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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
This series gets better with each volume, as Moore gains confidence with his storytelling. He even is able to take the mandated cross-over of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which affected every DC title of the time, and make it something greater.
The first story, "Windfall," with art by Stan Woch and Ron Randall, presents a fascinating comparison of good and evil using facing pages to illustrate the dichotomy.
"Bogeyman," with art by Stephen Bissette, Ron Randall, and John Totleben, demonstrates that human monsters are far more frightening than supernatural ones. Additionally, Swamp Thing continues to find new ways to disgust us by flowing out from a bathroom sewer drain.
"Ghost Dance," with art by Stan Woch and Alfredo Alcala, uses the real-life Winchester House (here disguised as a run-down mansion) as the inspiration for a scary allegory about the horrors of guns.
The next five stories are tie-ins, to greater or lesser extent, to Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC's mid-1980s attempt to reboot their entire line. While the main Crisis storyline focused on the "real" multiverse, these issues of Swamp Thing concentrate on the supernatural aspects of the multiverse. Moore drags out just about every mystical DC character to help Swamp Thing defeat a power that even the omnipotent Spectre can't control. But before Swamp Thing can do that, he goes through some revelations in "The Parliament of Trees" (art by Stan Woch and Ron Randall), a key issue in Moore's run. The remaining issues are filled with unspeakable horrors in the plane of the dead. The climax is a deus ex machina resolution that probably leaves some readers scratching their heads, but until that point it is a tense and powerful conflict. Among all this, Moore also plants the seeds for what is sure to be major struggle for Abby in the issues to come.
The artwork is surprisingly consistent even though a number of fill-in artists worked on it. I would have preferred the cover art to be full pages included with their respective issues, but at least they are all here, even if in reduced size at the end of the volume.
The first story, "Windfall," with art by Stan Woch and Ron Randall, presents a fascinating comparison of good and evil using facing pages to illustrate the dichotomy.
"Bogeyman," with art by Stephen Bissette, Ron Randall, and John Totleben, demonstrates that human monsters are far more frightening than supernatural ones. Additionally, Swamp Thing continues to find new ways to disgust us by flowing out from a bathroom sewer drain.
"Ghost Dance," with art by Stan Woch and Alfredo Alcala, uses the real-life Winchester House (here disguised as a run-down mansion) as the inspiration for a scary allegory about the horrors of guns.
The next five stories are tie-ins, to greater or lesser extent, to Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC's mid-1980s attempt to reboot their entire line. While the main Crisis storyline focused on the "real" multiverse, these issues of Swamp Thing concentrate on the supernatural aspects of the multiverse. Moore drags out just about every mystical DC character to help Swamp Thing defeat a power that even the omnipotent Spectre can't control. But before Swamp Thing can do that, he goes through some revelations in "The Parliament of Trees" (art by Stan Woch and Ron Randall), a key issue in Moore's run. The remaining issues are filled with unspeakable horrors in the plane of the dead. The climax is a deus ex machina resolution that probably leaves some readers scratching their heads, but until that point it is a tense and powerful conflict. Among all this, Moore also plants the seeds for what is sure to be major struggle for Abby in the issues to come.
The artwork is surprisingly consistent even though a number of fill-in artists worked on it. I would have preferred the cover art to be full pages included with their respective issues, but at least they are all here, even if in reduced size at the end of the volume.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unsurprisingly as good as the rest of the run.
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run is the best thing of his I've read. Better than Watchman and Vendetta. Probably my favorite series this side of Doom Patrol. Wide ranging, inventive, exceeding expectations. The fact that Moore can do this much with a plant-man is astonishing.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing remains a masterpiece. Realizing that Alan Moore basically layed the ground for Sandman has been a true game changer for me. This volume is particularly great, and reaches peaks for the series in horror, one off stories, art, and the general cosmic fantasy mash-up nonsense that is among my favourite genres of comics fiction.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
A Tangled mess of a Hellblazer/Swamp Thing story tired into a DC crisis with Deadman, The Spectre, Doctor Date, Doctor Occult, and the Cain and Able from Sandman/House Of Secrets thrown in.
Swamp Thing just doesn't lend itself to an appraiser superhero story. It feels tedious.
The beginning of the book, which focuses on expanding Swamp Thing's horror mythology is now interesting but It's struggle to call it "good". The Abigail portion of this story where she's arrested because a nature photographer sold pictures of her canoodling with Swamp Thing is ... not a solid or logical story.
I'd you like deep cut DC continuity, this might be fun. But if you're looking for a good Swamp Thing story, maybe skip this one
Swamp Thing just doesn't lend itself to an appraiser superhero story. It feels tedious.
The beginning of the book, which focuses on expanding Swamp Thing's horror mythology is now interesting but It's struggle to call it "good". The Abigail portion of this story where she's arrested because a nature photographer sold pictures of her canoodling with Swamp Thing is ... not a solid or logical story.
I'd you like deep cut DC continuity, this might be fun. But if you're looking for a good Swamp Thing story, maybe skip this one
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes