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Swamp Thing (2011)
Swamp Thing, Volume 1: Raise Them Bones
In the 40-years since its debut, Swamp Thing has been graced with some of the best writers in comics from Len Wein to Alan Moore and now, as part of the DC Comics—The New 52, 'American Vampire' scribe Scott Snyder brings his talents to an all new Swamp Thing series set in the DC Universe.
Following the events of 'Brightest Day,' Alec Holland has his life back...but the "Green" has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it'll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!
This hardcover collection includes issues 1-7 of the monthly series.
Following the events of 'Brightest Day,' Alec Holland has his life back...but the "Green" has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it'll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!
This hardcover collection includes issues 1-7 of the monthly series.
168 pages, Paperback
Published August 28, 2012
43 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,778 books5,116 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
April 8, 2015
I'm giving a graphic novel five stars..and it's Swamp thing!
Dr. Alec Holland remembers dying and becoming a monster, but he doesn't want anything to do with that life. He remembers a white haired woman but the memories of that time are vague. Even when Superman comes to see him he admits he does not want to return to that life.
Then he finds out about a "bubble boy" from hell.
The kid can animate the dead. Wicked shit right there. If you have a cancer inside you or say a bad tooth? He can make it come alive, and he wants to destroy the "Green"..little butthole.
The art is awesome.
I can't wait to read more of this series.
Dr. Alec Holland remembers dying and becoming a monster, but he doesn't want anything to do with that life. He remembers a white haired woman but the memories of that time are vague. Even when Superman comes to see him he admits he does not want to return to that life.
Then he finds out about a "bubble boy" from hell.
The kid can animate the dead. Wicked shit right there. If you have a cancer inside you or say a bad tooth? He can make it come alive, and he wants to destroy the "Green"..little butthole.
The art is awesome.
I can't wait to read more of this series.
September 26, 2014
Poor Dr. Alec Holland, he’s been brought back from the dead by a comic book writer and he’s plagued by these memories of a different life, a different continuity as Swamp Thing. Hey Doc, I have the same nagging problem, but my symptoms are headaches, nausea, lethargy and a general malaise when I read anything with New 52 on the cover.
At least Swamp Thing is lucky. He’s written by Scott Snyder. Since Grant Morrison went over the edge, Snyder is one of DC’s few consistently decent writers. What you have here is good horror/superhero combo.
Anything that has a demon boy in a plastic bubble (Travolta’s got nothing on this kid), some guy puking up a lung (literally) and a huge rot monster sporting a baby head can’t be bad. Though what the hell Superman man is doing keeping tabs on the good doctor (isn’t he the inexperienced kid in this continuity) and not Batman (he’s a freaking scientist, Homer Simpson said so) puzzles me.
At least Swamp Thing is lucky. He’s written by Scott Snyder. Since Grant Morrison went over the edge, Snyder is one of DC’s few consistently decent writers. What you have here is good horror/superhero combo.
Anything that has a demon boy in a plastic bubble (Travolta’s got nothing on this kid), some guy puking up a lung (literally) and a huge rot monster sporting a baby head can’t be bad. Though what the hell Superman man is doing keeping tabs on the good doctor (isn’t he the inexperienced kid in this continuity) and not Batman (he’s a freaking scientist, Homer Simpson said so) puzzles me.
March 3, 2013
Swamp Thing?
Really?
Yeah, no. I'll pass, thanks.
I've never had any desire to read any of the past Swamp Thing trades...'cause it's Swamp Thing.
It sounded ...stoopid.
Behold! I am Swamp Thing!
Riiiight.
I never would have even bothered to give this a shot, except that several of my GR friends really loved it. Well, that, and for some reason my library had a few copies available.
So now we come to the part where I was wrong in my original assessment of this character.
*shrugs*
Eh, it happens...
This was shockingly good.
I mean, WOW.
Dear Scott Snyder,
I apologize for anything less than nice that I've said about you in the past. You are quite talented, and will forever have my respect.
Amen.
One of the best selling points (for me) was that you don't have to know anything about the characters to enjoy Raise Them Bones. Enough of the back story is explained so that even someone like me can walk into this and enjoy themselves. Part of the reason for a reboot is to (somewhat) start over at the beginning and retell the story in a different light, while updating characters to make them more relevant. I'm pretty sure Snyder accomplished that here.
Alec Holland is back from the dead, and the only thing he wants is a little peace and quiet. Unfortunately, The Green won't stop whispering to him about his higher purpose. His dreams are riddles with memories that aren't really his, and there's a woman he doesn't know...but can't seem to forget.
On the flip side, there's a little boy who's all alone in a hospital. His allergy to chlorophyll keeps him trapped in a sterile containment bubble, but here's more to him than the doctors or other patients realize.
At any rate, I'd say this one goes in the New-52-Didn't-Fuck-It-Up pile.
Really?
Yeah, no. I'll pass, thanks.
I've never had any desire to read any of the past Swamp Thing trades...'cause it's Swamp Thing.
It sounded ...stoopid.
Behold! I am Swamp Thing!
Riiiight.
I never would have even bothered to give this a shot, except that several of my GR friends really loved it. Well, that, and for some reason my library had a few copies available.
So now we come to the part where I was wrong in my original assessment of this character.
*shrugs*
Eh, it happens...
This was shockingly good.
I mean, WOW.
Dear Scott Snyder,
I apologize for anything less than nice that I've said about you in the past. You are quite talented, and will forever have my respect.
Amen.
One of the best selling points (for me) was that you don't have to know anything about the characters to enjoy Raise Them Bones. Enough of the back story is explained so that even someone like me can walk into this and enjoy themselves. Part of the reason for a reboot is to (somewhat) start over at the beginning and retell the story in a different light, while updating characters to make them more relevant. I'm pretty sure Snyder accomplished that here.
Alec Holland is back from the dead, and the only thing he wants is a little peace and quiet. Unfortunately, The Green won't stop whispering to him about his higher purpose. His dreams are riddles with memories that aren't really his, and there's a woman he doesn't know...but can't seem to forget.
On the flip side, there's a little boy who's all alone in a hospital. His allergy to chlorophyll keeps him trapped in a sterile containment bubble, but here's more to him than the doctors or other patients realize.
