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Swamp Thing (1982) (Collected Editions) #6
Swamp Thing, Vol. 6: Reunion
After arranging for Abby's release from Gotham, Swamp Thing finds his consciousness thrown across the galaxy and, driven nearly insane from loneliness, attempts to return to Earth, hoping to be reunited with his beloved wife and home.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1987
65 people are currently reading
1909 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 340 reviews
August 26, 2025
Yup.
Well, it started off great, and then Moore leveled up and became the writer that I have come to know and avoid over the years.
I feel like he just can't help himself, and deducting stars is almost mean because he must have some kind of a disability or something. UpYourOwnAssEdNess? Is that a thing, maybe?
Or as some have pointed out to me, he was also working on Watchmen while finishing this up.
And while I respect Watchmen, I've read it twice and liked it not a bit either time. This reminded me of all the (to me) mind-numbing panels about nothing of interest (to me) in that critically acclaimed classic.
But first!
Swamp Thing meets Adam Strange and some delegates from Thanagaar. That was fun!
Abby hears about a possible Swampy sighting but ends up meeting her extremely disfigured father, who has been brought back to life like Frankenstein's monster.
What's up with all of this, Random Goodreader? Is there a backstory I'm missing, or is this all a new thing?
Alright. Issue #60.
This is the Alan Moore I remember. A long-winded story with zero payoff about some kind of space computer that falls in lust with Swampy and rapes him so she can get pregnant.
That's the whole tale in a nutshell, but Moore had to use all of this flowery bullshit to stretch the story out for (what seemed like) a bajillion pages.
This.
This is what I thought his whole run on Swamp Thing would look like.
The rest of the issues from there on out are kind of hit or miss, but with none of them being as tedious as #60 itself. I will say that this is my least favorite of all the volumes, but the reunion with Abby at the end made it worthwhile.
Truthfully, I didn't much like this volume, and it took me forever to finish it.
However, for love of this otherwise mind-blowing run, I simply cannot bring myself to give it less than 3 stars.
I really love these characters and this world so much now, and I have Uncle Alan to thank for that. I may not always like his stuff, but he's got a helluva lot of talent, and it really showed in his reinvention of Swamp Thing.
Bless his heart.
Well, it started off great, and then Moore leveled up and became the writer that I have come to know and avoid over the years.
I feel like he just can't help himself, and deducting stars is almost mean because he must have some kind of a disability or something. UpYourOwnAssEdNess? Is that a thing, maybe?
Or as some have pointed out to me, he was also working on Watchmen while finishing this up.
And while I respect Watchmen, I've read it twice and liked it not a bit either time. This reminded me of all the (to me) mind-numbing panels about nothing of interest (to me) in that critically acclaimed classic.
But first!
Swamp Thing meets Adam Strange and some delegates from Thanagaar. That was fun!
Abby hears about a possible Swampy sighting but ends up meeting her extremely disfigured father, who has been brought back to life like Frankenstein's monster.
What's up with all of this, Random Goodreader? Is there a backstory I'm missing, or is this all a new thing?
Alright. Issue #60.
This is the Alan Moore I remember. A long-winded story with zero payoff about some kind of space computer that falls in lust with Swampy and rapes him so she can get pregnant.
That's the whole tale in a nutshell, but Moore had to use all of this flowery bullshit to stretch the story out for (what seemed like) a bajillion pages.
This.
This is what I thought his whole run on Swamp Thing would look like.
The rest of the issues from there on out are kind of hit or miss, but with none of them being as tedious as #60 itself. I will say that this is my least favorite of all the volumes, but the reunion with Abby at the end made it worthwhile.
Truthfully, I didn't much like this volume, and it took me forever to finish it.
However, for love of this otherwise mind-blowing run, I simply cannot bring myself to give it less than 3 stars.
I really love these characters and this world so much now, and I have Uncle Alan to thank for that. I may not always like his stuff, but he's got a helluva lot of talent, and it really showed in his reinvention of Swamp Thing.
Bless his heart.
December 20, 2024
In this, the sixth and final book in Alan Moore’s amazing and superb series, “Saga of the Swamp Thing”: Swampy gets sucked into the zeta beam along with DC golden-age superhero Adam Strange, gets into a fight with hawk-people, and helps fix an entire planet suffering from global famine; Abby is reunited with her father, the Patchwork Man, a hideous victim of her dead uncle, Arcane, whose head is currently being used as a football in Hell; a living bio-mechanical planet captures Swampy’s ethereal spirit on his intergalactic jaunt and uses him to impregnate herself with millions of Swampy-cyborg babies in one of the weirdest issues ever; a planet of sentient plants encounters Swampy, but it gets a bit messy for all involved; Swampy meets Darkseid; Swampy finally arrives on Earth, getting revenge on the villainous government agents that napalmed him to death, and finally settling down in the swamp with Abby in a nice little swamp home.
