Home :: Books :: Comics & Graphic Novels  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels

Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
Saga of the Swamp Thing

Saga of the Swamp Thing

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.57
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Mind Twisting Plant God Adventure!
Review: Alan moore at his finest! He took a stupid monster book and turned it into one of the greatest comics of all time!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gorgeous work
Review: Alan Moore used his break into the American market to take a third-tier monster book and triple its sales within a year.

How did he do it? By chucking all conventions and expectations. His first issue in this volume, "The Anatomy Lesson" (reprinted from Saga of the Swamp Thing #21), gives Swampy an entirely new origin and background, and outlines Moore's plans for the character; a complete dissection and rebuilding, from the ground up.

In successive issues, Moore continues to defy expectation, with his poetic method of writing becoming the reference point for everyone who wanted to prove to their buddies that comics "weren't just for kids". Coupled with the wonderful artwork, this volume should earn a place on even the most discriminating of bookshelves.

Granted, Saga lacks the the sheer genius of Watchmen, the power of V for Vendetta, or the disturbing atmosphere of From Hell, but its a smorgasbord of Moore, with attributes and positive characteristics entirely unique unto itself.

If only the rest of his run would be collected as well...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An atmospheric and evocative book
Review: Despite representing only a sixth of Alan Moore's famous run (#21-27), this trade paperback offers two complete story arcs and can be seen as a self-contained work. The first four issues feature a new look at Swamp Thing's nature through an autopsy done by the Floronic Man, Jason Woodrue, and the far-reaching consequences of the latter's discovery; issues 25-27 resurrect Jack Kirby's Demon in an intense exploration of fear. The 'new origin', far from nullyfying all that went on before, enables the reader to experience Swamp Thing and his world differently. Whereas Len Wein and Berni Wrightson's work on the character - collected in the excellent 'Dark Genesis' trade paperback - could be read as a reflection on the link between body and soul, Alec Holland being fully conscious but trapped in a bodily prison, Moore's rather deals with the link between two realms, human and vegetal. It thus keeps the tension and duality of the former but sends it in a personal and intriguing direction. These stories are not only conceptually ravishing, but also visually: ingenious and beautiful page constructions are far too numerous to mention, from the brilliant title pages to the dreams scattered throughout the work. From the first page to the last, this is a very atmospheric and evocative book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The New Age in Graphic Horror
Review: I was just a junior high school comic book freak when Alan Moore took over the writing duties on the Swamp Thing series. I can clearly remember that even back then the comics world was abuzz with the incredible new realms that Moore and his collaborators were opening up. In an unusual fashion, this new ground was broken on a tired old series, as the Swamp Thing title was moribund and probably headed for cancellation. It's quite surprising that Moore was given free rein to completely reinvent this established character, and in the process he both proved himself as one of the strongest writers in the field, and sent the comics world in new and darker directions that are still being felt today.

Moore makes use of the best methods of horror writing, and the stupendous artwork of Stephen Bissette and John Totleben accentuate the dark feel of the storylines and send the Swamp Thing series to new heights of terror. Much credit should be given to colorist Tatjana Wood as well. In this volume, check out the artists' very groundbreaking (for the time) use of frames, placement, and coloring to accentuate the psychological horror of the story. One of my favorite examples of this can be found on page 27 here, with the accented focus on the crazed eye of the villain Floronic Man. In fact, this initial volume highlights Moore's intentional connection with the standard comic universe as well, with creative reintroductions of both Floronic Man and Etrigan (Jack Kirby's Demon), who had both been little heard from previously, plus a cameo appearance by the Justice League of America.

This early in Moore's run, the gutwrenching plotlines were still building up steam, and the subsequent volumes of this series really deliver the goods. The most haunting and rewarding installments here are the trilogy that are listed as Books Five through Seven (or Swamp Thing 25-27 in their original form), which feature disturbing turns by troubled kids with connections to the dark side. This graphic novel series from DC constitutes some of the most tremendous works of art and writing in comics history, and this first volume easily shows what all the fuss was about. Whether you're new or re-experiencing the best original comics of your past, prepare to be blown away.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Well it's not The Watchmen but...
Review: It's still pretty darn good. Just the fact that I could find a story about the Swamp Thing enjoyable is pretty amazing but Moore pulled it off. I wasn't even that disturbed by the appearance of other caped-crusaders.

Here's what I didn't like: 1) That the plot line was kind of separated into 2 shorter 'themes'. 2) A thread started at the end that is not concluded in the book. 3) A monster that feeds on fear is just not all that original anymore.

But remember even with all that I gave it 4 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sheer brilliance!
Review: Man is this a great read. This is one of Alan Moore's best work. He crafts a story that absolutely blew me away. Not many tpbs have managed draw me so deep. The plot is simplistic yet so detailed in design and put in a way that is magnificent. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sheer brilliance!
Review: Man is this a great read. This is one of Alan Moore's best work. He crafts a story that absolutely blew me away. Not many tpbs have managed draw me so deep. The plot is simplistic yet so detailed in design and put in a way that is magnificent. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Very over-rated
Review: Ok, lets get this straight...a comic book has to be good at 2 things...story and art. If you just want a good story, read a novel, if you want art, buy a painting. A comic book should be both. The artwork in this is horrible. I know there are different types and styles of artwork, and im fine with that ( ie. Dark Knight by Frank Miller...very different style, but you can still tell its well done for what it is). This is just plain bad. The artist Stephen Bissette needs to find another job. The story itself is just mediocre. Im a comic book fan and horror fan, but this just does not cut it. Amazed people rate it so highly, when compared to Dark Knight, Watchman, Sandman and others. ( PS . .this artwork reminds me of first few issues of Sandman book...ALSO horrible art, although great story at least).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Moore's first. Still great.
Review: Swamp Thing is one of those really, cool, interesting heroes, that for whatever reason can never gain popularity and gain a following. Such is the fate of most Vertigo books, sadly. Anyway, this book gives new insight to what Swamp Thing actually is, and where he belongs; amongst plants or humans. It also has a very cool opening from Alan "the God" Moore, with his views on continuity. Plus it has one of the most beautiful colvers you'll ever see...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A classic work...
Review: This book is Alan Moore's breakthrough. This book gave him the solid base of fans that follow him regardless of what he does. I've been an Alan Moore fan for years but never read his Swamp Thing stories mostly because I didn't like Swamp Thing. Well, I do now.

Alan Moore, when he wrote this, was still forming the threads that follow through most of his work. You can see his continual cleverness as he seemlessly reworks the Swamp Thing into something else, reinvents him in the first issue.

Steve Bissette is so perfect for this work. There's a real creepiness to the whole book, the art is perfectly in tune with the whole process.

This is Alan Moore's storytelling at its roots and worth it completely. It's amazing that there's still 30 some odd issues to read.


<< 1 2 3 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates