Swamp Thing-New Collected Editions

[Adam3482009]

As many of you probably know, Alan Moore took over the Swamp Thing title in the early 80's starting with issue 20 and transformed it into something else entirely. This series was responsible for the creation of the Vertigo Line in DC comics that would see titles such as Constantine (a character Moore invented in his Swamp Thing series after the singer "Sting") along with the Sandman Series (before writing this, Neil Gaiman is said to have studied the scripts of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing to get some of his inspirations behind the title).

The series was collected in a series of paperbacks (with beutifully painted covers) that you can pick up now. However, DC is relaunching Swamp Thing in hardback collected editioins with the first volume scheduled to come out in March.

While the cover image is not as good as the one found on the tradepaperback (there's no painting!?) it collects Moore's first issue (#20) that the previous collection failed to include.

At 208 pgs. I'm not sure how many issues the first volume will include but hopefully there'll be some extras in it. We'll find out I suppose.

Here's a link I found on this:
http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Swamp-Th...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211938062&sr=1-1

 

[WompuM]

You work for DC don't you? I smell bacon.

 

[Adam3482009]

No, I'm just a fan of Alan Moore (who by the way hasn't worked directly with DC since the '80's).

 

[yenaled]

It didn't single handedly start Vertigo.

But wuteva good series.

 

[Adam3482009]

Well, it at least was a magor driving force behind it, which is what I meant to get across (edited the "Single handedly" since you pointed that out). It's success was a factor behind the Vertigo line getting started and it was responsible for the creation of the constantine character (whose series was one of Vertigo's first).

It's also responsible for reviving alot of dead characters (like Deadman for instance) and bringing them to the forefront. Moore seemed to use symbolic characters alot in this series (such as Kain and Able who were previously not characters used in stories for the most part I beleive).

 

[[A]]

I never read anything Swamp-Thing-y though I always wanted to read the Moore run

 

[Cosmic]

I can't say that I love the cover design, but for that price, I'll probably pick it up at some point. I love me some Swamp Thing.

 

[Adam3482009]

Yeah, I agree. The cover design could've been better. That's the one thing I don't like that they got rid of the beautiful paintings that appeared on the previous paperback collected edition.

Now the only question is their paper quality and if there'll be any extras. I can't wait until they release this.

 

[CBG]

I rather wait for DC to Absolute Moore's Swamp Thing.

 

[DavidTyler]

I'm sorry but after Wrightson left the book --- so did I.

Don't really care for the changes Moore made to the character. I do love Moore's original, unconnected work and Miracle Man is probably the best ongoing comic (until Moore left) I had ever read but I just don't like how every superhero has to become god-like. Swamp Thing was a man trapped in the body of a monster and I liked that. I didn't care at all for the earth-elemental (again 'god-like') direction he took.

 

[Cosmic]

Yeah, I agree. The cover design could've been better. That's the one thing I don't like that they got rid of the beautiful paintings that appeared on the previous paperback collected edition.

Now the only question is their paper quality and if there'll be any extras. I can't wait until they release this.

Well, you won't have to wait long...so just be patient! I personally like the choice of original art for the cover. I just don't like the way it's positioned. It's not a huge deal. I was also thinking mainly about paper & print quality. I've noticed that some of the various comic collections have fallen short in this area.

 

[deathshead2]

Might get this I'm having a tough time finding issue 20.

 

[Adam3482009]

I rather wait for DC to Absolute Moore's Swamp Thing.

Same here. Problem is that it could take years if it's ever going to happen. I'm not sure how many collected hardback editions there'll be but I'm guessing it could take a while just to release the entire collection of hardback editions.

With Alan Moore being not too happy with DC, I'm not sure how much material DC could dig up from 20 some years ago (would they have access to the script for instance?). Hopefully, they'll include some extras in the hardback editions coming out.

I'm sorry but after Wrightson left the book --- so did I.

Don't really care for the changes Moore made to the character. I do love Moore's original, unconnected work and Miracle Man is probably the best ongoing comic (until Moore left) I had ever read but I just don't like how every superhero has to become god-like. Swamp Thing was a man trapped in the body of a monster and I liked that. I didn't care at all for the earth-elemental (again 'god-like') direction he took.

Fair enough. Everyone has their own tastes and opinions. What issues did you read?

 

[CBG]

Same here. Problem is that it could take years if it's ever going to happen. I'm not sure how many collected hardback editions there'll be but I'm guessing it could take a while just to release the entire collection of hardback editions.

With Alan Moore being not too happy with DC, I'm not sure how much material DC could dig up from 20 some years ago (would they have access to the script for instance?). Hopefully, they'll include some extras in the hardback editions coming out.

I can wait it out. They did it for V for Vendetta, and they did the entire series of Sandman.

 

[Adam3482009]

Your pretty patient. It may never come.

 

[CBG]

I'll know in about another 20-30 years.

 

[Adam3482009]

Are you immortal?

 

[CBG]

We'll see.

 

[Themanofbat]

As many of you probably know, Alan Moore took over the Swamp Thing title in the early 80's starting with issue 20 and transformed it into something else entirely. This series was responsible for the creation of the Vertigo Line in DC comics that would see titles such as Constantine (a character Moore invented in his Swamp Thing series after the singer "Sting") along with the Sandman Series (before writing this, Neil Gaiman is said to have studied the scripts of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing to get some of his inspirations behind the title).

Ok... if you're going to be a Moore fanboy, at least get your facts straight.

Alan Moore was not responsible for the creation of Vertigo and neither was Swamp Thing.

Swamp Thing was around issue #130 when it became a Vertigo imprint, over 65 issues had passed since Moore left the book (along with 3 other writers after his tenure) and only had about 40 issues left before cancellation, and HellBlazer was already kicking for over 5 years before its first Vertigo imprint, as well as Sandman being on the market for 4 years before its first Vertigo imprint.

The first Vertigo book with a #1 on its cover was Gaimen's Death: The High Cost of Living mini.

If anything, I'd give the Vertigo imprint creation credit to Karen Berger (whose been there since Day One) and to writers like Ennis, Gaimen & Milligan.

Moore's Swamp Thing was great (and I was reading the book monthly from issue #1), but don't give him false credit for creating Vertigo...

Sheesh....

 

[yenaled]

I'd already said that in a less ranty way .

 

[Themanofbat]

I'd already said that in a less ranty way .

You needed to rant a bit...

 

[Adam3482009]

I've responded to "yenaled" about this topic on my 3rd post in this thread and tried my best to clear up whatever confusion I felt there was.

Anyway, you're arguement is that Swamp Thing didn't have anything to do with the Vertigo line? If anybody wants, they can try googling the term "Swamp Thing"+Vertigo and you'll find plenty of people that claim it did have an influence.

I don't know what you mean by calling me a "fanboy" but I'm just excited that there's something new coming out from Alan Moore, who I think deserves alot of respect for bringing respect to the "comicbook". I think that there are alot of older readers who maybe did or didn't collect any comics in the past that would read something from Alan Moore and not only become a fan of his work but also maybe see new possibilities in comics themselves.

 

[Themanofbat]

I've responded to "yenaled" about this topic on my 3rd post in this thread and tried my best to clear up whatever confusion I felt there was.

Anyway, you're arguement is that Swamp Thing didn't have anything to do with the Vertigo line? If anybody wants, they can try googling the term "Swamp Thing"+Vertigo and you'll find plenty of people that claim it did have an influence.

I don't know what you mean by calling me a "fanboy" but I'm just excited that there's something new coming out from Alan Moore, who I think deserves alot of respect for bringing respect to the "comicbook". I think that there are alot of older readers who maybe did or didn't collect any comics in the past that would read something from Alan Moore and not only become a fan of his work but also maybe see new possibilities in comics themselves.

I suppose it was helping that Nancy Collins was the new writer for Swamp Thing when Vertigo came along... with all her horror writing background...

Being there when Moore's books were coming off the rack was great... I wouldn't say he made comics something to be "respected"... I personally thought that of comics before he came into the picture, and he has written some smelly books, like 1963 & Lost Girls for example.

But I do give him props for the good things he did indeed bring to comics, and I have tremendous respect for the way he looked at a character's continuity and used it as a tool rather than a hinderance.

 

[Adam3482009]

You're right. It's great to see someone using "Continuity" as a well of water that can be drawn from rather than constantly be drilling new wells and not coming up with anything more than backwash.

I think constant recycling of the same character, disregarding continuity, and an inability to take risks (always keeping the same "status quo") have hurt comics respectability in general.

However, why I like Alan Moore's stuff so much is that even his "smellier" comics are planned out and seem to have a reason behind both the story and why he's writing it. He's one of the few creators out there whose willing to stick to his ideas and values even if it means distancing himself from his employers or putting himself at financial risk. How many other creators would do this?