Brilliant. Moore’s best comic book work (that I have read thus far). I actually liked this series more than “The Watchmen”, which I also thought was brilliant.
“Swamp Thing” has quickly become my second favorite comic book series of all time. (“John Constantine, Hellblazer” is, of course, my first favorite, but I owe that, apparently, to Moore.)
Brilliant. Moore’s best comic book work (that I have read thus far). I actually liked this series more than “The Watchmen”, which I also thought was brilliant.
“Swamp Thing” has quickly become my second favorite comic book series of all time. (“John Constantine, Hellblazer” is, of course, my first favorite, but I owe that, apparently, to Moore.)
August 25, 2019
Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 6 collects issues 57-64 of Swamp Thing, Alan Moore's last.
In the aftermath of the previous book, Swamp Thing finds himself light years away from home. He travels from Rann to Apokalips and all points in between, looking for a way to get back home to Earth and to Abbie Cable.
Alan Moore was stretched very thin at this point, simultaneously working on Watchmen. Whatever happened to that book...
Anyway, this volume is more science fiction and fantasy than the thought provoking horror of the previous volumes. Old Swampy ends the famine on a dying world, fathers children against his will with a clockwork cyborg plant thing, visits a world of sentient plants, bumps into Metron of the New Gods, and finally ends up back on Earth.
In some ways, this feels like a reset to status quo, a fitting end to Moore's run. It's also a good ending for the Alec Holland Swamp thing if one never reads another Swamp Thing comic. It feels tired in a lot of ways, though, like Moore is running out the clock. The cynic in me thinks maybe Alan Moore should have stopped with the last volume and let Rick Veitch get Old Swampy back to earth but he still delivered the goods.
The writing is still top notch, though, even in the fill-in issues written by Stephen Bissette. Rick Veitch, John Totleben, and Alfredo Alcala did a fine job on the art chores, along with Tom Yeates. It's amazing that Moore's run has such a unified feel to it given how many artists were involved.
Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing paved the way for a lot of great things down the line and is a great work in and of itself. All good things must come to an end, a wise man once said. 3.5 out of 5 earth elementals.
In the aftermath of the previous book, Swamp Thing finds himself light years away from home. He travels from Rann to Apokalips and all points in between, looking for a way to get back home to Earth and to Abbie Cable.
Alan Moore was stretched very thin at this point, simultaneously working on Watchmen. Whatever happened to that book...
Anyway, this volume is more science fiction and fantasy than the thought provoking horror of the previous volumes. Old Swampy ends the famine on a dying world, fathers children against his will with a clockwork cyborg plant thing, visits a world of sentient plants, bumps into Metron of the New Gods, and finally ends up back on Earth.
In some ways, this feels like a reset to status quo, a fitting end to Moore's run. It's also a good ending for the Alec Holland Swamp thing if one never reads another Swamp Thing comic. It feels tired in a lot of ways, though, like Moore is running out the clock. The cynic in me thinks maybe Alan Moore should have stopped with the last volume and let Rick Veitch get Old Swampy back to earth but he still delivered the goods.
The writing is still top notch, though, even in the fill-in issues written by Stephen Bissette. Rick Veitch, John Totleben, and Alfredo Alcala did a fine job on the art chores, along with Tom Yeates. It's amazing that Moore's run has such a unified feel to it given how many artists were involved.
Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing paved the way for a lot of great things down the line and is a great work in and of itself. All good things must come to an end, a wise man once said. 3.5 out of 5 earth elementals.
February 10, 2017
Truly, this is saving the very best for last, and I don't even have words to describe it.
Okay, no I lied, there. I do. It was fantastic. So much great SF concepts, traversing the universe, mating with machine gods between the stars, causing truly horrific havoc on veggie-people planets, meeting up with hawk-people and Adam Strange, helping a Celestial break through the core of all existence, and even having a run-in with Darkseid.
Wow, the things this little Greenie can do! The places he's seen! He's a galactic explorer now, and.. just wow. :)
And I loved all the hints and special visual cues and nods to Watchmen and V for Vendetta, right within this volume. Themes do carry. Especially really fundamental ones such as death by flowers. :) Good for Greenie. :) Revenge can be so sweet, but reuniting with his love is so much sweeter.
Truly, this was a TRIP and a HALF, and I take back what I said before about liking the fundamental push of plot in Snyder's run. It's very good, but isn't nearly half as profound as what this one just became.
Hell, it's right up there with Sandman. Eventually. But then again, even Sandman had a slowish start, so what, exactly, am I complaining about? ;)
Fantastic. I'm glad I stuck with this. Very well worth it.
Okay, no I lied, there. I do. It was fantastic. So much great SF concepts, traversing the universe, mating with machine gods between the stars, causing truly horrific havoc on veggie-people planets, meeting up with hawk-people and Adam Strange, helping a Celestial break through the core of all existence, and even having a run-in with Darkseid.