At any rate, I'd say this one goes in the New-52-Didn't-Fuck-It-Up pile.
July 31, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
So allllll of the Shallow Comic Book Readers who have read this gave it 4 Stars . . .
(Even Sam and he hates everything.) I didn’t not like it, I was just kind of . . .
(^^^^Look at me! What a P.I.M.P. I got 99 problems and finding the graphic novels I want to read at my library is definitely one.)
I am admittedly not a superhero comic reader (which Jeff is well aware of), so when I started Raise Them Bones and found this . . . .
happening on the second page I was concerned I’d have to go kick some ass. Turns out those fellas were just making a cameo appearance, though, and I didn’t have to kill Jeff after alltoo bad.
Alec Holland is reborn as a man, but is haunted by vague memories of his time as the Swamp Thing. While attempting to get back to some semblance of a normal life he is continually called by “The Green” and is haunted by images of a white-haired woman. When said woman appears, it is to enlist Holland’s help in stopping a terrifying bubble boy . . .
Yep, you heard me right. A terrifying bubble boy who has the ability to raise an army of the dead. It’s up to Holland to figure out if he should help this mysterious woman from his past or listen to the advice of the Parliament of Trees instead . . .
This was a good start (hence the 3 Stars – 3 = good). My problem was that basically this was merely a reintroduction to Swamp Thing and not a whole lot happened. I am well aware that this is my problem since I am a comic newbie. I’m cool with this kind of “story without really being a full story” thing when it’s a library book (as was the case here), but if I had shelled out my hard-earned cash I would have been pretty bummed. Those dollar bills don’t just stuff themselves in my underdrawers, ya know?!?!?!?!
Anyway, assuming my library actually obtains Volume 2, I would most definitely be down for reading it. Raise Them Bones was a solid start, Snyder is Snyder and knows how to write, the artwork was pretty phenomenal throughout . . .
heck even Mitchell’s cousin Bruce had a panel or three . . .
which all made for some fun times.
So allllll of the Shallow Comic Book Readers who have read this gave it 4 Stars . . .
(Even Sam and he hates everything.) I didn’t not like it, I was just kind of . . .
(^^^^Look at me! What a P.I.M.P. I got 99 problems and finding the graphic novels I want to read at my library is definitely one.)
I am admittedly not a superhero comic reader (which Jeff is well aware of), so when I started Raise Them Bones and found this . . . .
happening on the second page I was concerned I’d have to go kick some ass. Turns out those fellas were just making a cameo appearance, though, and I didn’t have to kill Jeff after all
Alec Holland is reborn as a man, but is haunted by vague memories of his time as the Swamp Thing. While attempting to get back to some semblance of a normal life he is continually called by “The Green” and is haunted by images of a white-haired woman. When said woman appears, it is to enlist Holland’s help in stopping a terrifying bubble boy . . .
Yep, you heard me right. A terrifying bubble boy who has the ability to raise an army of the dead. It’s up to Holland to figure out if he should help this mysterious woman from his past or listen to the advice of the Parliament of Trees instead . . .
This was a good start (hence the 3 Stars – 3 = good). My problem was that basically this was merely a reintroduction to Swamp Thing and not a whole lot happened. I am well aware that this is my problem since I am a comic newbie. I’m cool with this kind of “story without really being a full story” thing when it’s a library book (as was the case here), but if I had shelled out my hard-earned cash I would have been pretty bummed. Those dollar bills don’t just stuff themselves in my underdrawers, ya know?!?!?!?!
Anyway, assuming my library actually obtains Volume 2, I would most definitely be down for reading it. Raise Them Bones was a solid start, Snyder is Snyder and knows how to write, the artwork was pretty phenomenal throughout . . .
heck even Mitchell’s cousin Bruce had a panel or three . . .
which all made for some fun times.
February 9, 2017
This is my first swamp thing outside of random appearances in crossover events and I have to say the setup for the story is pretty damn epic. Life versus rot. The fundamental forces, with avatars. In love. I mean, how sweet is that?
Romeo and Juliette can suck it.
This is the kind of romance I can dig!
Oh, fantastically gruesome art, too. Blown away.
Romeo and Juliette can suck it.
This is the kind of romance I can dig!
Oh, fantastically gruesome art, too. Blown away.
June 20, 2019
Damned if this did not just draw me in and make me like it a lot.
Great work by the team of talented collaborators: Scott Snyder (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Illustrator), Marco Rudy (Illustrator), Victor Ibañez (Illustrator), Sean Parsons (Illustrator), Michel Lacombe (Illustrator) for a very entertaining and engaging revision of the Swamp Thing story. This 2012 publication takes the old DC standard to a new level and with a new backstory that makes this BLOOM with new GREEN life. (like what I did there?)
So I was a sometimes reader of the Swamp Thing comics back in the day and like a lot of teenage boys in the early eighties, I enjoyed the 1982 Wes Craven film for the campy story – and watching Adrienne Barbeau do her delightful acting out in the everglades.
Ahem.
Picking up the DC New 52 version, I was not sure what I was getting into – but it was pretty damn cool. Seems that there is an ancient Parliament of Trees – kind of a combo of Tolkien Ents and The Lorax – and there have been Swamp Thing “green knights” for eons. Existence is divvied up between the green and the red – plant life and animal life. But there is a nefarious third group – the black, the rot, DEATH!!!
Our hero has memories about the former story but that was kind of swept aside as a pseudo backstory and NOW we have all this new stuff with which to contend.
No Adrienne Barbeau but fun, and I’ll be reading more in this series.
Great work by the team of talented collaborators: Scott Snyder (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Illustrator), Marco Rudy (Illustrator), Victor Ibañez (Illustrator), Sean Parsons (Illustrator), Michel Lacombe (Illustrator) for a very entertaining and engaging revision of the Swamp Thing story. This 2012 publication takes the old DC standard to a new level and with a new backstory that makes this BLOOM with new GREEN life. (like what I did there?)
So I was a sometimes reader of the Swamp Thing comics back in the day and like a lot of teenage boys in the early eighties, I enjoyed the 1982 Wes Craven film for the campy story – and watching Adrienne Barbeau do her delightful acting out in the everglades.
Ahem.
