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helpfulsnowman's review against another edition
5.0
Thus ends Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing.
There were times when it was a bit of a slog. When things got a little cosmic and everything was connected and yadda yadda.
But when I finished, I felt like this comic is one of the Classics, by which I mean it's long and there are parts that are hard to read, but the compounded joy of finishing it is damn well worth it.
It's pretty incredible to read this book and be put in the shoes of a god. Which is truly what happens. And as Swamp Thing wrestles with his new life and what to do with his powers, you get all these great answers to questions that SHOULD show up in books like Superman ("Why don't I save the continent of Africa?") or Silver Surfer ("What sorts of things are out there in the universe that we haven't even conceived of?") or lots of other books that dredge up these questions and don't make a lot of attempts to answer them.
And when I finished this book, I had a little bit of an epiphany about comics and fandom.
With the mainstreaming of comics, we're in a really different comics environment today than we were in the 80's when this run happened. Today, any property worth a damn is snapped up to be a big tentpole movie. And some pretty stupid franchises too. Today, you can go to Wal-Mart and find Spidey slapped on just about everything. Towels, garbage cans, fruit snacks.
When I was a whippersnapper, this was not a thing. I promise you. You could not find cool shit like this in a regular-ass store. You had to mail away or go to a comic book store.
That's not the bad part. That's not what I'm complaining about. I like my Spider-Man garbage can. I'm 32, just in case you're curious.
When you complain about comics changing, people will be quick to brand you a stupid fanboy. Someone who doesn't want to see characters change or diversity or whatever. Which isn't what I'm complaining about either.
What I'm complaining about is the emergence of comics that feel very much like they've been written by committee. That don't take risks.
In 1986, Swamp Thing had a girlfriend who was brought up on, basically, bestiality charges. And she's taken to Gotham, which pisses off the Swamp Thing to no end, and he enacts some pretty Biblical vengeance.
It's 30 years later, and I have a hard time believing a story like that would happen today. Or that it would be handled in the interesting, character-driven way it was in Swamp Thing. I have a hard time believing that the Alan Moore of today would get access to a known character and be trusted to make him great again.
Moore was free to pick a character up off the cutting room floor, where he was left after Wes Craven's movie flop, and actually do some interesting shit. The Comics Code Authority rejected the proposed issue #29, and DC went ahead and published it anyway without CCA approval, and they continued to publish the series without approval. Since the 50's, the CCA had been the overseer, the censor of comic book stories. The CCA kept comics squeaky clean and, frankly, made them a bit boring for adults. Moore and DC told them to go fuck themselves, and I think the results speak for themselves. It turns out that writers of comic books know what's best for stories. Censors don't.
When I worry about the mainstreaming of comics and comics culture, what I worry about is the money. What I worry about is whether creators will be able to take the same chances, and to be able to take those chances with great characters. Because when Captain America: Civil War is about to premiere, how risky do you want to get with any of its main characters? How likely is it that Black Widow will be brought up on bestiality charges for banging the Hulk?
And without risk, I wonder if we can still find reward.
There are some great, mainstream-ish books that I love right now. Squirrel Girl is awesome. Howard the Duck is some of the funniest shit I've read in forever. Dan Slott, in my conspiratorial opinion, has managed to write a great Spider-Man despite Marvel letting the character lie fallow while they didn't have the movie rights.
What you'll see about these characters is that they are ones that people don't care about, or ones that the company didn't care to see succeed.
So I wonder. Will companies like DC and Marvel continue to take risks like they did with Swamp Thing in the 80's? Or will we see an acceptable but homogenized version of the comics we loved for their brashness, their willingness to go strange places?
Will interesting stories still happen in mainstream universes, or will we all take a lesson from Guardians of the Galaxy and say that every story is a potential blockbuster, and therefore has to play it safe on the page?
Will every version of Ant-Man make him the most likable quasi-criminal of all time, or will someone be able to stomach making him a character that's done some bad shit?
Will a money-making outfit become a more money-dependent outfit, and therefore risk-averse?
I hope not.
But that's what I worry about. That's what I wonder about when people ask about the mainstreaming of comics culture. I don't have the answers. And that's why it's a worry. Because I don't know.
It's not the t-shirts, it's not that you can pick just about any Marvel or DC character and find a Halloween costume hanging up in Target now. It's the money those things bring in. And where there's money, there's always someone saying, "Family-friendly, make it for kids, make sure kids understand it and parents approve of it."
Where there's money, there's always a group like the CCA taking their pound of flesh and their handful of cash.
And where there's money, there's all-too-often a big ass yawn from yours truly.
I want to be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But part of me is also looking forward to the comics backlash. Part of me is ready to read the next Alan Moore. Most of me wants that way more than I want the next 6/10 movie with great visual effects and not much else.