Wow, the things this little Greenie can do! The places he's seen! He's a galactic explorer now, and.. just wow. :)
And I loved all the hints and special visual cues and nods to Watchmen and V for Vendetta, right within this volume. Themes do carry. Especially really fundamental ones such as death by flowers. :) Good for Greenie. :) Revenge can be so sweet, but reuniting with his love is so much sweeter.
Truly, this was a TRIP and a HALF, and I take back what I said before about liking the fundamental push of plot in Snyder's run. It's very good, but isn't nearly half as profound as what this one just became.
Hell, it's right up there with Sandman. Eventually. But then again, even Sandman had a slowish start, so what, exactly, am I complaining about? ;)
Fantastic. I'm glad I stuck with this. Very well worth it.
May 27, 2016
Alan Moore's final contribution to his run on Swamp Thing, which was at times really amazing. In this one he ties up some loose ends and hands the reins over to Rick Veitch, more of a sci-fi guy, even as he himself in the last volume began to turn from horror to sci fi (thought he will circle back to horror via Lovecraft as he is doing through Neonomicon and the now running Providence). He is also at this time into The Watchmen and other projects.
Some of this volume are not even written by Moore, so the quality waivers, in my view, but the very best writing in the stories in this volume are happily ones that end it, "Loose Ends (Reprise)" and "Return of Good Gumbo". Comics classic, at an end, with a touch of sadness! Glad I went for the ride. Bye, Swampy!
Some of this volume are not even written by Moore, so the quality waivers, in my view, but the very best writing in the stories in this volume are happily ones that end it, "Loose Ends (Reprise)" and "Return of Good Gumbo". Comics classic, at an end, with a touch of sadness! Glad I went for the ride. Bye, Swampy!
December 29, 2012
"It ends...not with a bang...but with a whimper." :(
For me, Alan Moore's final edition of Swamp Thing was a major disappointment. It felt like Moore was trying to take a book that worked so well as a horror series, and shoehorn it into a more contemporary comic-book format. The opening two-parter featuring Swamp Thing's adventure with Adam Strange on another world is Moore's attempt at a science-fiction classic, but the end result is just silly. Even worse is the dull filler issue guest-written by Swamp Thing artist Rich Veith. The Green Lantern story felt way too out of place as well.
There is still some goodness to be had in this edition. Abby's encounter with her dead father harkens back to the series' horror-story roots (no pun intended). And the final 2 chapters tie things up nicely in a deep way. Still, if you go into Alan Moore's revered "Swamp Thing" run because you're a fan of scary stories, I suggest you quit after Volume 4, the final two editions are only a pale shadow of the brilliantly darker tales before them.
For me, Alan Moore's final edition of Swamp Thing was a major disappointment. It felt like Moore was trying to take a book that worked so well as a horror series, and shoehorn it into a more contemporary comic-book format. The opening two-parter featuring Swamp Thing's adventure with Adam Strange on another world is Moore's attempt at a science-fiction classic, but the end result is just silly. Even worse is the dull filler issue guest-written by Swamp Thing artist Rich Veith. The Green Lantern story felt way too out of place as well.
There is still some goodness to be had in this edition. Abby's encounter with her dead father harkens back to the series' horror-story roots (no pun intended). And the final 2 chapters tie things up nicely in a deep way. Still, if you go into Alan Moore's revered "Swamp Thing" run because you're a fan of scary stories, I suggest you quit after Volume 4, the final two editions are only a pale shadow of the brilliantly darker tales before them.
October 11, 2024
Overall this was an interesting and enjoyable comic series. It differed from other Alan Moore graphic novels I've read due to the different story feel each edition underwent. There is a lot to review, comment on, and critique but I enjoyed all of it. The elements of the psychological, the existential, and body horror kept me hooked the entire time. There were some bits I read through faster than others because I wasn't as engaged. However I would definitely read this again and highly recommend it to Alan Moore fans or graphic novel fans. Thanks!
September 14, 2022
Re-reading Alan Moore’s classic run on Swamp Thing has been a blast. I first (and last) read it when it originally came out (yes, I’m old) and reading some of these issues took me right back to those days, when I flipped through those original floppies, having my mind blown by what it was possible to do in the comicbook medium.
I wasn’t quite as enamoured with some of the artwork as I was back then, but it’s mostly of a decent standard; it definitely doesn’t detract from the stories.
A nice trip down to the swamplands of youth.
I wasn’t quite as enamoured with some of the artwork as I was back then, but it’s mostly of a decent standard; it definitely doesn’t detract from the stories.
A nice trip down to the swamplands of youth.
September 13, 2018
Just as Geoff Johns would do with Green Lantern almost twenty years later, Alan Moore took a floundering character that no one seemed to know what to do with in Swamp Thing and created an entire mythology around him, making him one of the most interesting, enigmatic, and powerful characters in DC's bullpen.
