 "Amazing Horror" | 2008-06-30 |
| - Reviewed By ivehearditbefore2 |
With Swamp Thing, Alan Moore, one of the most talented authors in comic book history, rewrote the rules. I picked this up 20 years ago and am still amazed. Steve Bissette and John Totleben are probably my favorite art team in the history of comics. This is close to their start, so it's a little rough around the edges, but still way above and beyond the vast majority of most illustrators out there. Steve drew the amazing layouts, destroying storyboard conventions, and John tightened the loose sketches up into works of art. This was hugely influential when it came out, and still a highlight of work in graphic storytelling to this day. Many people copied, but few could rival, Alan Moore's dark and serious style.
This may not be well received by the standard comic book crowd, but Alan Moore never wrote for that market share. Unfortunately, except for the cover none of John Totleben's amazing painted covers are included. DC really should put out a book of those. Moore and Totleben cooperated once again on Miracleman, another book with a dark edge that deconstructs superhero myths and is worth checking out. |
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 "Graphic SF Reader" | 2007-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By bluetyson |
Alan Moore took this as an opportunity to try something completely different with the Swamp Thing character, and pretty much succeeded. While I am not as much a fan of this as some people, it is still pretty good.
The Swamp Thing series also introduces to someone perhaps a bit more interesting. John Constantine, Hellblazer.
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| "Where the comics revolution REALLY began" | 2007-06-18 |
| - Reviewed By whygolin |
| Many would say that the comic industry was redefined by works such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight returns, but for me (and there are countless people who would agree with me on this one) it all started with the first issue of Swamp Thing included in this collection. "The Anatomy Lesson" heralded a new narrative structure and a literary voice that still rings in the ears of most comic book fantatics to this day: Alan Moore. After clearing up some unfinished storylines before starting his revamp of the character Moore started to cut loose, and Saga of the Swamp Thing moved from an obscure horror comic book into legend. Not only is "The Anatomy Lesson" brilliant, but there are other stories in here that would rank as some of my favorites of all time. Though some people might claim that Moore was still trying out panel transitions and experimental narrative structures that did not always work, I disagree. They worked perfectly, and make reading the comic so much more enjoyable. If the narrative seems long-winded to some, well then, they can just go ahead and feast their eyes on the gorgeous art (courtesy of John Totleben and Steve Bissette). I also have to mention the very last issue in this collection as a counterpoint to the first, entitled "By Demons Driven." This story gives us a taste of things to come in future collections, and just when events just can't seem to get any darker the last panel of this issue proves us wrong. Even if you're not a comic fan, you should get this. See where it all really began. Buy it. Read it. Let the words penetrate the root systems of your mind. Smell the moss. Taste the fear...hold it in your hands. Saga of the Swamp Thing. |
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| "the beginning of a horror masterwork" | 2006-10-14 |
| - Reviewed By doin_k |
"No death, no doom, no anguish can arouse the surpassing dispair which flows from a loss of identity. Merging with nothingness is peaceful oblivion; but to be aware of existence and yet to know that one is no longer a definite being distinguished from other beings - that one no longer has a self - that is the nameless summit of agony and dread." - H.P. Lovecraft
The ability to communicate this concept, sudden and total loss of identity, is a high achivement. -That- is psychological horror, and Swamp Thing delivers with gusto. The elemental forces of horror, combined with the most efficent form of story-telling, all under the direction of masters of the craft. If you know how to read, read this. |
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| "Sophisticated Suspense" | 2006-08-17 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
The above title was once the series tagline. Anyway, Vol.1 starts off with the autopsy of Swamp Thing by the Floronic Man showing that Swamp Thing was never human. He was only the memories of Holland combined into the living swamp. He soon returns to the swamp and sets up roots in the swamp and begins to grow some sort of vegetables. Abigail soon finds Swamp Thing and is confronted by the Floronic Man and tells her the above information. However, once Floronic Man gets in touch with his inner plant, he goes on a rampage and destroys many houses and takes many lives. Swamp Thing soon comes out of his catonic state and confronts Floronic Man and tells him he's hurting 'the green'. This chapter also features a special series of camo's by the JLA. The book then takes a supernatural turn when Abigail takes a job at a childrens asylumn. One child in particular knows a very dark and disturbing secret. The last few chapters involve the demon Etrigan as well.
