Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing (a review)
By: Heather Veley
Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Swamp Thing, Pop Culture, Horror

Horror has a way of reaching us that no other genre can.

On the surface, it appears to simply deliver a brief moment of fright and excitement. But when you look a little deeper, horror taps into something deep within us. Something that that sits within our core. The initial scare may be quick, but true horror lingers; burrowing into our psyche then rooting itself within us. Then it spreads out until it becomes a dreadful undercurrent in our existence. Horror follows us, waiting just beyond the shadowy brush, to remind us that monsters and tragedy are all too real and all too ready to descend upon our ordinary lives.

In 1984, the comic Saga of the Swamp Thing was on the brink of cancelation. For one reason or another, this horror series was on its last leg and its writer, Martin Pasko, was leaving the book at issue 19. So, DC made the decision to give a little-known writer from across the pond a chance on this clearly doomed-to-fail title.

Depending on who you ask, this decision single-handedly kicked off the British invasion of comics.

Like with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, I cannot stress enough how important Alan Moore’s run on Saga of the Swamp Thing was for the medium of comic books. Lasting from issues 20–64 between 1984–1987, Moore’s series completely reshaped the character of the Swamp Thing as well as introducing new elements to his story while giving the CCA the bird. It was also one of the driving forces for DC to create the Vertigo imprint for darker, more mature comics. The more I think about it, the more I’m amazed by how much this series changed comics forever.

A little rundown before I start proper. Swamp Thing was created in 1972 by Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. The story followed a man by the name of Alec Holland, a scientist specializing in plant regeneration, who was blown up in his lab by evil-doers, who also kill his wife Linda, and collapses into the swamp. He arose as the Swamp Thing and sought revenge for what happened to him while finding a cure for his transformation.

I swear, unlike many of my asides, this info is important to what I’m currently talking about. How so? Well, Alan Moore took that premise, tore it to shreds, then sat over the pieces and rearranged them into an existential horror epic.

Let me put it this way. In his second issue, “The Anatomy Lesson”, Moore reveals that Swamp Thing wasn’t even Alec Holland, at least, not anymore. Yeah, wrap your brain around that one.

So, after that massive bombshell, Swamp Thing comes to terms with who/what he is and begins to explore the extent of his powers. With each issue, a new terror is faced and a new understanding is discovered. Swamp Thing experiments with his abilities as well as uncovering the grimy, bug infested underbelly of the society we live in. He is constantly grappling with the knowledge that his previous existence was a lie but his realization forces him to question what it means to be human. This is complimented by the battles he fights which highlight that the true terrors are the familiar, uglier aspects of humanity that we try to ignore or demonize to make it easier for us to comprehend.

Now I know what you’re thinking? “Wait, is this just a philosophy book disguised as a horror comic?”

Yes (kind of), but there’s also a lot of cool things happening while you digest the philosophy.

You are correct to assume that because Swamp Thing is a horror hero, he is going to go through some superhero shenanigans but with a macabre twist. He defeats his arch-enemy Anton Arcane (again), travels to Hell and back to save Abigale Arcane (long story), fights an underwater colony of vampires, helps stop an evil cult from destroying heaven, and he even gets shot to space where things get really weird. Along the way, a romance blooms between him and Abigail, niece to Anton and long-time friend at the start of the run, which is tested several times. However, they keep holding out for each other no matter how bleak the circumstances may seem. I consider them to be one of the top ten relationships due to how committed they are to each other.

This is also the series where we are introduced to Vertigo/DC favorite, bisexual icon, and grade A a******, John Constantine. He’s similar to King Faraday from The New Frontier where he knows some information and is totally willing to jerk Swamp Thing around. But at the end of the day, he needs the almost unlimited power of Swamp Thing to stand a chance against the growing evils in the world.

The art in this book was mostly done by Stephen Bissette, Tyrant and 1963, and inker John Totleben, Miracleman, with colors by Tatjana Wood. When YouTuber Matt Draper discussed the art in one of his videos on Swamp Thing, he described it as a little rough looking. I’ll admit, the backgrounds are a little sketchy, but I like my horror comics to look a little rough or grimy. It adds to the aesthetic. Plus, the rougher look works for the pacing, obscuring things in the shadows or motions to build up to the big scare.

However, my favorite art in the comic was in issue 34 “Rite of Spring”. I don’t even know how to explain the art in this issue, particularly in the psychedelic psychic lovemaking sequence, in a way that does it justice. The book is literally turned on its side, the imagery is surreal, the coloring is on point with the overall trippiness, and it perfectly flows with Moore’s poetic words floating along with the images. When I read this the first time I was like “woah, what? Comics can actually look like this?” It’s honestly a beautiful experience.

Now, because this is an Alan Moore comic, there is a fair bit of social commentary in some of the issues. This in-and-of-itself is not terrible or unique for horror media. Some of the stories are fine like “Pog” and “The Nukeface Papers”. However, when he tries to discuss things like gender or race relations, it gets a bit shaky. “The Curse” is about sexism and the cycle of women’s oppression but there’s a weird focus on periods and products marketed towards women. It’s cringy for me as a woman and just makes me think “why is the British wizard focusing on menstruation?” And I’m not going to get too into the voodoo zombie story because I have not right to speak on the commentary there. It’s an interesting story but the message feels a bit off. I don’t know, feel free to correct me in the comments.

So, if you need something to read in October to get you into the Halloween spirit or want some “sophisticated suspense” (actual marketing term they used) to spice up your usual comics reading, this is a series you should try. I’ll be honest, this is my favorite Alan Moore work so far (yes, even more that Watchmen and V for Vendetta). He has such a knack for classic monster stories with a hint of existentialism and he flexes those skills excellently here. It gives you a little spiritual medicine to chew on but provides just enough entertainment for it to go down smoothly.

Happy holidays everyone!

Next week: No review. I’m taking the week off!