I gave every volume of this run five stars without hesitation and I wish I could do that here, but there are some problems with this last volume that steal perfection away from it. For example, Swamp Thing becomes something of a guest star in his own book, only showing up occasionally. Also, Alan Moore seemed to be trying to cram everything and the kitchen sink in this because it is WORDY. Reading this volume was almost like reading a novel.
It is still a good ending to Moore's Swamp Thing Legacy, however. There are a lot of weird and interesting ideas here, some really cool body horror moments, and the art is fantastic.
I gave every volume of this run five stars without hesitation and I wish I could do that here, but there are some problems with this last volume that steal perfection away from it. For example, Swamp Thing becomes something of a guest star in his own book, only showing up occasionally. Also, Alan Moore seemed to be trying to cram everything and the kitchen sink in this because it is WORDY. Reading this volume was almost like reading a novel.
It is still a good ending to Moore's Swamp Thing Legacy, however. There are a lot of weird and interesting ideas here, some really cool body horror moments, and the art is fantastic.
November 4, 2024
Swamp Thing floats around in space for most of this, hopping from planet to planet. It gets really esoteric and some of it lands like a thud. Issue #60, I'm talking to you. God, that issue was just awful. Still, overall we're talking one of the iconic DC runs of all time.
May 27, 2018
An odyssey inhabited by the unpredictable and creative stunts that only the best are able to pull without losing the reader.
Full closure for a run that deserved no less.
Full closure for a run that deserved no less.
April 18, 2016
All good things come to an end.
This Hardcover edition collects "Swamp Thing" #57-64.
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore with Stephen Bissette (Reunion) & Rick Veitch (Wavelength)
Illustrators: Rick Veitch, John Totleben, Tom Yeats & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Todd Klein (best letterer in the comic book business!!!)
MOORE MEETS KLEIN
I believe that in this volume that the iconic meeting of comic book writer, Alan Moore, with comic book letterer, Todd Klein, occured and the world shakes (in a good way).
Of course, they also could meet first in their own times at 2000 AD, but I like to think that that happened here, and as in Casablanca was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Since I have been honored to watch their superb collaborative work in titles like Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten.
Of course, the talented work of Todd Klein isn't limited to Alan Moore's stuff, but also you can find his great job in other iconic titles like The Sandman, Fables, The Invisibles, etc...
Thank you, Todd Klein, for sharing your talent in lettering with the world.
HORROR MEETS SCI-FI
The epic run by Alan Moore writing Swamp Thing finalizes here, in this 6th hardcover.
Here, you will find the cosmic journey of the Swamp Thing in different worlds looking for a way to get back to Earth and being able to re-connect with "The Green" of the planet again.
On "Mysteries on Space" and "Exiles" you will have guest-starring the cosmic hero, Adam Strange, but also you will read the founding events that years later would be the base for the Rann-Thanagar War.
On "Reunion", guest writer Stephen Bissette terrorize us with the return of the father of Abigail.
In "Loving the Alien" is a way deep written job showing how a highly advanced intelligence thinks totally overwhelming your mental process.
"All Flesh is Grass" is my favorite tale of this outstanding sixth volume, involving the Green Lantern of J586.
On "Wavelength" guest written by Rik Veitch shows us a very interesting story with Metron and Darkseid. Dang!
Finally, Alan Moore closes as the master storyteller that he is on "Loose Ends (Reprise)" and "Return of Good Gumbo" and you feel sad...
...but not sad for the Swamp Thing...
...but sad because you finally have to leave that swamp on Louisiana...
...where you live horror, science-fiction, adventure, even comedy, but most of all...
...LOVE.
Thank you, Alan Moore, for sharing your talent in writing (along with your love for comic books) with the world.
This Hardcover edition collects "Swamp Thing" #57-64.
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore with Stephen Bissette (Reunion) & Rick Veitch (Wavelength)
Illustrators: Rick Veitch, John Totleben, Tom Yeats & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Todd Klein (best letterer in the comic book business!!!)
MOORE MEETS KLEIN
I believe that in this volume that the iconic meeting of comic book writer, Alan Moore, with comic book letterer, Todd Klein, occured and the world shakes (in a good way).
Of course, they also could meet first in their own times at 2000 AD, but I like to think that that happened here, and as in Casablanca was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Since I have been honored to watch their superb collaborative work in titles like Tom Strong, Promethea and Top Ten.
Of course, the talented work of Todd Klein isn't limited to Alan Moore's stuff, but also you can find his great job in other iconic titles like The Sandman, Fables, The Invisibles, etc...
Thank you, Todd Klein, for sharing your talent in lettering with the world.
HORROR MEETS SCI-FI
The epic run by Alan Moore writing Swamp Thing finalizes here, in this 6th hardcover.
Here, you will find the cosmic journey of the Swamp Thing in different worlds looking for a way to get back to Earth and being able to re-connect with "The Green" of the planet again.
