swamp thing

Okay, let me complain about Superman’s new costume.

filed under Categories superman, swamp thing, this week's comics 16 Comments

To follow up on yesterday: I ended up not getting Justice League International…just seemed a little too…generic-y superhero, you know? I also picked up Omac, after giving it a look-through or two, and hearing a good word or two about it from comrade-in-funnybook-arms Chris Sims. It’s Keith Giffen doing a totally-nuts Kirby riff, and if you’re gonna do a book like Omac, Kirby it up as much as possible, I say.

And Swamp Thing…my mystical eye of Aga-Mike-o has peered across the nerdinet and has witnessed the pleasingly positive response most people have had to this new debut issue. Like I said yesterday, it continues the “Alec Holland evading his Swamp Thing destiny” storyline from the mini-series, and I’m assuming Scott Snyder will eventually provide the explanation for the sudden reseparation of Alec from Swampy, when the rejoining of the two was such a big deal at the end of Brightest Day. But, also like I noted, where the Search for Swamp Thing mini-series seemed awkward and forced, this new issue is more along the lines of what I want from a Swamp Thing comic…creepier and more introspective.

There’s also a bit of business introducing Swamp Thing’s next adversary, which features a certainly intentional reference to one of the more disturbing visuals from the Moore/Bissette/Totleben era. I don’t know that it’s supposed to be the same thing from the Moore run, but…well, I realize I’m being vague here, in an attempt to avoid spoilers. But you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it.

One more thing, and this could be a SPOILER, I guess: this comic features, I believe, the second in-story appearance of Superman in his new costume that we’ve seen since the beginning of the relaunch. And while Yanick Paquette does a remarkable job illustrating this issue, there’s only so much one can do with that new Superman costume. It just plain looks awkward. Even the dude who designed the thing couldn’t make it work in the one panel he had to sell us on it in Justice League #1.

I like to think that I’m not simply being a typical reactionary comics fan, hating something because it’s different from what I’m used to. I mean, it’s…I’m not even sure how to articulate it. I think it’s a level of…pretension, perhaps, that seems uncharacteristic of what we think of when we consider the character of Superman. I think it’s that collar. It sort of gives him, like…airs of royalty, maybe? A “hey, this is my important uniform, I outrank you” kind of thing? And the action figure space-boots he suddenly has? It’s like Superman is slowly turning into the kind of superhero Old Superman opposed in Kingdom Come, with the overwrought, overdesigned ’90s tech-fest look.

Yes, maybe the red underwear over the blue tights was kind of goofy. Actually, there’s no “kind of” about it…it is goofy. And as someone reminded me on the Twitter not long ago, Superman’s costume is essentially just an old-timey circus strongman outfit. And…I’m okay with that. “Simple” works for Superman. So does “goofy” — it’s a little more humanizing, helping to bring a fantastic (in the original sense) character like Superman down to earth. (Compare also with the work jeans and boots costume in the new Action.)

Granted, that George Perez cover makes it look okay, but then, that’s George Perez. He makes purt’near everything look okay. But I’ll have to see what he does with it inside the book. Maybe once I get the in-story explanation for it (if there is one), I’ll be a little more accepting.

I mean, sure, if DC sticks with this costume, I’ll get used to it. But it’s really no improvement, especially if no one can draw it in an appealing fashion. It’s just change for change’s sake, and just one more shout of “hey, look, we’re different now!” among DC’s cacophony of similar cries.

So, in conclusion, I liked the new Swamp Thing comic. And let us put an end to the DC posts on this site…at least ’til next week.

It’s official as far as I’M concerned, at any rate.

filed under Categories swamp thing 1 Comment

OFFICIAL: I am Swamp Thing’s best friend. Hear Swamp Thing writer Scott Snyder himself declare it right here on the latest War Rocket Ajax podcast, starting at about 1:20:48.

A big thanks to Steve for asking the question that elicited that response from an almost certainly puzzled Mr. Snyder.

…Yeah, I know. Short entry. Hey, I had a long day at the shop, plus I was getting a head start on tomorrow’s “End of Civilization” post.

Oh, one more thing. Swamp Thing completists should note that this week’s Flashpoint #5 has a couple of brief shots of our favorite muck-encrusted mockery of a man. This will be the first issue of this mini that I plan on picking up…if I have to get one of these, at least there’s a Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez variant cover I can take.

In this post: very minor Swamp Thing-related spoilers for the Project Superman mini-series, and a curious use of the word “subtle.”

filed under Categories swamp thing

I received an email a month or so ago from Lowell Francis, the cowriter of the Flashpoint tie-in mini-series Project Superman, cluing me in to a secret Swamp Thing reference plugged into the series.

