Swamp Thing has been around for as long as I can remember - I used to own a comic in the '90s where Swamp Thing and this other lady were having some sweet loving. It wasn't any of the issues out of this collection, but I'm pretty sure it was an Alan Moore story, so the memory isn't totally out of context. Anyway, Vertigo's reissue of Alan Moore's seminal story is collected in a nice hardcover volume that, for this book, includes issues 28 - 34 of the series.
I never realized how fantastic Swamp Thing really was until I read this edition. No prior knowledge of the series is required to pick up this volume - Moore does a great job of telling the story without forcing the reader to follow each issue. The plot is easy to pick up on, and the books are broken up well enough that they don't leave with cliffhangers.
Moore's writing is wonderful, a poetic prose form, using enviable metaphor that adds to the beautiful visuals that Bissette and Totleban designed. Swamp Thing is easy to feel for; he may look like a monster but his personality shines like the sun. His friend Abby is equally as friendly and fresh, and there's even a wonderful moment where the two join together intimately to become one plant-human concoction of LSD-like hypnosis.
But I digress - I'm not here to talk about Moore's work on Swamp Thing, but the actual reissue itself. DC Comics has left the paper comic pages intact, which some may disagree with but a decision that I love. Comics have dropped using the paper pages and resorted to glossy ones. They feel nice, yes, and there's less of a chance for papercuts, but I like how Swamp Thing takes us back in time to comics of old. The paper gives a nostalgic feel, bringing me back to days where I used to sit up in my aunt's closet and read old horror comics.
The hardcover binding comes with a slipcover with fantastic cover art. There's not too much in the way of added extras; we get an introduction from Jamie Delano, a foreword by Neil Gaiman, and some author bios at the back of the book. Even if you do have the issues, though, it's nice to have them all in one place.
Otherwise, though, this collection of Swamp Thing is a must-have for fans of the series, or for those who have never read the series. Ecological crises are a hot topic right now, and one that the world can not forget about. Swamp Thing is a character that not only upholds this idea that the earth is connected to humanity, but he is our savior as well - we must accept the fact that we need Earth to survive, something that we tend to forget in the face of our own daily needs. This reissue of Saga of the Swamp Thing is coming at a much-needed time; I cannot ictuate enough how moving the story really is.
Ictuate is my lost word of the day.
9 COMMENTS:
Considering that Moore has vowed never to deal with DC or Marvel again, the likelihood of any extra material from him appearing within the pages of a Vertigo book is pretty slim.
I never did get into Swamp Thing, even though I love Moore's work in general: From Hell, V For Vendetta, Promethea, Miracleman and Watchmen are among the best comics I've ever read, I adore his nutty prose novel The Voice of the Fire, and many of his other works are also fascinating. But after reading the first volume of Moore's run on Swamp Thing, I was left thinking it was just an early transitional work, one of those things that stood out at the time it was originally made but doesn't hold up as well today. Does it get better after the first volume or is that one pretty representative of the series as a whole? In any event, I should probably revisit the series since it's been a long time since I read any of it.
Thanks for that fact, I actually had no idea that he did not want to work with them any more and will take that criticism down.
I think that this volume has some great stuff. The dream-like sequences dealing with Arcane are spectacular, as is Swamp Thing's journey into Hell. I really liked both of those, and I thought Moore did a great job of writing these issues.
Check out this volume; I'm not sure if it will make a fan out of you, but I'd recommend them.
I dont think I have ever picked up a SWAMP THING book, but if I were to grab any it would certainly be Moore's!
I just got a review copy of this book from DC, and am really looking forward to perusing it. Moore is absolutely incredible, it's a pity he's become so bitter in recent years.
good....................................................................................................
Could I confirm whether the edition you've reviewed above has a glossy cover? I'm only asking because I own Book One as well and that has a matt, unvarnished cover, whereas this new one is extremely glossy and definitely varnished. I was wondering if this was an editorial change or if I've been sent an international edition for one of the books.
I can't speak for Book One, as I don't have it, but the Book Two I received (the 2009 edition, because there was a release previously with a paperback cover) is a hardcover book with a glossy front and back slipcover. It looks exactly the same as the picture in the post.
Many thanks for your prompt reply. My edition sounds as if it's the same as yours.
No problem.
Enjoy!
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