On "Mysteries on Space" and "Exiles" you will have guest-starring the cosmic hero, Adam Strange, but also you will read the founding events that years later would be the base for the Rann-Thanagar War.
On "Reunion", guest writer Stephen Bissette terrorize us with the return of the father of Abigail.
In "Loving the Alien" is a way deep written job showing how a highly advanced intelligence thinks totally overwhelming your mental process.
"All Flesh is Grass" is my favorite tale of this outstanding sixth volume, involving the Green Lantern of J586.
On "Wavelength" guest written by Rik Veitch shows us a very interesting story with Metron and Darkseid. Dang!
Finally, Alan Moore closes as the master storyteller that he is on "Loose Ends (Reprise)" and "Return of Good Gumbo" and you feel sad...
...but not sad for the Swamp Thing...
...but sad because you finally have to leave that swamp on Louisiana...
...where you live horror, science-fiction, adventure, even comedy, but most of all...
...LOVE.
Thank you, Alan Moore, for sharing your talent in writing (along with your love for comic books) with the world.
December 22, 2024
Romanian review: "Swamp Thing" a fost o serie mult mai interesantă decât mă așteptam. Adică, bazându-mă doar pe premisă, dacă nu știam că este scrisă de Alan Moore, nu cred că aș fi citit-o. Avem un cercetător, Alec Holland, care este aruncat în aer de un inamic, cade într-o mlaștină și capătă puteri— nu e chiar o intrigă care îți inspiră multe. Cât de multe povești poți să scrii cu o creatură care trăiește într-o mlaștină?
Probabil că ăsta este și motivul pentru care Alan Moore crește gradual nivelul puterilor lui Swamp Thing și nivelul implicațiilor, dar soluțiile pe care le alege pentru înfrângerea antagoniștilor sunt mai degrabă subtile și elegante, decât lupte epice. Îmi plac luptele epice, însă îmi place și când autorii aleg alte metode pentru a încheia conflicte.
Practic, pornim de la o analiză psihologică a lui Swamp Thing care este chinuit de problema propriei identități. Avem o puternică tentă horror, iar primele volume se concentrează într-un spațiu mai restrâns, în jurul orașului Houma, din statul Louisiana. Primul răufăcător, The Floronic Man, este o amenințare globală, dar nu ceva atât de periculos, încât să nu poată fi învins doar de Swamp Thing.
De la această parte mai psihologică, ajungem mai mult la o parte care ține de ocultism și de genul science fiction. Avem de-a face cu inamici care amenință întreaga structură a realității, organizații oculte care operează de sute sau chiar mii de ani, iar puterile lui Swamp Thing ajung la un nivel cosmic— personajul fiind mult mai puternic decât pare. Apar personaje ca John Constantine, Etrigan și chiar Darkseid, cam ăsta este nivelul la care se ajunge. Avem și câteva apariții ale unor membrii ai Ligii Dreptății; Batman joacă un rol important într-unul dintre volume și este destul de badass.
Chiar dacă implicațiile devin mult mai mari, iar inamicii mult mai puternici— unul dintre inamici este Răul primordial, din nou, cam de nivelul ăsta vorbim— Alan Moore nu evită subiecte serioase ca poluarea, ecologismul, natura binelui și a răului, rasismul și multe altele.
Există și un personaj principal feminin, Abby Arcane, care devine interesul romantic al lui Swamp Thing. Abby nu este doar un accesoriu pentru personajul omonim; există câteva numere interesante care se concentrează pe ea.
Un alt aspect interesant pe care l-am observat citind seria este că prima reacție a oamenilor și a altor ființe inteligente cu care intră Swamp Thing în contact este de a încerca să-l omoare. Nimeni nu încearcă să înțeleagă nimic— toți văd un monstru și încep să tragă în el dacă sunt înarmați. Dacă Swamp Thing nu ar fi fost atât de puternic, nu ar fi supraviețuit mai mult de cinci minute.
"Swamp Thing" este o serie foarte influentă pentru lumea benzilor desenate deoarece, odată cu preluarea ei de către Alan Moore, împinge limitele stabilite în acel moment în ceea ce privește violența și sexualitatea. Mi-au plăcut această seriozitate și tonul întunecat al seriei. Citind-o, se observă că a avut o influență asupra lui Neil Gaiman; cu siguranță, seria Sandman are ca inspirație "Swamp Thing". Nu pot decât să mă bucur că, acum câteva decenii, au existat oameni dispuși să-și asume riscuri și să spună o poveste așa cum își doresc, reușind astfel să crească gradul de libertate pentru scriitorii care i-au urmat.
English review: "Swamp Thing" turned out to be a much more interesting series than I expected. Based solely on the premise, if I hadn’t known it was written by Alan Moore, I don’t think I would have picked it up. We have a researcher, Alec Holland, who is blown up by an enemy, falls into a swamp, and gains powers—it’s not exactly a plot that inspires much confidence. How many stories can you really write about a creature living in a swamp?