He tells me that the plan was to use Medusa from the Creature Commandos as the lady scientist in this story, but she was already appearing in the Frankenstein Flashpoint book. So, instead, it’s Dr. Linda Ridge (“Ridge” being the maiden name of Linda Holland, the ill-fated wife of Alec “Swamp Thing” Holland).

When Dr. Ridge finally pops off her helmet in Project Superman #2, artist Gene Ha presents her with a Medusa-esque planthead:


…and she also has little Swampy-esque minions:


BONUS SWAMP THING REFERENCE: a certain General Sunderland, a person of interest known to Swampy fans, is mentioned in dialogue in #2.

Thanks to Mr. Francis for pointing this, one of the more subtle Swamp Thing crossovers, out to me.

“Garbed in bright fetishes.”

filed under Categories swamp thing 7 Comments

Since Swamp Thing is going to be palling around with superheroes in short order (or, at least, hanging out in the same world that they do), I thought I should go back and find that brief bit of business where he reveals what he thinks of the capes ‘n’ tights set. So, here you go, from Swamp Thing #75 (August 1988) by Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala:


The lettering in that second-to-last caption box looks…just the slightest bit off from the rest of the lettering on the page. Maybe added after the fact? Or the text was altered from whatever was there before? Or maybe I’m just imagining things?

EDIT: Chris K notes in the comments that a Rick Veitch interview in The Comics Journal revealed that the caption was added after the fact (and I’m sure I’ve read that interview, but obviously didn’t remember that), and Mr. Veitch himself pops in to confirm that caption was a later addition.

I wanted to like it. I really did.

filed under Categories swamp thing 8 Comments

So I read the last issue of the Brightest Day: The Search for Swamp Thing mini-series, and…honestly, what was the point of this? I said before the plot of the series seemed to be about resolving the relationship between Swamp Thing and Alec Holland, which already seemed to be resolved at the climax of the Brightest Day mini. And (SPOILER) it’s still not resolved, or rather it’s been unresolved, with Swampy and Alec still split up for some reason, leaving it for the new ongoing series to take care of, I guess.

Ultimately, it’s as I suspected previously…the point of the series was to show the two of Vertigo’s flagship characters tooling around in the regular superheroic DC Universe. And that’s it. As far as character or plot progression goes, it was just a whole lot of running in place. There’s novelty in Constantine encountering Superman and Batman, and was that a Cranius cameo I spotted in there? But that’s about all I can say for this series. Oh, and the variant covers were nice, too.

Speaking of that upcoming Swamp Thing series…the logo for the new book can be seen here. I was kinda hoping for this logo, if Swampy is going to be all superhero-y an’ all.

STOP THE PRESSES.

filed under Categories swamp thing 4 Comments

…I presented incorrect information about Swamp Thing in a previous post. Yes, it’s true, and I hang my golden-maned head in shame.

In this post (since corrected), I noted that a caption missing in the paperback edition reprinting Moore’s earliest issues was included in the more-or-less equivalent Saga of the Swamp Thing hardcover. Well, that was bad info, friends.

So let’s get this straight:

Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing trade paperback, reprinting issues #21 through #27, has the final caption from issue #24.

Saga of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1 hardcover, reprinting #20 along with #21-#27, is missing that caption.

Now, this is from checking the copies that are on our store shelves at this very moment. If there has been a newer edition of the hardcover that corrects this issue, I don’t know about it. (And I believe I reordered this copy of the hardcover on our shelf about a month ago, I think, so I’m pretty sure it’s the current printing.)

Let me revise my advice: buy the trade paperback, but also buy issues #16-#20 to…complete the experience, I guess.

Or, buy the hardcover, and paste this into the upper right hand corner of the last page of issue #24:

You may need to resize it and perhaps adjust the brightness/contrast.

Or you can just buy all the original issues from my shop, and I’ll give you a swell deal. Well, a deal. At the very least, I will charge you money for them.

In other Swamp Thing-related news:

  • Oh, gosh darn it, I know someone sent this link along to me, but I forgot who it was and I can’t track it down. But, thanks to that someone for pointing out this post about former Swamp artist Steve Bissette’s visit to the International Cryptozoology Museum, which includes some small samples of Bissette’s art from The Vermont Monster Guide.

  • “If Swamp Thing is killed does that mean all life in the universe dies? “

    Lots of questions from someone who seems to think the whole Brightest Day/White Lantern thing is going to continue having a major impact on the ongoing Swamp Thing title. My guess: will either never be mentioned again, or will be noted briefly and forgotten about as the storylines move forward.

  • This week: Brightest Day: The Search for Swamp Thing #3 is coming out this week, and I’ve shown the regular cover previously. Here is the variant cover by David Mack:


    In case you missed it, here’s my review of issue #2 where I kind of wonder what the point of this series was. Other than to get me to buy two copies of each issue for the covers, of course.