Picking up the DC New 52 version, I was not sure what I was getting into – but it was pretty damn cool. Seems that there is an ancient Parliament of Trees – kind of a combo of Tolkien Ents and The Lorax – and there have been Swamp Thing “green knights” for eons. Existence is divvied up between the green and the red – plant life and animal life. But there is a nefarious third group – the black, the rot, DEATH!!!
Our hero has memories about the former story but that was kind of swept aside as a pseudo backstory and NOW we have all this new stuff with which to contend.
No Adrienne Barbeau but fun, and I’ll be reading more in this series.
April 11, 2016
Alec Holland is reborn with memories not his own, memories of the adventures of Swamp Thing. Forces of the Rot are marshaling and only the Swamp Thing can stop them. But what does all that have to do with an immune-deficient child named William?
I've made it no secret that I think Scott Snyder can do no wrong when it comes to comics. Swamp Thing really drove that point home. Stepping into Alan Moore's shoes on one of the projects that took him to stardom wasn't an enviable task. Good thing Scott Snyder eats unenviable tasks for breakfast.
Snyder's Swamp Thing isn't Moore's Swamp Thing and would have failed miserably if it tried to be. This Swamp Thing is the story of The Red and The Green going up against a force that threatens both of them, The Rot. Another Swamp Thing reveals Holland's destiny to him and that the past may not be exactly as he remembered it. Throw in one Abigail Arcane and Snyder weaves one heck of a tale.
The writing is top notch. I love how Snyder has recast Swamp Thing as a warrior for nature rather than just a protector. The art is pretty damn good as well. I loved the Easter eggs in the background, like Bissette Motors and the Tottleben Hotel, homages to Moore's collaborators on Swamp Thing in the 1980's.
Now I'm ready for volume 2 to come out.
I've made it no secret that I think Scott Snyder can do no wrong when it comes to comics. Swamp Thing really drove that point home. Stepping into Alan Moore's shoes on one of the projects that took him to stardom wasn't an enviable task. Good thing Scott Snyder eats unenviable tasks for breakfast.
Snyder's Swamp Thing isn't Moore's Swamp Thing and would have failed miserably if it tried to be. This Swamp Thing is the story of The Red and The Green going up against a force that threatens both of them, The Rot. Another Swamp Thing reveals Holland's destiny to him and that the past may not be exactly as he remembered it. Throw in one Abigail Arcane and Snyder weaves one heck of a tale.
The writing is top notch. I love how Snyder has recast Swamp Thing as a warrior for nature rather than just a protector. The art is pretty damn good as well. I loved the Easter eggs in the background, like Bissette Motors and the Tottleben Hotel, homages to Moore's collaborators on Swamp Thing in the 1980's.
Now I'm ready for volume 2 to come out.
September 15, 2012
Of all the “New 52” titles announced, “Swamp Thing” was the one I was looking forward to the most so having finished the first book I’m glad it’s as good as I’d hoped. Despite a somewhat convoluted explanation of how Alec Holland was and wasn’t Swamp Thing, things get moving pretty quickly as a deathly primeval force called “The Rot” threatens all plant-life on Earth. “The Green” and the Parliament of Trees reach out to Alec to become their champion, Swamp Thing, and help defeat the enemy. But Alec is finished with all things botanical... until Abby Arcane appears and suddenly the two are on the run from Abby’s evil half-brother William and the Black King Sethe.
Scott Snyder does a great job of setting up the series with a fantastic first book introducing the main characters well and explaining the strange but wonderful world of Swamp Thing to a new audience. The whole “Green” and “Rot” worlds are kind of abstract but interesting nonetheless and it seems like Swamp Thing has a formidable villain to battle against - always a big plus. I also like how we see little of Swamp Thing until the very end where the story builds to a thunderous climax as Alec Holland once more becomes the Monster. Reaching the end made me want to read the next book immediately.
Scott Snyder’s on a roll with 2 outstanding Batman books (“Black Mirror” and “Court of Owls”) under his belt and now Swamp Thing - he’s shaping up to becoming one of the best comics writers of today. The artwork is gorgeous as well with the panels connected with green roots, seeming to grow across the page organically. The excellent Yanick Paquette supplies most of the artwork and his strong artistic vision really drives the book, elevating Snyder’s story to a new level. His Swamp Thing depiction is also fantastic, particularly the final few pages.
Even if you’ve not read Swamp Thing before, this book is worth picking up to discover one of the DC Universe’s most interesting and underrated characters given a new lease of life by one of the finest comics writers around at the moment. For those who remember Alan Moore’s legendary run on the character, I think Snyder will match Moore’s storylines if not surpass them if this solid first book is any indication. “Swamp Thing: Raise Them Bones” is one of the highlights of the “New 52” line-up and definitely worth reading.
Scott Snyder does a great job of setting up the series with a fantastic first book introducing the main characters well and explaining the strange but wonderful world of Swamp Thing to a new audience. The whole “Green” and “Rot” worlds are kind of abstract but interesting nonetheless and it seems like Swamp Thing has a formidable villain to battle against - always a big plus. I also like how we see little of Swamp Thing until the very end where the story builds to a thunderous climax as Alec Holland once more becomes the Monster. Reaching the end made me want to read the next book immediately.
Scott Snyder’s on a roll with 2 outstanding Batman books (“Black Mirror” and “Court of Owls”) under his belt and now Swamp Thing - he’s shaping up to becoming one of the best comics writers of today. The artwork is gorgeous as well with the panels connected with green roots, seeming to grow across the page organically. The excellent Yanick Paquette supplies most of the artwork and his strong artistic vision really drives the book, elevating Snyder’s story to a new level. His Swamp Thing depiction is also fantastic, particularly the final few pages.
Even if you’ve not read Swamp Thing before, this book is worth picking up to discover one of the DC Universe’s most interesting and underrated characters given a new lease of life by one of the finest comics writers around at the moment. For those who remember Alan Moore’s legendary run on the character, I think Snyder will match Moore’s storylines if not surpass them if this solid first book is any indication. “Swamp Thing: Raise Them Bones” is one of the highlights of the “New 52” line-up and definitely worth reading.
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November 12, 2012
A flawed gem.
This is the first Scott Snyder title I've read and, I'll be honest, I am profoundly disappointed. The writing was just...feh.