There were times when it was a bit of a slog. When things got a little cosmic and everything was connected and yadda yadda.
But when I finished, I felt like this comic is one of the Classics, by which I mean it's long and there are parts that are hard to read, but the compounded joy of finishing it is damn well worth it.
It's pretty incredible to read this book and be put in the shoes of a god. Which is truly what happens. And as Swamp Thing wrestles with his new life and what to do with his powers, you get all these great answers to questions that SHOULD show up in books like Superman ("Why don't I save the continent of Africa?") or Silver Surfer ("What sorts of things are out there in the universe that we haven't even conceived of?") or lots of other books that dredge up these questions and don't make a lot of attempts to answer them.
And when I finished this book, I had a little bit of an epiphany about comics and fandom.
With the mainstreaming of comics, we're in a really different comics environment today than we were in the 80's when this run happened. Today, any property worth a damn is snapped up to be a big tentpole movie. And some pretty stupid franchises too. Today, you can go to Wal-Mart and find Spidey slapped on just about everything. Towels, garbage cans, fruit snacks.
When I was a whippersnapper, this was not a thing. I promise you. You could not find cool shit like this in a regular-ass store. You had to mail away or go to a comic book store.
That's not the bad part. That's not what I'm complaining about. I like my Spider-Man garbage can. I'm 32, just in case you're curious.
When you complain about comics changing, people will be quick to brand you a stupid fanboy. Someone who doesn't want to see characters change or diversity or whatever. Which isn't what I'm complaining about either.
What I'm complaining about is the emergence of comics that feel very much like they've been written by committee. That don't take risks.
In 1986, Swamp Thing had a girlfriend who was brought up on, basically, bestiality charges. And she's taken to Gotham, which pisses off the Swamp Thing to no end, and he enacts some pretty Biblical vengeance.
It's 30 years later, and I have a hard time believing a story like that would happen today. Or that it would be handled in the interesting, character-driven way it was in Swamp Thing. I have a hard time believing that the Alan Moore of today would get access to a known character and be trusted to make him great again.
Moore was free to pick a character up off the cutting room floor, where he was left after Wes Craven's movie flop, and actually do some interesting shit. The Comics Code Authority rejected the proposed issue #29, and DC went ahead and published it anyway without CCA approval, and they continued to publish the series without approval. Since the 50's, the CCA had been the overseer, the censor of comic book stories. The CCA kept comics squeaky clean and, frankly, made them a bit boring for adults. Moore and DC told them to go fuck themselves, and I think the results speak for themselves. It turns out that writers of comic books know what's best for stories. Censors don't.
When I worry about the mainstreaming of comics and comics culture, what I worry about is the money. What I worry about is whether creators will be able to take the same chances, and to be able to take those chances with great characters. Because when Captain America: Civil War is about to premiere, how risky do you want to get with any of its main characters? How likely is it that Black Widow will be brought up on bestiality charges for banging the Hulk?
And without risk, I wonder if we can still find reward.
There are some great, mainstream-ish books that I love right now. Squirrel Girl is awesome. Howard the Duck is some of the funniest shit I've read in forever. Dan Slott, in my conspiratorial opinion, has managed to write a great Spider-Man despite Marvel letting the character lie fallow while they didn't have the movie rights.
What you'll see about these characters is that they are ones that people don't care about, or ones that the company didn't care to see succeed.
So I wonder. Will companies like DC and Marvel continue to take risks like they did with Swamp Thing in the 80's? Or will we see an acceptable but homogenized version of the comics we loved for their brashness, their willingness to go strange places?
Will interesting stories still happen in mainstream universes, or will we all take a lesson from Guardians of the Galaxy and say that every story is a potential blockbuster, and therefore has to play it safe on the page?
Will every version of Ant-Man make him the most likable quasi-criminal of all time, or will someone be able to stomach making him a character that's done some bad shit?
Will a money-making outfit become a more money-dependent outfit, and therefore risk-averse?
I hope not.
But that's what I worry about. That's what I wonder about when people ask about the mainstreaming of comics culture. I don't have the answers. And that's why it's a worry. Because I don't know.
It's not the t-shirts, it's not that you can pick just about any Marvel or DC character and find a Halloween costume hanging up in Target now. It's the money those things bring in. And where there's money, there's always someone saying, "Family-friendly, make it for kids, make sure kids understand it and parents approve of it."
Where there's money, there's always a group like the CCA taking their pound of flesh and their handful of cash.
And where there's money, there's all-too-often a big ass yawn from yours truly.