Now, a poster of Swamp Thing in that Farrah Fawcett pose…that I’d display.

filed under Categories other swamp creatures, swamp thing 7 Comments

So I checked my email yesterday morning and immediately received about, oh, a billion emails telling me about these limited edition Swamp Thing movie poster prints that are going on sale today (or may have already gone on sale by the time you read this) from Mondo Tees. The regular edition is handnumbered and limited to 230 copies at $45 a pop, and the even more limited (90 copies) glow-in-the-dark edition is $90. You can get a better look at the crazy amounts of detail in these posters right here.

Apparently the sale will be announced at some time tomorrow on the official Mondo Twitter feed, so keep your eyes peeled there if you need one of these on your wall. I’m tempted, particularly by the glow-in-the-dark poster (which wouldn’t be the first glow-in-the-dark Swamp Thing item I own), but I’m not really a poster guy. I already have multiple Swamp Thing posters still rolled up and sitting in a closet (including one of these) and don’t really want to drop a c-note (or even half a c-note) on something that probably wouldn’t be displayed.

But I want to thank everyone who emailed, Twittered, or commented to let me know about this new bit of Swamp Thing merchandise. I really do appreciate it, and if you see any new goodies, don’t be shy about letting me know! …It’s a bit amusing, and a tad intimidating, to know that people all around the world, that I’ve never met, think of me whenever they encounter anything Swamp Thing-ish. I’m internationally recognized for my nerdly obsessions!

Also, special thanks to my Canadian twin Steven for being first in line to let me know about these posters.

In other news:

A commenter asked in yesterday’s post if I’d read the new Heap comic yet. Oh, do you mean…this one?


The latest revival of the swamp monster originally introduced in the Golden Age Airboy comics, I thought it wasn’t bad. The monster looks different enough from his four-color brethren, what with that hideously creepy mask, and it’s more mystical in nature than scientific, like Marvel’s Man-Thing. Without getting into any spoilerish detail, it does follow the four-color swamp creature tradition of a man trapped within a hideous monster body, but approaches it in a fashion different enough from Swamp Thing and Man-Thing, and even previous versions of the Heap, to make it feel reasonably new. There is a character in the story who has bit of a John Constantine-y feel to him, and fills a similar role as John did in his earliest apperances, but…again, it’s presented in a way that doesn’t make it feel like a retread.

So, yes, I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to future issues. Still not a patch on this work of genius, however.

Oh, sure, let’s talk about Swamp Thing for a bit.

filed under Categories giant-size man-thing, swamp thing 11 Comments

The fellow with one of the greatest handles ever, Professor Booty, asks in the comments to yesterday’s post

“I own exactly 0 Swamp Thing comics. I became quite interested in the character through your blog, but I don’t wanna read all that current stuff – I’d much rather grab some tradepaperbacks or other collected back issues. What would you recommend? I’m all for the (pretty) easily available & quintessential Swamp Thing stuff to get me going.”

The best two books to start with are these:

Roots of the Swamp Thing: this is available in hardcover right now, and in softcover in a few months (it’s only a $10 difference…get the hardcover!). This reprints the original House of Secrets short, and the first thirteen issues of the original series, which comprises all the stories written by ST cocreator Len Wein, the ten issues drawn by the other cocreator Bernie Wrightson, and three issues drawn by Nestor Redondo. The overall story arc comes to an end of sorts, with a nice send-off by Wein in the last chapter that harkens back to the House of Secrets debut. But this will show you how it all started, and what the status quo of the character is…

…so that when it’s totally blown apart in the second book I’m recommending, Saga of the Swamp Thing hardcover volume one, you feel its full impact. I’m recommending the hardcover versus the softcover edition because 1) the hardcover includes issue #20 of Saga of the Swamp Thing, which is Alan Moore’s first issue but not reprinted prior to this. It was seen more as an end to the previous storyline and not a suitable beginning to a trade paperback, which was crazy talk, frankly; and 2) there was a production issue with a caption being dropped off from the end of issue #24 (“…And meet the sun”) in prior reprintings, which is now fixed in the hardcover. (I think it wasn’t there in earlier printings of the hardcover, so you may want to check.) EDIT 8/21: I totally lied…it’s fixed in the recent edition of the paperback but the Saga of hardcover is still missing the caption. Sorry, my memory is apparently…um, something.

Ideally, if you can get your hands on issues #16 – #19 of Saga of the Swamp Thing, which have never been reprinted in trade form (as far as I know, at least in the U.S.), you probably should. These are the issues that reintroduce Swamp Thing’s arch-nemesis Arcane, and also bring aboard the art team of Steve Bissette and John Totleben, who are as responsible for Swampy’s later success and critical acclaim as Moore was. It is this Arcane story that Saga #20 was the epilog for. (You can probably skip #18, which reprinted issue #10 of the original series, but still had a new framing sequence by the new crew.)