That’s probably why Alan Moore gradually increases Swamp Thing’s power levels and the scope of the implications, but the solutions he chooses for defeating the antagonists are often subtle and elegant, rather than relying on epic battles. I enjoy epic battles, but I also appreciate when authors take alternative approaches to resolving conflicts.
The story starts as a psychological exploration of Swamp Thing, tormented by questions of identity. There’s a strong horror vibe, and the early volumes are focused on a small geographical area, primarily around the town of Houma in Louisiana. The first villain, The Floronic Man, presents a global threat, but not one so overwhelming that Swamp Thing can’t handle it alone.
From this psychological perspective, the series evolves into something that delves into occultism and science fiction. We encounter enemies who threaten the very fabric of reality, ancient occult organizations that have been operating for centuries or even millennia, and Swamp Thing’s powers reach a cosmic level—he becomes far stronger than he initially seems. Characters like John Constantine, Etrigan, and even Darkseid make appearances, giving you a sense of the scale. There are also some Justice League members who show up; Batman plays a significant role in one of the volumes and is pretty badass.
Even though the stakes grow larger and the villains more powerful—one of them being Primordial Evil itself, to give you an idea of the scope—Alan Moore doesn’t shy away from serious topics like pollution, environmentalism, the nature of good and evil, racism, and more.
There’s also a main female character, Abby Arcane, who becomes Swamp Thing’s romantic interest. However, she’s not just an accessory to the titular character; there are several compelling issues centered around her.
Another fascinating aspect I noticed while reading the series is that the first reaction of humans and other intelligent beings Swamp Thing encounters is almost always to try to kill him. Nobody tries to understand anything—they see a monster and immediately start shooting if they’re armed. If Swamp Thing weren’t so powerful, he wouldn’t have lasted more than five minutes.
"Swamp Thing" is a highly influential series in the world of comics because, under Alan Moore’s direction, it pushed the boundaries of violence and sexuality that existed at the time. I enjoyed this seriousness and the dark tone of the series. It’s evident when reading it that it influenced Neil Gaiman; "Sandman" clearly draws inspiration from "Swamp Thing". I can only be glad that, decades ago, there were creators willing to take risks and tell the stories they wanted to tell, paving the way for greater creative freedom for the writers who came after them.
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 6, 2013
This final volume of Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing ties up a lot of loose ends, while leaving plenty for later writers to work with. The last two chapters, which bring Alec back home, are the best in this collection, and some of the most satisfying in the entire run. The rest of the collection is rather mixed. "Reunion" was quite a good story, effectively written. But "Loving the Alien" left me completely cold. It isn't the best volume of Moore's Swamp Thing, that's for sure. But it is a satisfying conclusion to an overall great run.
November 14, 2016
Why?? Why did this have to end? Such a surprisingly awesome series. Swamp Thing is a serious badass.
Didn't care for two of the issues, but other than that - it was as excellent as all the other volumes (except that one that didn't do much for me).
Didn't care for two of the issues, but other than that - it was as excellent as all the other volumes (except that one that didn't do much for me).
November 19, 2024
Damn pains me to give this a lower score than the rest, but it just was overly done.
The fact we had to deal with Swamp Thing trying to get back to earth felt just so padded it was killing me. I get it was supposed to be a grand adventure but up until now everything really captivated me and this...this didn't do anything for me. I did love the issue with Abby trying to just be normal again. I also loved the final issue, and a great goodbye. but the rest was just okay.
A 3 out of 5.
The fact we had to deal with Swamp Thing trying to get back to earth felt just so padded it was killing me. I get it was supposed to be a grand adventure but up until now everything really captivated me and this...this didn't do anything for me. I did love the issue with Abby trying to just be normal again. I also loved the final issue, and a great goodbye. but the rest was just okay.
A 3 out of 5.
April 18, 2025
This was a really nice conclusion to the whole run, very happy I decided to read this. This particular book was good, enjoyed the first story arc with Adam strange a lot and the swamp things other adventures bar that one questionable issue. Overall as a series it’s interesting to see how much the character was redefined here and how it explored so many themes and so much of the dc universe.
May 2, 2021
All good things must come to an end, as the old saying goes. Though I must say that I am still saddened to see Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing go. Much like the titular muck and crusted monstrosity, I feel like I have come to the end of a perilous journey, fraught with complexities, intense emotions, and a deep feeling of sorrow by the time that it’s come to an end.
I’m saddened to see that there probably won’t be anything that’ll ever come remotely close to the quality of Alan’s strange little run on this swamp creature, despite how hard many people try. There will be good runs after Alan’s run on Swamp Thing, yes. There will even be the occasional great run after Moore’s Swamp Thing. But I find it highly implausible that there will be anything quite like Alan’s Swamp Thing, as hard as we try to recreate it. I don’t believe there will ever be another story quite like The Anatomy Lesson, or another Pog, or another Monkey King. I could go on.
Sadly, the sixth volume is not quite as strong as the other five. Alan was just beginning work on the seminal Watchmen, and one could definitely tell that Alan’s focus was on Watchmen more than it was on Swamp Thing. Yet still, Alan manages to do what he can with what he has left and plays in the science fiction realm, which is my favorite genre. Alan’s knack for playing with conventions plays into this volume as well, but it isn’t quite as strong in this volume. The stories didn’t quite have the flare or touching sincerity of some of the other stories that I mentioned before, though I was quite interested to see Alan bring back more obscure characters like Adam Strange and Hawkman in this volume. As I’ve mentioned before, I often enjoy when writers bring back older, obscure characters. It brings a unique flare to the series and offers new, fresh ideas to be explored with these characters and to also expose these characters to new audiences.
Rich Veitch’s art still remains to be a worthy successor to Bissette and Totleben’s superbly unsettling artwork, with Alfredo Alcala providing inks that are respectful and allusive to the classic style of this series. But the art also takes a much more psychedelic tone as well, going into some completely new directions in terms of the draughtsmanship. Bissette and Totleben did return for a few issues, with Bissette even writing an issue of Swamp Thing, which he did a very good job with. Veitch would also come to write an issue as well, which was also pretty good as well.
Despite this volume not being as strong, Alan waited until the end to pull out all the punches, writing a heartfelt, tender conclusion to the saga of the titular Swamp Thing. It’s one of the few comics that actually had me feeling emotional during the end. Of course, we never like when a story that we love ends, but Swamp Thing felt like more than just a story that I enjoyed. It was a journey that Alan, Swampy, and I took and it was fun while it lasted...but now it’s all over, and now I must find something else to read.
I’m also saddened by the end as I find that it’s the end of a part of Alan that I wish that we could’ve seen more of. The dreamer who would have completely reinvigorated American comics and sent off its properties into an entirely new direction. We lost the optimistic Alan, who so believed that his beloved medium could be more than the limitations that were placed on it and gave everything that he had in order to do just that. Though I suppose there is a sweetness to it in that Alan did change American comics, as well as comics in general and that his efforts did come to be worthwhile. But of course, I am still saddened that this journey is at an end.
But, as one blue demigod put it, nothing ever truly ends, does it?
December 9, 2019
Swamp Thing in space?!? uh no...
August 19, 2024
Somehow I read Vol. 6 without realizing it was the final collection of Moore’s work. I thought I had a few more volumes to go!
According to the introduction, which I always read after reading the book, Moore was stretched thin at this point. He was attempting to get Watchmen started. His writing style (of this series) changes from more of a horror feel to more of a Sci-fi/fantasy feel.
After being obliterated in Gotham in Vol. 5, swampy roams the galaxy looking for ways to get back home to Abby.
While I enjoyed reading Moore’s final issues, this definitely felt like the weakest volume in the series. All good things must come to an end, right?
According to the introduction, which I always read after reading the book, Moore was stretched thin at this point. He was attempting to get Watchmen started. His writing style (of this series) changes from more of a horror feel to more of a Sci-fi/fantasy feel.
After being obliterated in Gotham in Vol. 5, swampy roams the galaxy looking for ways to get back home to Abby.
While I enjoyed reading Moore’s final issues, this definitely felt like the weakest volume in the series. All good things must come to an end, right?
June 10, 2020
"I am...the Swamp Thing."
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite of this Swamp Thing run. It felt very nonsensical, and I wasn't really interested in anything that was happening. This series started out so well, and then I didn't enjoy the second half as much.
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite of this Swamp Thing run. It felt very nonsensical, and I wasn't really interested in anything that was happening. This series started out so well, and then I didn't enjoy the second half as much.
November 11, 2008
some day I will get my 'swamp thing wresting an alligator' tattoo....
Read
February 19, 2023journeying back home through unfathomable space and time, witnessing love and creation, the very life altered by it, arriving changed and complete
October 18, 2020
Gotovo nikad ne pišem recenzije stripova ali ću nakon ove sage možda i početi. Ili u ovom slučaju grafičkih romana, novela, štogod. Iako baš Alan Moore ne voli taj naziv jer smatra da je grafička novela samo „gimmick“ naziv da bi nam prodali skupe stripove. Swamp Thing ili Čudovište iz močvare je izlazio iz Mooreovog pera nekoliko godina u klasičnim strip sveščićima kad je reinkarnirao kreaciju Lein Weina i Bernie Wrightsona. Mooreov scenarij je odličan, razni crtači koji su radili s njim su savršeno prikazali turobne močvare Louisiane i u početku je bio savršen slijed horror pričica u kojima je ponekad samo Čudovište pasivni promatrač. Na žalost posljednja dva dijela su krenula u smjeru science fictiona i pojavljivanja ostalih superjunaka iz DC svijeta, a i sam Moore (kako saznajemo iz uvoda) je postajao zauzet s drugim projektima i kao da je gledao što prije se riješiti Čudovišta iz močvare. Šesti nastavak ove sage je zasigurno najlošiji dio s čini mi se previše teksta i nekakvog prevelikog truda da se kvalitetno završi serija (poučeni današnjim iskustvima serija, nekad se mora znati kad je nečeg stvarno dosta) ali ću mu dati navučenu četvorku zbog svih prethodnih. Ljubav i Smrt će mi svakako ostati u najljepšem sjećanju koji je čista petica.