I understand that Snyder isn't Moore and that Moore has gone a bit...off...in the last few decades. But Moore completely redefined the characters, the themes and the purpose of the Swamp Thing series, all for the better. It still remains one of the best superhero/horror/fantasy comics I have ever read. Even Veitch's attempt to follow Moore after he left the title was pretty dang good. And everyone I know adores Snyder's work, praises him to high-heaven -- so I suppose I was expecting more.
This work actually had some of the weakest dialogue I have encountered in any post-Silver Age comic; and the only thing that kept me from predicting all the cliched plot developments was the fact that Snyder's reputation led me to believe I wouldn't encounter anything so banal. Like Brandon Sanderson, it would seem that Snyder's strength is in his background characters, because all the worst lines are reserved for the two protagonists. The romantic sub-plot felt hollow and forced, and some of the lines given to Alec Holland and Kerrigan- er, I mean, Abigail Arcane are so bizarrely overblown that they feel like they came out of a vapid Summer blockbuster, not an intelligent horror comic. Also, while Abigail is made into a tougher (albeit generic) character, Alec Holland spends nearly the entire book moping and whining and ignoring any and all sign that things are getting worse because of his commitment to "emo" inaction; I didn't want to read more about him, didn't care what happened to him, couldn't believe the supposed prophesies about him, and ultimately hoped he'd die again and the title would pick up with Moore's emerald elemental, because Snyder's Holland was a pathetic, obnoxious, self-centered mess of a character, and the only reason I kept reading was that the villains and the background characters were genuinely interesting. Every time he started spouting those trite lines about "not asking for this" or "not wanting it", I kept hearing Linkara's "Superboy-Prime Voice" (http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vide...) in my head. I wouldn't at all be surprised if the next volume involved him shouting "I'LL KILL YOU TO DEATH!"
So with all these obvious, maddening flaws, why did I give this four stars? Why did I call this a gem?
Well, Snyder does get some things right. The overall plot is brilliant, a strange combination of picking up where Moore & Veitch left off and rebooting the entire series; and the new antagonistic force, the Rot (which I understand is also the antagonist in the rebooted "Animal Man" series) is delightfully grotesque -- with some fun artistic references to a certain villain in Moore's "Swamp Thing". The art style is a beautiful combination of Veitch's iconic designs and Paquette & Rudy's modern (if inconsistent) comickery. It picks up on almost everything thematic and atmospheric that defined the brilliance of Moore & Veitch's run -- excluding the characterization -- and grounds this book in an understanding of the violence inherent in the plant-world. I especially appreciated this last part, being the son of a Plant Pathologist.
So i may or may not pick up the next volume. There's a lot to like here, but there's also a lot to hate. I'm not sure if I want to pick up another Snyder title based on this volume, but I feel I should give him another chance. We'll see...
EDIT: Did anyone else notice the weird little figure on page 5? The hooded woman radiating red who doesn't seem to appear anywhere else in the comic? She's incongruous, standing out too much not to be noticed, and it actually feels like she was cut and pasted in there... I think I remember Linkara mentioning that she appeared in at least one other New 52 series, so maybe there'll be an attempt to tie all the series together...Or maybe it's a sort of "failsafe" in case even MORE of the New 52 series crash and burn, allowing DC to reboot BACK to the post-Criss, pre-Reboot universe? They can just say it was all that mysterious figure's doing!
EDIT 2: Having FINALLY finished Swamp Thing, Vol. 6: Reunion (which somehow I had no idea I had missed all those years ago) I have to remove that fourth star. Snyder's "Swamp Thing" story tries for the sprawling, epic feel, but it is small and mean and insignificant when compared to the beauty and the majesty of Moore's run; even compared to the satirical strangeness of Wein's original run, Snyder's "Swamp Thing" is a petty, hollow thing. There is potential in it, I recognize that, and I hope that it will be nurtured and come in time to blossom -- but compared to the artists who preceded him? The man is a gnat who fancies himself a giant.
This is the first Scott Snyder title I've read and, I'll be honest, I am profoundly disappointed. The writing was just...feh.
I understand that Snyder isn't Moore and that Moore has gone a bit...off...in the last few decades. But Moore completely redefined the characters, the themes and the purpose of the Swamp Thing series, all for the better. It still remains one of the best superhero/horror/fantasy comics I have ever read. Even Veitch's attempt to follow Moore after he left the title was pretty dang good. And everyone I know adores Snyder's work, praises him to high-heaven -- so I suppose I was expecting more.
This work actually had some of the weakest dialogue I have encountered in any post-Silver Age comic; and the only thing that kept me from predicting all the cliched plot developments was the fact that Snyder's reputation led me to believe I wouldn't encounter anything so banal. Like Brandon Sanderson, it would seem that Snyder's strength is in his background characters, because all the worst lines are reserved for the two protagonists. The romantic sub-plot felt hollow and forced, and some of the lines given to Alec Holland and Kerrigan- er, I mean, Abigail Arcane are so bizarrely overblown that they feel like they came out of a vapid Summer blockbuster, not an intelligent horror comic. Also, while Abigail is made into a tougher (albeit generic) character, Alec Holland spends nearly the entire book moping and whining and ignoring any and all sign that things are getting worse because of his commitment to "emo" inaction; I didn't want to read more about him, didn't care what happened to him, couldn't believe the supposed prophesies about him, and ultimately hoped he'd die again and the title would pick up with Moore's emerald elemental, because Snyder's Holland was a pathetic, obnoxious, self-centered mess of a character, and the only reason I kept reading was that the villains and the background characters were genuinely interesting. Every time he started spouting those trite lines about "not asking for this" or "not wanting it", I kept hearing Linkara's "Superboy-Prime Voice" (http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vide...) in my head. I wouldn't at all be surprised if the next volume involved him shouting "I'LL KILL YOU TO DEATH!"
So with all these obvious, maddening flaws, why did I give this four stars? Why did I call this a gem?