And that’s not just for Professor Booty. I expect all of you reading this right now to rush out and buy these. I want your book reports on my desk by Monday.

In other Swamp Thing news:

  • Also pointed out in yesterday’s comments by Professor Booty is this contribution to the “DC Fifty-Too” project (where artists create their own covers for theoretically-relaunched DC #1s). …I’m trying to think if Swamp Thing and the Creeper ever met, or were even in the same panel (like in a Crisis tie-in) or on the same cover or something, at some point. Up way too late and am way too tired to think of any right now, but one of you smart people out there will remind me if such a thing exists.

  • Chris sent me a note pointing me in the direction of this swell sketch of…Man-Thing? Well, it’s not Swamp Thing, but it’ll do, it’ll do.

So I guess I have to start being nice to him now.

filed under Categories swamp thing 6 Comments

And then there was the time former employee Timmy came back from the San Diego Comic Con to bring me the Mattel SDCC Exclusive Swamp Thing action figure:


Hooray! Timmy just moved above Employee Aaron in my will.

Also, I was not prepared for the arrival of this generous gift, so I didn’t have my regular digital camera and had to make do with my cell phone camera. Yes, I had to “make do” with a dumb ol’ piece of advanced technology. Oh, the problems of the 21st century human, am I right?

Here’s the box the whole magilla came in:


You can just barely see Swampy’s red eyes peering through the slashes in the side of the box. It also reads “ADULT COLLECTOR” along the bottom there, so I’m surprised the people at the con’s Mattel table let Timmy buy it.

Behold, the frightening visage inside:


And when you open that up, there is an even more horrible thing waiting within:


(Hand and watch not included.)

You take Swampy’s red innards out, and you discover:


…an even smaller Swamp Thing! It’s not quite a Swamp Thing babushka doll, but it’s close.

Also included: the little guys that make this an exclusive SDCC figure, since I guess they’re not included with the wide release:


…Arcane’s Un-Men Cranius and Ophidian! (Again, only had the cell phone…sorry about the crummy photo.)

There’s also a “replica” of Alec Holland’s journal, clearly discovered after the fire:


…which is just a folded cardstock thingie with some of Holland’s notes, like a reminder that he should talk to Matt Cable about those dudes Ferret and Bruno who stopped by. Also, there is mention of Ferret’s alias being “Len Bernard,” a reference of course to Swamp Thing’s creators Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. It’s a nice additional little doodad to throw in with the figure.

Sincerely, this was a very nice thing Timmy did, so thank you very much, my little British buddy.

• • •

Also wanted to thank reader Paul, and his son Alex, for dropping by the shop to say hello to me on Thursday. Always nice to meet the folks who somehow manage to tolerate my daily blatherings.

The Department of Redundancy Department.

filed under Categories swamp thing, this week's comics 3 Comments

So here’s the thing about that Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing series:

The end of Brightest Day was about the Swamp Thing “elemental spirit,” bereft of the personality template of Alec Holland and running amok, being brought back under control by “reinfecting” that elemental spirit with the personality of Holland.

The Search for Swamp Thing is about…the Swamp Thing elemental spirit, bereft of the personality template of Alec Holland and running amok, needing to be reunited with Holland’s mind to be brought under control. It’s repeating a conflict and, presumably, a resolution that we already saw at the end of the Brightest Day event (which, admittedly, was undone almost immediately as seen in one of the cliffhanger epilogues at the end of Brightest Day #24). Of course, we haven’t seen the last part of the story yet, but it seems like a done deal, judging by solicits for the upcoming Swamp Thing series, that Holland will once again become Swamp Thing. (SPOILER ALERT, I guess.)

The main purpose of the series is, I guess, to reemphasize the return from the Vertigo imprint of Swamp and John Constantine, having Constantine interact with Batman, Superman, etc. (And just to keep Swamp Thing in the public’s eye, of course.) But really, if it weren’t for that Brightest Day epilogue re-setting up the Berserk Swamp Thing hoohar to be resolved, we could have skipped right from BD #24 to that new Swamp Thing #1 in September.

I don’t know. I’m too much of a Swampy fanboy to argue that there should be fewer Swamp Thing comics, and all things considered, I still find this comic to be inept but amusing. But it certainly feels…redundant in its goals, both in reestablishing the status quo for the character and reintroducing the character to the DC Universe, tasks already accomplished a couple of months prior.

Also picked up this week: the seventh volume of the Smurfs albums, The Astro Smurf. This is the Smurf story I’ve most recently read prior to this new publishing effort, having borrowed an older English album edition from pal Dorian about a decade ago. Haven’t read this new edition yet, but I liked it the last time I read it, and suspect I’ll still like it now, even if it’s in this smaller digest format.

Another new item this week I haven’t had a chance to read yet: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Century: 1969. Any new League comic from Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill is most welcome, even though Kevin’s response has me intrigued.