August 5, 2025
Help! my campy monster comic became a psychedelic planet-hopping epic space odyssey filled with weird & beautiful art, poetry, and undying hope for the future of humankind
July 26, 2017
This book is a shining example what happens when you give Alan Moore too much freedom. On one hand you have bold new direction when swamp thing travels through cosmos and visits different corners of DC universe and on other hand you have never-ending monologues, one metaphor after another and philosophing.
To be honest I quite enjoyed when there was something going on but this book is not filled with action or stories. I give it 2 stars because I had to force myself to finish reading it and it took me almost a month. I usually read books like this in one sitting. As much as I enjoyed this series I am glad that there is no other book.
To be honest I quite enjoyed when there was something going on but this book is not filled with action or stories. I give it 2 stars because I had to force myself to finish reading it and it took me almost a month. I usually read books like this in one sitting. As much as I enjoyed this series I am glad that there is no other book.
July 12, 2019
Some of the stories in this one were tedious, but it had a great ending!
November 10, 2020
The end of Moore’s iconic run. He leaves Alec and Abby better off as their torturous journey comes to an end.
July 26, 2020
Y así llegamos al final de swamp thing. La introducción de Bissette nos da un poco de contexto de la vida de Moore mientras escribía estos últimos números. Le estaba yendo muy bien con Miracleman y estaba por salir el último número de Watchmen también. Su carrera y fama estaba por los cielos, la presión de terminar Watchmen satisfactoriamente me pareció algo muy interesante. A veces olvidamos que originalmente esa obra fue publicada en doce números y que los críticos evaluaban cada número por separado y que si bien ahora sabemos que Watchmen es una joya de principio a fin, en esos momentos no se sabía, Moore no tenía su reputación y aunque era una estrella en ascenso, todo lo que asciende tiene la misma posibilidad de caer.
Y no lo hizo.
Y además rompió brutalmente con los últimos números de Swampy aunque también tuvo colaboradores co escribiendo o escribiendo el número entero en este tomo. Independientemente la obra que nos regala pasará a la historia no sólo como un cómic de terror de ciencia ficción sino un ensayo acerca del rol del hombre ante la naturaleza. Podemos mirar hacia atrás en el run de Moore y ver que la pregunta que siempre quiso responder fue: Como swampy ¿Cuál es mi responsabilidad con la tierra? y luego en el tomo cinco, la humanidad lo arranca de la tierra y cercena para siempre su conexión con la tierra. Esas declaraciones son fuertes y nos pintan un panorama sobre lo que Moore estaba pensando. Ahora en el sexto y último tomo, Swampy tiene que tomar una decisión y es en esas últimas páginas que el final puede ser agridulce.
De este tomo me encantaron las historias: "Loving the Alien" y "Wavelenght" ambas son una joya, poéticas, innovadoras y muy importantes para el desarrollo de la historia y del personaje.
En unos años estaré releyendo todo el run de corrido y seguro lo disfrutaré más y entenderé más cosas. Gracias por Moore, por tanto, no somos dignos.
Y no lo hizo.
Y además rompió brutalmente con los últimos números de Swampy aunque también tuvo colaboradores co escribiendo o escribiendo el número entero en este tomo. Independientemente la obra que nos regala pasará a la historia no sólo como un cómic de terror de ciencia ficción sino un ensayo acerca del rol del hombre ante la naturaleza. Podemos mirar hacia atrás en el run de Moore y ver que la pregunta que siempre quiso responder fue: Como swampy ¿Cuál es mi responsabilidad con la tierra? y luego en el tomo cinco, la humanidad lo arranca de la tierra y cercena para siempre su conexión con la tierra. Esas declaraciones son fuertes y nos pintan un panorama sobre lo que Moore estaba pensando. Ahora en el sexto y último tomo, Swampy tiene que tomar una decisión y es en esas últimas páginas que el final puede ser agridulce.
De este tomo me encantaron las historias: "Loving the Alien" y "Wavelenght" ambas son una joya, poéticas, innovadoras y muy importantes para el desarrollo de la historia y del personaje.
En unos años estaré releyendo todo el run de corrido y seguro lo disfrutaré más y entenderé más cosas. Gracias por Moore, por tanto, no somos dignos.
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