Well, Snyder does get some things right. The overall plot is brilliant, a strange combination of picking up where Moore & Veitch left off and rebooting the entire series; and the new antagonistic force, the Rot (which I understand is also the antagonist in the rebooted "Animal Man" series) is delightfully grotesque -- with some fun artistic references to a certain villain in Moore's "Swamp Thing". The art style is a beautiful combination of Veitch's iconic designs and Paquette & Rudy's modern (if inconsistent) comickery. It picks up on almost everything thematic and atmospheric that defined the brilliance of Moore & Veitch's run -- excluding the characterization -- and grounds this book in an understanding of the violence inherent in the plant-world. I especially appreciated this last part, being the son of a Plant Pathologist.
So i may or may not pick up the next volume. There's a lot to like here, but there's also a lot to hate. I'm not sure if I want to pick up another Snyder title based on this volume, but I feel I should give him another chance. We'll see...
EDIT: Did anyone else notice the weird little figure on page 5? The hooded woman radiating red who doesn't seem to appear anywhere else in the comic? She's incongruous, standing out too much not to be noticed, and it actually feels like she was cut and pasted in there... I think I remember Linkara mentioning that she appeared in at least one other New 52 series, so maybe there'll be an attempt to tie all the series together...Or maybe it's a sort of "failsafe" in case even MORE of the New 52 series crash and burn, allowing DC to reboot BACK to the post-Criss, pre-Reboot universe? They can just say it was all that mysterious figure's doing!
EDIT 2: Having FINALLY finished Swamp Thing, Vol. 6: Reunion (which somehow I had no idea I had missed all those years ago) I have to remove that fourth star. Snyder's "Swamp Thing" story tries for the sprawling, epic feel, but it is small and mean and insignificant when compared to the beauty and the majesty of Moore's run; even compared to the satirical strangeness of Wein's original run, Snyder's "Swamp Thing" is a petty, hollow thing. There is potential in it, I recognize that, and I hope that it will be nurtured and come in time to blossom -- but compared to the artists who preceded him? The man is a gnat who fancies himself a giant.
April 14, 2014
Anyone who has spent any time in a swamp or other natural setting or even on a farm has had a chance to witness life springing from rot and decay. This was one of the major themes of Alan Moore's legendary 1980s turn as the writer of DC's Swamp Thing. Moore's interpretation of the titular creature was after all a walking, talking mass of roots and vines grown from a dead man's submerged corpse. Aided by an experimental bio-restorative formula and some metaphysical push, the swamp had consumed Alec Holland's memories and consciousness and grown something new. The resulting creature could even muse darkly that "evil" was the "loam," the only available soil or fertilizer, out of which virtue could grow in this violent world of interdependent life and death. Coming from that heady, dark, thoughtful history, Scott Snyder's 2011 Swamp Thing reboot presents a drastic simplification, in which the hero is basically human and his struggle is an unambiguous one of life and virtue against death, rot, and evil, which this time have precious little to do with one another. Plagues, microbes, flies, all those flourishing signs of swampy rot and transformation are now "the black," just creeping death with apocalyptic potential, absolutely counterpoised to the living worlds "green" and "red." This is Swamp Thing for those who've never seen a swamp or thought about biology or read the Alan Moore books. It might as well be called Lawn Thing.
couldn-t-hack-it
May 16, 2017Way to kill the franchise, Bakula!
Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing is one of my favourite graphic novel series, so I took it as a given that I would love this. Wrong! I got a bit more than half-way through when I decided to throw in the towel.
Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing is one of my favourite graphic novel series, so I took it as a given that I would love this. Wrong! I got a bit more than half-way through when I decided to throw in the towel.
December 18, 2024
I love how Snyder does his own version of Swamp Thing while more than acknowledging the groundbreaking Moore run. He establishes his own horror tilt with the battle between the Green, the Red and the Rot. Yannick Paquette makes this book look badass. I love the page layouts with various plant matter providing the panel edges. The subtle nods to past creators popping up randomly was a nice touch as well. Finding the omnibus at the library was the perfect excuse to run through the whole thing again. The rare New 52 series that is worth reading.
June 27, 2024
Wow. I have other words to describe my reaction to Scott Snyder’s “Swamp Thing, Volume 1: Raise Them Bones”, but most of them can be encapsulated in that one word.
It’s a good “wow”, by the way. Definitely not the “holy shit, that was so not good” type of “wow”. That type of “wow” is usually reserved for a James Patterson novel or the latest Michael Bay movie.
No, this was one of those “Damn, that was way better than I expected” kind of “wow”.
Several things make this an above average comic book. The first is Snyder’s writing. It’s butter-smooth and intelligent, without being overblown like Grant Morrison. He manages to tell a story that a reader (like myself) can read and understand without needing a ton of backstory.
There have been many writers in this title, many good ones, but I am coming to this series for the first time. My only intro was the Alan Moore run in the ‘80s, when he was head writer for about four years.
Snyder could have buried me in a shit-load of references to events that I have no knowledge about, but he doesn’t. Indeed, he keeps the exposition to a minimum, doling out tidbits of info as needed.
For example, Alec Holland—-a living, breathing Holland who didn’t get burnt to a crisp in his lab forty years ago—-awoke one day, alive, with memories of dying and being the Swamp Thing. Now he’s just trying to live a normal life.
Now, I’m not saying I don’t have a lot of questions. I do. And Snyder could probably provide a lot more answers, but he doesn’t. And that’s probably for the best. His story is the here and now. What’s past is past.
Another thing that makes this an above average comic book is the artwork, by Yanick Paquette, with Marco Rudy and Victor Ibanez providing extra art backup. Paquette understands horror, and he understands that Swamp Thing—-despite living in a universe in which Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman live—-exists in a horrific world as far from the superhero conventions as possible. This is a horror comic.
It goes without saying, or maybe it doesn’t, that this comic book series is most definitely not for children. The gore is off the charts here, which, for horror hounds like myself, is great, but don’t let your under-13 kids peruse it. Some of it is nightmare-inducing, even for adults.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of this series.
It’s a good “wow”, by the way. Definitely not the “holy shit, that was so not good” type of “wow”. That type of “wow” is usually reserved for a James Patterson novel or the latest Michael Bay movie.
No, this was one of those “Damn, that was way better than I expected” kind of “wow”.
Several things make this an above average comic book. The first is Snyder’s writing. It’s butter-smooth and intelligent, without being overblown like Grant Morrison. He manages to tell a story that a reader (like myself) can read and understand without needing a ton of backstory.