I want to be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But part of me is also looking forward to the comics backlash. Part of me is ready to read the next Alan Moore. Most of me wants that way more than I want the next 6/10 movie with great visual effects and not much else.
mattycakesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little bummed by the final volume in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. Not that it isn't still head and shoulders above most other comics, but after the absolutely epic Volume 4 of the series and the subsequent less-great-but-still-awesome attack on Gotham, this volume felt a little disjointed, and the ending a bit drawn out.
I could appreciate the Odyssey-like structure of trying to get back to Abby, but Moore made the frustration of the Swamp Thing not being able to get back a little TOO realistic, and I found myself skimming a couple of times. The "Loving the Alien" issue was by far the weakest entry into the entire series, and while I liked the Adam Strange and Darkseid storylines, they just felt like delays to what I already knew was inevitable - the Swamp Thing's return to earth - and not in an interesting or compelling enough sense. Once he does return, I'm happy with the story ending, but the long ramble through space felt like Moore was killing time rather than putting his full powers into it.
This is still one of the best comic book runs of all time, and it's still one of the first things I'll recommend to people trying to get into comics. But the climax of this story happens much earlier than expected, and the denouement goes on longer than it probably should have.
I could appreciate the Odyssey-like structure of trying to get back to Abby, but Moore made the frustration of the Swamp Thing not being able to get back a little TOO realistic, and I found myself skimming a couple of times. The "Loving the Alien" issue was by far the weakest entry into the entire series, and while I liked the Adam Strange and Darkseid storylines, they just felt like delays to what I already knew was inevitable - the Swamp Thing's return to earth - and not in an interesting or compelling enough sense. Once he does return, I'm happy with the story ending, but the long ramble through space felt like Moore was killing time rather than putting his full powers into it.
This is still one of the best comic book runs of all time, and it's still one of the first things I'll recommend to people trying to get into comics. But the climax of this story happens much earlier than expected, and the denouement goes on longer than it probably should have.
robbiesbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
cryo_guy's review against another edition
3.0
Well that was weird. But he finally made it back.
All in all Swamp Thing has been a fun read, but it definitely leaves a lot wanting, if it makes up for it in a unique style.
All in all Swamp Thing has been a fun read, but it definitely leaves a lot wanting, if it makes up for it in a unique style.
sonofatreus's review against another edition
4.0
It ended the series nicely but the first half of this volume was easily the weirdest in the run.
6pminhell's review against another edition
2.0
Man talk about a disappointing final volume. The more the series shifted from horror to sci-fi, the worse it got, culminating in this volume. The writing in this volume lacks focus and meanders in frustrating ways. Swamp Thing works best when it's campy horror propped up by mature and political ideas and written with sharp narrative focus. Gone is all of that here, instead we have abstract sci-fi musings and a narrative that isn't all that engaging.
jayspa65's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
After six large volumes comprising over 40 comic issues, Alan Moore's time as writer of Swamp Thing comes to a close. This series has reached epic heights, run into some occasional rough patches, and now finally ends as well as any long running issue can be expected to.
Swamp Thing's journey across space brings him into contact with a number of familiar faces in the DC universe, including the Thanagarians and the Green Lantern Corps. While one issue in this volume didn't quite work (and that was more of an issue of weird-even-by-Moore-standards rather than actually being badly written) it's amazing to see how easily Swamp Thing slips into all these chunks of the DCU. One of the most impressive things about this volume is how well it sets itself up for future conflict and yet still manages to feel complete. DC could have ended this series here and no one would have blinked.
A truly epic saga that redefined comic book history much like Moore's other works.
Swamp Thing's journey across space brings him into contact with a number of familiar faces in the DC universe, including the Thanagarians and the Green Lantern Corps. While one issue in this volume didn't quite work (and that was more of an issue of weird-even-by-Moore-standards rather than actually being badly written) it's amazing to see how easily Swamp Thing slips into all these chunks of the DCU. One of the most impressive things about this volume is how well it sets itself up for future conflict and yet still manages to feel complete. DC could have ended this series here and no one would have blinked.
A truly epic saga that redefined comic book history much like Moore's other works.
cesspool_princess's review against another edition
5.0
Ok remember when I said Swamp Thing was at its best when we forget it is a superhero comic book, when it is straight up horror? Ok well what if we forgot that Swamp Thing was a superhero comic book but it it was actually SCIENCE FICTION ??? That's what this volume is. Having been booted from the Green, our boy must wander through space and in space he has some very interesting adventures.
Ok the first arc where he has to save that planet from being completely arid whole also fending off imperialist hawk people was probably the weakest one of the bunch. It was still good, the world building was cool and I enjoyed learning about the geopolitics and ecology of this planet. My favorite part was the water pools that were actually like guard dogs.
