); it's in the singular moments of terror (just look at the moment that the Joker stops laughing ... in his single panel cameo); it's in the way he takes a magic tuber ride into the realm of Swamp Thing sex, conveying both real love and intimacy in a comic that was supposed to be a horror mag.
His prose and his dialogue are gorgeous. Truly. And when those words are matched with the textured, detailed art of Bissette, they threaten to overwhelm. And that art ... that art can and must be lingered on, poured over, read and reread for all the details Moore made Bissette add and all the details he added himself (see Moore-Bissette-Totleben in a book about a serial killer). Sometimes it borders on overload, but then Moore drags us back from the edge and we settle down into the simplicity of the tale, and horror gives way to love, and complexity gives way to simplicity, and we are handed a reprieve before the next mad arc begins again.
It's no wonder DC made Vertigo and let him run wild with Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Faced with his unparalleled talent it was the only thing they should have done. Thank Kal-El they actually did it.
February 9, 2015
The first volume was Moore setting up his character as a "Moore" character. Layered, powerful, emotional and above all real. It matters not a wit that Alec has become swamp slime, flora and fauna. In Moore's hands he is a human being with real emotions and drives. I loved this!
There was wide variety in the type of tale told here. I have no idea how much input Moore had as to which illustrator/inker did which issues, but whoever made those decisions made the correct ones! The story arc that imitated Pogo was sweet and fun to read, but still managed to convey the darkness of the swamp, the bleakness of what we are doing to our world. Every day.
The stories with cameos from other comics were also fun. I haven't read all of them, but those that I was familiar with were done correctly. I recognized not only their figures, colors, outfits, but their personalities and quirks. Kudos to not only Moore but the illustrators. So much of comics is told in the panels, NOT the balloons that people who don't really study the art work are missing a lot.
I've already dived into volume 3.
There was wide variety in the type of tale told here. I have no idea how much input Moore had as to which illustrator/inker did which issues, but whoever made those decisions made the correct ones! The story arc that imitated Pogo was sweet and fun to read, but still managed to convey the darkness of the swamp, the bleakness of what we are doing to our world. Every day.
The stories with cameos from other comics were also fun. I haven't read all of them, but those that I was familiar with were done correctly. I recognized not only their figures, colors, outfits, but their personalities and quirks. Kudos to not only Moore but the illustrators. So much of comics is told in the panels, NOT the balloons that people who don't really study the art work are missing a lot.
I've already dived into volume 3.
October 24, 2024
Arcane's back and more evil than ever. You can really see the foundations for what will be Vertigo begin here as we really get into heavy adult horror and then the weird sex issue. DC even ended up jettisoning the Comics Code Authority label with issue #29. Which isn't surprising when you see things like Arcane getting his head punted off, even if he was a demon. If you enjoy comics made for adults, this is one of the best, even with it being 40 years old.
November 22, 2023
Prelepo štivo. Naravno da od broja do broja ovde varira kvalitet, no on uvek ostaje relativno visok.
Mnogo nadrealnih, mitskih scena na granici zdravog razuma i ljudske svesti. Često je atmosfera mučna, klaustrofobična. I uvek je dubina nabijena potentnom tugom. Seta i patnja.
Mnogo nadrealnih, mitskih scena na granici zdravog razuma i ljudske svesti. Često je atmosfera mučna, klaustrofobična. I uvek je dubina nabijena potentnom tugom. Seta i patnja.
July 21, 2017
I thought there was a lot of "horror" and "gore" in this book, and the stories were a bit slower. It's more focused on the drawings and writing style rather than the flow of the story itself. Some parts were like random issues that aren't necessarily related to the story or affect it in any way.
But still enjoyable.
But still enjoyable.
October 26, 2018
I think Swamp Thing is one of my favorite comic characters now? Also, I need to buy an individual copy of issue #34. That was so wild. I love this series so far. Kind of weird, but in a good way.
April 12, 2025
This was amazing, had lots of fun reading this one. The main focus of this book was the relationship between swamp thing and abby but every story beat felt important and a lot of the book ended up being a sort of mystery which I enjoyed. Also got to see some of the mystical side of the dc universe, hopefully there’s more of that to come.
August 18, 2013
A masterpiece from Moore. Taking a character who started out as a horror comic monster, and using him as the lens through which to examine humanity was a great idea, and works well on so many levels. No longer Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing merely retains his essence, but is entirely non-human, and in the first issue, 'The Burial' finally puts the body and soul of Holland to rest. The humanity and grace with which this story is told just really illustrates the skill Moore has as a writer.
The next 3 stories deal with love, death, and resurrection. It involves the return of a former enemy thought dead, the possession of a friend's body and soul, and the death of a loved one. It forces Swamp Thing to enter Hell itself, by abandoning his natural body and giving his essence up for the beyond.
His journey through hell puts him in contact with some of the more supernatural beings in the DCU: Deadman, Phantom Stranger, The Spectre, and once again, The Demon Etrigan.
The story also lead to the first time DC (or anyone) put out a comic on the newsstands without the Comics Code Approval, paving the way for more mature and wide ranging content.
Another story weaves the continuity of the original Swamp Thing (Len Wein's from the 70s) to the 80s Alec Holland version, in a well written and thought out piece.
The final story in this volume concerns the relationship between Abby and the Swamp Thing, and is to say the least, imaginative.
Moore uses the medium of comics to the full potential, examining issues and things all humans think about with intelligence and imagination, which helped to birth comics as we know them today. This is honestly the work on which many modern books have taken their cue. Instead of disposable punch ups and horror crap, existentialism, metaphysics, religion, love, etc are explored.
This is ESSENTIAL reading, along with Volume 1. No comic/graphic novel fan should go without reading this.
The next 3 stories deal with love, death, and resurrection. It involves the return of a former enemy thought dead, the possession of a friend's body and soul, and the death of a loved one. It forces Swamp Thing to enter Hell itself, by abandoning his natural body and giving his essence up for the beyond.
His journey through hell puts him in contact with some of the more supernatural beings in the DCU: Deadman, Phantom Stranger, The Spectre, and once again, The Demon Etrigan.
The story also lead to the first time DC (or anyone) put out a comic on the newsstands without the Comics Code Approval, paving the way for more mature and wide ranging content.
Another story weaves the continuity of the original Swamp Thing (Len Wein's from the 70s) to the 80s Alec Holland version, in a well written and thought out piece.
The final story in this volume concerns the relationship between Abby and the Swamp Thing, and is to say the least, imaginative.
Moore uses the medium of comics to the full potential, examining issues and things all humans think about with intelligence and imagination, which helped to birth comics as we know them today. This is honestly the work on which many modern books have taken their cue. Instead of disposable punch ups and horror crap, existentialism, metaphysics, religion, love, etc are explored.
This is ESSENTIAL reading, along with Volume 1. No comic/graphic novel fan should go without reading this.
October 24, 2024
New Review 2024: I actually mostly agree with my old review. The odd issue out here is with the talking animals. It felt very jarring compared to the rest of the run. Saying that the rest of this volume is great, even the trippy "sex" scene. But the highlight is the death and return of the loved one.
Old Review 2022: A deep look into what Swamp Thing is plus a lot of great moments for both him and Abby.
Swamp Thing wants to let Alec rest, and so he finds the remains of him after the explosion. Upon finding his body he wants to get closure and he might just do that. Then we flip over to Abby dealing with a old enemy. When Swamp Thing must go into the world of the supernatural, into death itself, and into hell, will he be able to come back? Then we get two one shots, one very odd weird one with talking animals. And then one with Abby and Swamp Thing trying to learn how to love one another and...get on drugs and go into a weird trippy world.
Overall, a pretty great volume. Besides the one shot about talking animals, that one I thought sucked. But all the others was a nice deep look into what it means to be a creature with memories, and if you are that person, if you have the memories of that person. Because what are we as humans if not just memories till we die. But between the trippy adventure into hell and also love, this was a odd volume but engrossing the whole time.
A 4 out of 5.
Old Review 2022: A deep look into what Swamp Thing is plus a lot of great moments for both him and Abby.
Swamp Thing wants to let Alec rest, and so he finds the remains of him after the explosion. Upon finding his body he wants to get closure and he might just do that. Then we flip over to Abby dealing with a old enemy. When Swamp Thing must go into the world of the supernatural, into death itself, and into hell, will he be able to come back? Then we get two one shots, one very odd weird one with talking animals. And then one with Abby and Swamp Thing trying to learn how to love one another and...get on drugs and go into a weird trippy world.
Overall, a pretty great volume. Besides the one shot about talking animals, that one I thought sucked. But all the others was a nice deep look into what it means to be a creature with memories, and if you are that person, if you have the memories of that person. Because what are we as humans if not just memories till we die. But between the trippy adventure into hell and also love, this was a odd volume but engrossing the whole time.
A 4 out of 5.
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