Swamp Thing Vol 02: Love and Death

I was turned on to The Swamp Thing after reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Gaiman credits Moore for breaking new ground and showing him what was possible in comics, and when you look at Love and Death, you see what Gaiman meant. The macabre tone, the unusual use of panels (or lack of them), the unexpected bleeds across the gutter, all appear later on in Gaiman's work--but by reading this collection of The Swamp Thing, you can go back in time a bit and "see it for the first time." It's still fresh, it's still top notch writing after twenty years or so, and it will continue to hold up against the vast reams of mediocrity published monthly by Marvel and DC for the next twenty. Alan Moore didn't write this series for little kiddies: you can consider it the forerunner of DC's Vertigo line of comics, of which Sandman was the most famous. This collection details the burgeoning (dare I say flowering?) relationship betwixt the Swamp Thing and Abby. The splash pages are incredibly well done, especially at the end of the story arc. Moore is practically silent on those pages, because he's smart enough to know when to shut up and let the artists tell the story. Highly recommended, both for its writing and its illustration!

I can't take credit for the title of this review. That's a line uttered by the incongruously adorable guest character Pog in this volume of the Swamp Thing series. This is the second collection of the brilliant run by Alan Moore. This edition is a little bigger than the others in the series, as it contains seven original Swamp Thing issues (#28-34) but also the double-sized 1985 Annual issue. Due to the very high quality of the Swamp Thing series, especially in terms of art, the plotlines got a little jumbled during this period. As described in the very cool introduction by Neil Gaiman, regular artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben were unable to complete all the intricate artwork for each issue on time, especially with the addition of the Annual. So "fill-in" stories had to be used to relieve the deadline pressure, and guest artists were utilized. Much credit goes to Shawn McManus for contributing two issues during this period, including the bizarre and whimsical "Pog," which is Moore's very unusual tribute to Walt Kelly's original swamp denizen Pogo. In this run of Swamp Thing installments we are still learning more about Swamp Thing's origins and abilities (as he is himself), and getting much closer to the Abby character, who is surely one of the most intriguing and bewitching women in comics history. Moore even brilliantly incorporates a reprint of Swamp Thing's first appearance in the House of Secrets series from back in 1972, deftly clearing up some kinks in the character's continuity. The most amazing story here appears as the last installment, "Rites of Spring" from issue #34, a tremendous poetic composition made all the more incredible by the art of Bissette and Totleben, in which Swampy and Abby find true earthly love. And impossible as it might be to believe, the series got even better after this.

Comics were at their best in the 80's. At least in my opinion. The stories were gritty and the art was bold and dashing. Many breakthrough stories were being told that were defining characters that had been around for decades. Creators were starting to take chances and writers were writing stories that were sophisticated, stories for the intellect. And the one writer that was doing this most effectively? That would be Alan Moore of course. He dazzled the world with V for Vendetta and Miracleman, but he won me over with a character that I thought could never appeal to anyone. How could a person relate to a seven foot tall walking plant? I don't know. All I know is that I did. And I still do. Love and Death is the second collected edition of Moore's run on Swamp Thing and it is the first volume that I had ever read. This book redefined horror comics in a time when there was no place for them. It took old and forgotten characters and made them fresh and new. It took horror and turned it on it's ear. It took love and defined it ever so purely. And the writing isn't the only spectacular portion of this collection. The artwork by the likes of Steve Bissette, Shaun Mcmanus, and John Totleben are the epitemy of artwork. These individuals represent the highest standard of art, and remain to this day some of my favorites. The stories contained in Love and Death are some of the best in the entire series. At the start we see Swamp Thing discover who he is( or isn't ), we see the return of Arcane, and the death of the woman that Swamp Thing loves dearly. There is an excellent tribute to Walt Kelly's Pogo and we are witness to one of the most bizarre love stories. I highly recommend this collection to anyone that has a love for horror, comics in general, or anyone that enjoys a sophisticated story. You will not be disappointed.

Alan Moore took a murky swamp creature and made him into one of the most sensitive, three-dimensional characters in modern comics. "Love and Death" is a great collection of terror filled stories of the supernatural. This is filled with great stories including 2 takes on Swampie's origin, the great "Love and Death" storyline, Swampie's visit to hell, and of course, the fantastic "Rite of Spring", which is a wonderfully hallucinatory love story. Swamp Thing's world often seems like a dream, but the characters are very warm and real which make the whole thing work. Alan Moore's writing and John Totleben's artwork is one of the best collaborations in comic books. If you like Neil Gaiman's Sandman, or just horror and fantasy in general, you will fall in love with this book.

This graphic novel reprints the early Alan Moore Swamp Thing series. This was the first DC Comics series that was written for an intelligent, adult audience. It also featured some dazzling watercolor artwork. Though Moore is better known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchmen," he did some of his best work redefining Swamp Thing. If at some point in the future comic books become an art form that is taken seriously, this will be one work that stands the test of time