There have been many writers in this title, many good ones, but I am coming to this series for the first time. My only intro was the Alan Moore run in the ‘80s, when he was head writer for about four years.
Snyder could have buried me in a shit-load of references to events that I have no knowledge about, but he doesn’t. Indeed, he keeps the exposition to a minimum, doling out tidbits of info as needed.
For example, Alec Holland—-a living, breathing Holland who didn’t get burnt to a crisp in his lab forty years ago—-awoke one day, alive, with memories of dying and being the Swamp Thing. Now he’s just trying to live a normal life.
Now, I’m not saying I don’t have a lot of questions. I do. And Snyder could probably provide a lot more answers, but he doesn’t. And that’s probably for the best. His story is the here and now. What’s past is past.
Another thing that makes this an above average comic book is the artwork, by Yanick Paquette, with Marco Rudy and Victor Ibanez providing extra art backup. Paquette understands horror, and he understands that Swamp Thing—-despite living in a universe in which Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman live—-exists in a horrific world as far from the superhero conventions as possible. This is a horror comic.
It goes without saying, or maybe it doesn’t, that this comic book series is most definitely not for children. The gore is off the charts here, which, for horror hounds like myself, is great, but don’t let your under-13 kids peruse it. Some of it is nightmare-inducing, even for adults.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of this series.
April 11, 2013
Swamp Thing has protected the earth's green life for years by the time we see Dr. Holland show up here. In fact, he is another in a long line of Swamp Thing protectors - just one of the more unwilling ones. It's a little weird tho, getting dropped into the narrative *after* he's had all these horrific experiences as the monster - it's like getting introduced to someone and hearing about all the wild sex & drugs they *used* I have, but "I outgrew that stuff and I'm over it now.". NOW you decide to become a boring jackass? Why couldn't I meet you five years ago?
Snyder sets up a quest of Joseph Campbell proportions, and a supernatural villain that reminds me of some recent Boom Studios' Cthulhu tales, he's so primordial and insurmountable.
The art by Paquette though, sets the real tone of the book, with both immediate cues (how the other superheroes have no action to take in the first few pages) and subtle (like the panel borders using different types of organic materials to represent the mood and threat level). That's some damn fine creative work, far more than you'd be expected to throw down, and it puts this book well above the workaday DC dreck that's being shovelled out monthly. This is stuff I'd be proud to show on my bookshelf.
One scene in the middle disturbed me more than anything though - where the white-haired chick is kissing Swamp Thing, putting her mouth on and in a living bog of rotten plants. Really? Have you ever got your foot stuck in a big and pulled up some of that ancient festering brown shit? No thank you.
Snyder builds the story to a crescendo of excellent pacing, dread and pathos. The ending was honestly a surprise to me, no matter how obvious it might've been to the rest of you - and I credit that to a set of convincing characters (fantastic as they also are). This ends so strongly I want to invent a time machine just so I can jump ahead to when the second trade is already available and read the shit out of it now.
Thanks to the creative team for such a cool, thoughtful, rich conceptual world. This is a book that should *not* have been as good as this (Alan Moore be damned).
Snyder sets up a quest of Joseph Campbell proportions, and a supernatural villain that reminds me of some recent Boom Studios' Cthulhu tales, he's so primordial and insurmountable.
The art by Paquette though, sets the real tone of the book, with both immediate cues (how the other superheroes have no action to take in the first few pages) and subtle (like the panel borders using different types of organic materials to represent the mood and threat level). That's some damn fine creative work, far more than you'd be expected to throw down, and it puts this book well above the workaday DC dreck that's being shovelled out monthly. This is stuff I'd be proud to show on my bookshelf.
One scene in the middle disturbed me more than anything though - where the white-haired chick is kissing Swamp Thing, putting her mouth on and in a living bog of rotten plants. Really? Have you ever got your foot stuck in a big and pulled up some of that ancient festering brown shit? No thank you.
Snyder builds the story to a crescendo of excellent pacing, dread and pathos. The ending was honestly a surprise to me, no matter how obvious it might've been to the rest of you - and I credit that to a set of convincing characters (fantastic as they also are). This ends so strongly I want to invent a time machine just so I can jump ahead to when the second trade is already available and read the shit out of it now.
Thanks to the creative team for such a cool, thoughtful, rich conceptual world. This is a book that should *not* have been as good as this (Alan Moore be damned).
February 10, 2022
This was a fascinating read.
Alec holland is done being swamp thing and after he is reborn, he gets greeted by the parliament of the trees and is made known of the things to come specifically the rot and how he has to be a champion again and all that and the inner turmoil of a character and then meeting Abby, falling in love with her again and even though he has memories of her which are not his (I guess referencing Moore's run) and all that and then how they have to escape William (her step brother and the Arcanes are known to be wielders of the rot) who wants her and well merge her with Sethe (superior evil being?) and thus the conflict of love but at what cost, born to be mortal enemies and all that and Can Alec be the swamp thing again and save the Green who don't want him to be seduced by the Avatar of the rot but in his heart for Abby, he wants her...
Its a romantic story unlike other and told through different lens and I love the conflict in Alec's mind like should he become the swamp thing again and the lore established through the Arcanes and their connection to the rotworld is quite fascinating and I quite like it! The art was awesome and there were multiple artists but it didn't feel like it since they work so well in tandem. Amazing stuff all around.
Alec holland is done being swamp thing and after he is reborn, he gets greeted by the parliament of the trees and is made known of the things to come specifically the rot and how he has to be a champion again and all that and the inner turmoil of a character and then meeting Abby, falling in love with her again and even though he has memories of her which are not his (I guess referencing Moore's run) and all that and then how they have to escape William (her step brother and the Arcanes are known to be wielders of the rot) who wants her and well merge her with Sethe (superior evil being?) and thus the conflict of love but at what cost, born to be mortal enemies and all that and Can Alec be the swamp thing again and save the Green who don't want him to be seduced by the Avatar of the rot but in his heart for Abby, he wants her...
Its a romantic story unlike other and told through different lens and I love the conflict in Alec's mind like should he become the swamp thing again and the lore established through the Arcanes and their connection to the rotworld is quite fascinating and I quite like it! The art was awesome and there were multiple artists but it didn't feel like it since they work so well in tandem. Amazing stuff all around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2012
I'll be honest, it took me an issue or two to get into this one. But once I did... Wow. I love the idea of the Swamp Thing being a warrior for the Green. Alec Holland was handled very well. I get his hesitation to become the creature again, and why he puts it off. The art is often stunning, just a pleasure to look at. More than once, I would turn a page and just stare at the layout in front of me, enjoying the art before reading a word, which is unusual for me. Bonus points: the reader only needs to know a bare minimum of the Swamp Thing backstory, and even that much is explained enough that even the totally uninitiated wouldn't be too lost. Lucky for me, since I've only read the first trade of Alan Moore's run. One of the best of the New 52.
April 3, 2017
I might review this one later.
March 8, 2012
I had never read any Swamp Thing before, but picked up issue 1 of this comic just because of Scott Snyder's name on the front (who's quickly becoming one of my favorite writers). This book is absolutely amazing. The seven issues in this volume sets up an expansive fantasy/horror epic, one that will be increased tenfold in size with the highly anticipated Animal Man crossover coming in a few months.
This opens with a recently resurrected Alec Holland, who, from what I understand, has never been featured prominently as a human ever, in the 40 year history of Swamp Thing comics. He's warned of an approaching horror -- one that will almost certainly end the world, and him returning as Swamp Thing is the only chance the world has. It's essentially the same 'end of the world' plot that has been used and reused and ran into the ground time and time again, but what makes this so great is Snyder's execution of the story. Like Animal Man, it effortlessly combines superhero mythology with absolutely terrifying gross-out horror, and fantasy on a scale reminiscent of Stephen King's (Scott Snyder's mentor) Dark Tower series. The final issue's last pages sent shivers down my spine, and has one of the coolest endings ever.
Yanick Paquette's art is also mindblowing. Instead of going for the standard comic book panels, he mixes everything up, creating these elaborate splash pages that will have you flipping back through and staring at each page in wonder.
Simply put, I can't praise this series enough. Like Animal Man, it's given me a reason to look forward to the first Wednesday of every month. If you have even a remote admiration for comic books, check this out.
5/5
This opens with a recently resurrected Alec Holland, who, from what I understand, has never been featured prominently as a human ever, in the 40 year history of Swamp Thing comics. He's warned of an approaching horror -- one that will almost certainly end the world, and him returning as Swamp Thing is the only chance the world has. It's essentially the same 'end of the world' plot that has been used and reused and ran into the ground time and time again, but what makes this so great is Snyder's execution of the story. Like Animal Man, it effortlessly combines superhero mythology with absolutely terrifying gross-out horror, and fantasy on a scale reminiscent of Stephen King's (Scott Snyder's mentor) Dark Tower series. The final issue's last pages sent shivers down my spine, and has one of the coolest endings ever.
Yanick Paquette's art is also mindblowing. Instead of going for the standard comic book panels, he mixes everything up, creating these elaborate splash pages that will have you flipping back through and staring at each page in wonder.
Simply put, I can't praise this series enough. Like Animal Man, it's given me a reason to look forward to the first Wednesday of every month. If you have even a remote admiration for comic books, check this out.
5/5
July 29, 2016
Kind of let down with this volume. I guess I expected more? Before we get to the bad let's start with the good, cause there is some great stuff.
The design of swamp thing is badass. The main villain of this, a crazy little kid with the power of Rot in his blood, is horrifying and kills without blinking. Scary. Also loved the more horror/mystery feel of it. Also very easy to get in to even if you never read Swamp Thing before.
The bad start with the slow pacing at points. Also things feel dragged on, and the time it takes to finally see the swamp thing takes far to long. We could have cut around 20 pages here. Also the panels being all over the place make it hard to keep place of what you're reading.
Intriguing start but nothing to go crazy over. As it stands I give the first volume a 3 out of 5, solid, but not great. Let's hope it gets better!
The design of swamp thing is badass. The main villain of this, a crazy little kid with the power of Rot in his blood, is horrifying and kills without blinking. Scary. Also loved the more horror/mystery feel of it. Also very easy to get in to even if you never read Swamp Thing before.
The bad start with the slow pacing at points. Also things feel dragged on, and the time it takes to finally see the swamp thing takes far to long. We could have cut around 20 pages here. Also the panels being all over the place make it hard to keep place of what you're reading.
Intriguing start but nothing to go crazy over. As it stands I give the first volume a 3 out of 5, solid, but not great. Let's hope it gets better!
May 2, 2013
I'd only read a few Swamp Thing comics before this, but when I saw Scott Snyder's name attached, I knew it would be worth the time. It was. Snyder is quickly becoming one of my favourites, especially with all his good work in Batman. This is a very engaging story about Alec Holland, the once Swamp Thing (or was he?) and it's a nice little link to have Superman appear and talk to him, as well as brief glimpses of Batman and Aquaman. The storyline is solid, things have been changed from the original but it's a great place to dive into the series and character. I look forward to reading more.
September 7, 2014
I don't have a frame of reference for this book, since all I know about it is the really cheesy movie that came out many moons ago with Adrienne Barbeau. I did read an older Hellblazer, where Swamp Thing pops in at the end, but that's about it. Overall, this was pretty good, but the subject matter is pretty icky. I did like the concept of nature being sort of neutral when it comes to good and evil. While Alec has always felt an affinity towards plants, he doesn't look at the green kingdom as a soft, fluffy, harmless place. Instead, he is aware that plants can be in their own way predatory and vicious. It's an interesting thought, and I see the truth in it. Case in point, a Clover vine that almost smothered my Crepe Myrtle bush and caused it to be susceptible to fungus that nearly killed it. That vine might seem harmless, but it certainly wasn't. Let's not even talk about Kudzu. Anyway, I digress. In this storyline, nature is a balance between the Red and the Green. The Red is animal life and the Green is plant life. And then there is the Rot. The dark spirit of decay and destruction. Now that is a creepy idea. The fact that those who have this power (of the Rot) can find the tiny spot of necrosis in you and cause it to overtake and destroy your body, turn you into this horrible, shambling zombie who spreads this corruption. And the only thing that stands between the Rot taking over and destroying life is the champion picked by the Parliament of Trees. Too bad Alec Holland is a reluctant hero.
