Swamp Thing Book 1

Before WATCHMEN, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book THE SWAMP THING. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history. With modern-day issues explored against a backdrop of horror, SWAMP THING's stories became commentaries on environmental, political and social issues, unflinching in their relevance.*FROM PREFACE...SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING. 'See if you like'em.' Like them? Indeed I did. Here was someone who was finally leading the comic book towards its true potential with insightful scripts and excellent art direction, pushing through those hazed peripheries of the imagination with stories that were not just literate, but - and I don't use the word lightly - inspired. Let's say I was somewhat impressed. THE SWAMP THING is no quick, satisfying read. No, it's much more than that. The stories give cause for thought and then further, deeper thought long after you've laid them aside. Now that's some achievement in this field. This is no Incredible Hulk or The Heap (remember The Heap?). The Swamp Thing isn't a man transformed, but a dying man's consciousness, his psyche, absorbed through circumstances by the environment of his death. Now that's heavy stuff, but when you take the mental leap it makes perfect and fascinating sense. And once you decide to be swept along by Alan Moore's fertile imagination (helped along by some excellently succinct prose), then there's no turning back. You're hooked. Me, I'm glad to be back on that hook. JAMES HERBERT