This was a very good series of chapters. It starts out slow, but eventually, you just can't put this book down. My favorite chapter is 'The Sleep of Reason', when we are introduced to Paul (the disturbed child, who Abigail works with)and his macabre 'visions' of the so called 'Monkey King' demon. Also, Etrigan enters the fray. Great first run by Alan Moore. I hope to get more of his Swamp Thing series soon. A very good read for any comic fan. (By the way: I'm 15). |
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| "You can't kill a vegetable..." | 2006-07-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: AWEJX39ZBLJDR |
| After ending the twenty issue run of Martin Pasko for him, Alan Moore presents a retcon of the Swamp Thing character and brings in DC minor characters such as the Demon and Floronic Man. In his changes to Swamp Thing's origins Moore shows his brilliance and brings the character much closer to the swamp itself. All this with great lines like "You can't kill a vegetable by shooting it in the head", and you have another great trade paperback. However, what could you have really expected, it's Alan Moore. |
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| "An emerald quality reinvention of the green hero." | 2005-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By kittynboi |
Is Swamp Thing a hero, an anti hero, or even a superhero? It's a difficult question to answer, as this book, which collects some of the earlier issues of the 1980s reinvention of the character, as well as the beginning of Alan Moore's run on the book, portrays him less as a typical super powere heroic figure, and more of a sweet, occasionally heroic, but ultimately reclusive misunderstood monster. His battles with Woodrue, the Florinic Man, and the "Monkey King" are very enjoyable. The way he pounds away with ease and little hesitation at both an arrogant ancient demon and a monkey monster right out of the kind of nightmares that haunt you forever is satisfying and amusing at the same time.
The character of Swamp Thing I find very lovable, for some reason. =^_^= This book is all around great, and even if it gets off to a slow start, by the end you'll be jumping with enthusiasm for the next volume. |
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| "The setup is what's important here..." | 2004-03-18 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| This first volume collects the first seven chapters of Alan Moore's highly acclaimed helming of the 'Swamp Thing,' series. Groundbreaking for its evocative bending of the horror genre in a major-label comic series, this collection of 'Swamp Thing,' chapters is not to be missed by anyone interested in comics as a legit form of narrative storytelling. While Vol. 1 isn't the strongest in terms of story-punch and raw emotion, it certainly is required reading, in order to appreciate the full arc of this 30+ chapter series. While the strongest chapters do take place in later volumes this initial volume does offer oodles of horrific goodness not to mention some intriguing layout design in its panels. Definitely not to be missed! |
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| "The best of the series...outstanding" | 2003-11-03 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| This trade collects issues 21-27 of Alan Moore's heralded run on Swamp Thing, which he took over way back in 1983. (Issue 20, which was actually Moore's first issue wasn't collected, which is a shame.) Simply put, this first ST collection is magnificient: some of Moore's best writing ever. Moore re-invents Swamp Thing and then delivers the goods with some of his strongest plots ever. (Jack Kirby's Demon as a guest-star is particulary strong.) Bissette and Totleben's artwork is also equally beautiful and horrific. DC has since collected the rest of Moore's run on ST (28-63 and ST annual #2). While good, the rest of the series doesn't hold up quite as strong. The American Gothic storyline for ex., is interesting, but (to me) it simply doesn't have the impact of these early issues. Also, the romance between ST and Abby just isn't believable...But that doesn't matter, these early issues still hold up quite well-20 years haven't diminished their impact. |
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| "The New Age in Graphic Horror" | 2003-04-15 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| I was just a junior high school comic book freak when Alan Moore took over the writing duties on the Swamp Thing series. I can clearly remember that even back then the comics world was abuzz with the incredible new realms that Moore and his collaborators were opening up. In an unusual fashion, this new ground was broken on a tired old series, as the Swamp Thing title was moribund and probably headed for cancellation. It's quite surprising that Moore was given free rein to completely reinvent this established character, and in the process he both proved himself as one of the strongest writers in the field, and sent the comics world in new and darker directions that are still being felt today. Moore makes use of the best methods of horror writing, and the stupendous artwork of Stephen Bissette and John Totleben accentuate the dark feel of the storylines and send the Swamp Thing series to new heights of terror. Much credit should be given to colorist Tatjana Wood as well. In this volume, check out the artists' very groundbreaking (for the time) use of frames, placement, and coloring to accentuate the psychological horror of the story. One of my favorite examples of this can be found on page 27 here, with the accented focus on the crazed eye of the villain Floronic Man. In fact, this initial volume highlights Moore's intentional connection with the standard comic universe as well, with creative reintroductions of both Floronic Man and Etrigan (Jack Kirby's Demon), who had both been little heard from previously, plus a cameo appearance by the Justice League of America. This early in Moore's run, the gutwrenching plotlines were still building up steam, and the subsequent volumes of this series really deliver the goods. The most haunting and rewarding installments here are the trilogy that are listed as Books Five through Seven (or Swamp Thing 25-27 in their original form), which feature disturbing turns by troubled kids with connections to the dark side. This graphic novel series from DC constitutes some of the most tremendous works of art and writing in comics history, and this first volume easily shows what all the fuss was about. Whether you're new or re-experiencing the best original comics of your past, prepare to be blown away. |
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