Next (and I may be going out of order I don't remember exactly) was when ST landed on the planet that was ruled by sentient plant life. This is a case where we think, "awesome, he is going to learn so much and he is going to be able to reconnect with the green and hes surely going to be able to go home after this" but then the horror of realization hits us when we think through what a being who can phase and reform into any plant matter would do to a society composed of sentient individuated plantlife. He basically accidentally creates the plant version of an enmangled flesh monad. All the plants are combined into one and are forced to inhabit this chaotic frightened unified consciousness where they can feel eachothers feelings and thoughts as if they were their own. Its another situation like Nukeface where Swamp Thing isnt even doing anything on purpose it is just by the nature of what he is that he must necessarily be the ultimate horror for this society. This was a very very well done chapter in my opinion.
Then we get to the best chapter in the entire run, the crown fucking jewel. The one where that robot fungus colony thing uses swamp thing to have demented torturous robot alien fungus sex. Not only is this by far the most visually stunning chapter, but the stylistic departure from comicbook panels to full pages, how abstract the world of the fungus robot colony's body is. The sexual tension, the torture, the narrative style this KKNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF! Like I don't even know how to explain this chapter you seriously just have to read it.
Finally we have swamp thing's run as a flying chair for that celestial guy trying to make it to the core of the universe. This one was good, very visually stunning but I just don't have much to say about it. It was cool to see the Darkseid cameo and it was interesting to see these ultra powerful beings' commentary on Swamp Thing, just what he is exactly etc.
Ok now we are at last back to Earth, Swamp Thing and Abby reunite and it is v satisfying. The last but with the guy from the Bayou was the perfect lil ending imo. This run was amazing.
Ok this one is an imperfect 5. Like I think taking the entire volume into account Vol 3 is superior to this, its more consistently high quality but bc this volumes highs are soooo high and the rest of the chapters are still very good Im going to also give this a 5. I still however, maintain that Vol 3 is the PERFECT encapsulatory volume of Swamp Thing period. But I like weird abstract fungus robot torture sex too much to dock this any points.
Ok the first arc where he has to save that planet from being completely arid whole also fending off imperialist hawk people was probably the weakest one of the bunch. It was still good, the world building was cool and I enjoyed learning about the geopolitics and ecology of this planet. My favorite part was the water pools that were actually like guard dogs.
Next (and I may be going out of order I don't remember exactly) was when ST landed on the planet that was ruled by sentient plant life. This is a case where we think, "awesome, he is going to learn so much and he is going to be able to reconnect with the green and hes surely going to be able to go home after this" but then the horror of realization hits us when we think through what a being who can phase and reform into any plant matter would do to a society composed of sentient individuated plantlife. He basically accidentally creates the plant version of an enmangled flesh monad. All the plants are combined into one and are forced to inhabit this chaotic frightened unified consciousness where they can feel eachothers feelings and thoughts as if they were their own. Its another situation like Nukeface where Swamp Thing isnt even doing anything on purpose it is just by the nature of what he is that he must necessarily be the ultimate horror for this society. This was a very very well done chapter in my opinion.
Then we get to the best chapter in the entire run, the crown fucking jewel. The one where that robot fungus colony thing uses swamp thing to have demented torturous robot alien fungus sex. Not only is this by far the most visually stunning chapter, but the stylistic departure from comicbook panels to full pages, how abstract the world of the fungus robot colony's body is. The sexual tension, the torture, the narrative style this KKNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF! Like I don't even know how to explain this chapter you seriously just have to read it.
Finally we have swamp thing's run as a flying chair for that celestial guy trying to make it to the core of the universe. This one was good, very visually stunning but I just don't have much to say about it. It was cool to see the Darkseid cameo and it was interesting to see these ultra powerful beings' commentary on Swamp Thing, just what he is exactly etc.
Ok now we are at last back to Earth, Swamp Thing and Abby reunite and it is v satisfying. The last but with the guy from the Bayou was the perfect lil ending imo. This run was amazing.
Ok this one is an imperfect 5. Like I think taking the entire volume into account Vol 3 is superior to this, its more consistently high quality but bc this volumes highs are soooo high and the rest of the chapters are still very good Im going to also give this a 5. I still however, maintain that Vol 3 is the PERFECT encapsulatory volume of Swamp Thing period. But I like weird abstract fungus robot torture sex too much to dock this any points.
davidblais's review against another edition
3.0
A nice way to close out Alan Moore's run but definitely not my favorite volume from this series. The space adventures simply didn't do it for me, issue #60 being particularly hard to get through. I kept having this feeling, warranted or not, that Moore wasn't that much into it for most of these issues. The two "fill-in" probably didn't help with that. Thankfully, everything came together for the finale, by far the best issue in this collection and a wonderful sendoff to this era of Swamp Thing.
bigoldan's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75