I liked the Romeo and Juliet type feel between Alec and Abigail, since they are seemingly on different sides. It appeals to the romantic in me. What turned me off was the ick factor with the Rot. This book has some very disturbing imagery. I think it's the healer and lover of life in me. I am repulsed by the idea of decay and rot, so this book hit me where I love. This is a visceral read. The imagery jumping off the page at you. the ending is a huge cliffhanger, so you pretty much have to keep reading it. I'll definitely follow the series, but not in a row. I need a breather.
It's a good read, but some scenes are not fun reading, so I'd give it a 3.5/5.0 stars.
I liked the Romeo and Juliet type feel between Alec and Abigail, since they are seemingly on different sides. It appeals to the romantic in me. What turned me off was the ick factor with the Rot. This book has some very disturbing imagery. I think it's the healer and lover of life in me. I am repulsed by the idea of decay and rot, so this book hit me where I love. This is a visceral read. The imagery jumping off the page at you. the ending is a huge cliffhanger, so you pretty much have to keep reading it. I'll definitely follow the series, but not in a row. I need a breather.
It's a good read, but some scenes are not fun reading, so I'd give it a 3.5/5.0 stars.
September 20, 2014
This was pretty amazing! And I am shocked to see me typing that... I was skeptical heading into it, but quickly changed my mind.
First of all, the art work is stunning. At once grotesque, horrific, expressionistic and surreal. It feels and looks like artwork that would be found in a graphic novel, which lends a level of sophistication and maturity to the volume.
Secondly, it is very intriguing! Right away, the reader learns that Alec has unexplained memories of a past life. Does he remember the pre-new52 universe? What role does he play in it? Is there some kind of DCnU collective unconsciousness? It raises a lot of questions right out of the gates.
Finally, it's a story about a human being. Snyder takes time to establish Holland as a human character before he exposes the monster/hero to the reader. It's a smart move. Instead of making it a total hero-fantasy, he makes it a very human story with very human struggles and vey human conflicts. Of course there is plenty of non-human stuff in there to keep everyone happy.
Looking forward to this series, for sure!
4.5/5
First of all, the art work is stunning. At once grotesque, horrific, expressionistic and surreal. It feels and looks like artwork that would be found in a graphic novel, which lends a level of sophistication and maturity to the volume.
Secondly, it is very intriguing! Right away, the reader learns that Alec has unexplained memories of a past life. Does he remember the pre-new52 universe? What role does he play in it? Is there some kind of DCnU collective unconsciousness? It raises a lot of questions right out of the gates.
Finally, it's a story about a human being. Snyder takes time to establish Holland as a human character before he exposes the monster/hero to the reader. It's a smart move. Instead of making it a total hero-fantasy, he makes it a very human story with very human struggles and vey human conflicts. Of course there is plenty of non-human stuff in there to keep everyone happy.
Looking forward to this series, for sure!
4.5/5
June 7, 2017
Not my cup of tea! I don't know guys, I like Swamp Thing as a character but I guess his comic books aren't for me, after trying this and Alan Moore's run. I will say Snyder does a good job of tying in his run to Moore's which I thought was cool but otherwise Swamp Thing comics just aren't clicking with me, not saying this is bad at all, its just not for me.
January 25, 2013
“Swamp Thing proves that Snyder can write well outside of Batman with a stunning opening volume to the new series which I will be following for sure.” ~The Founding Fields
Swamp Thing: Raise Them Bones was the second volume of DC’s New 52 that I purchased for trade paperback after the success of the first volume of the Teen Titans: It’s Our Right To Fight, and now that I look back on it, I realise that I could not have picked a more different series. Even though Scott Snyder has worked on Batman, Raise Them Bones is a whole different beast to any DC, and indeed – Marvel comic that I’ve read before. And did I enjoy it?
Yes. I enjoyed it a lot.
"In the 40-years since its debut, Swamp Thing has been graced with some of the best writers in comics from Len Wein to Alan Moore and now, as part of the DC Comics—The New 52, ‘American Vampire’ scribe Scott Snyder brings his talents to an all new Swamp Thing series set in the DC Universe.Following the events of ‘Brightest Day,’ Alec Holland has his life back…but the “Green” has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it’ll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!This hardcover collection includes issues 1-7 of the monthly series."
For starters, I have not read any Swamp Thing related title before, and until I saw this series on Comixology I did not even know that Swamp Thing existed. After some thought and some good feedback from regular sources, I ended up picking the first issue up digitally. And I wasn’t that impressed with it, mainly because I was left wondering what the hell was going on.
So I was essentially taking a huge risk with Raise Them Bones. And did it pay off? Yes, yes it did. The first issue was much clearer when read with the other six contained within this volume, and I really got into the great atmospheric tone created by Snyder and artist Paquette alike. Although the series was a bit confusing to start off with, Snyder does a great job at establishing the series for new readers and by the end of the graphic novel I wasn’t too lost. I knew about the Rot and the Green, the two warring factions, I knew about Alec Holland, and I knew about Abigal Arcane and her younger, evil half brother William. Everything sort of fell into place in the last few pages, and I was left thinking – “Holy Crap. This is brilliant.”
Read the rest of the review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/12/....
Swamp Thing: Raise Them Bones was the second volume of DC’s New 52 that I purchased for trade paperback after the success of the first volume of the Teen Titans: It’s Our Right To Fight, and now that I look back on it, I realise that I could not have picked a more different series. Even though Scott Snyder has worked on Batman, Raise Them Bones is a whole different beast to any DC, and indeed – Marvel comic that I’ve read before. And did I enjoy it?
Yes. I enjoyed it a lot.
"In the 40-years since its debut, Swamp Thing has been graced with some of the best writers in comics from Len Wein to Alan Moore and now, as part of the DC Comics—The New 52, ‘American Vampire’ scribe Scott Snyder brings his talents to an all new Swamp Thing series set in the DC Universe.Following the events of ‘Brightest Day,’ Alec Holland has his life back…but the “Green” has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it’ll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!This hardcover collection includes issues 1-7 of the monthly series."
For starters, I have not read any Swamp Thing related title before, and until I saw this series on Comixology I did not even know that Swamp Thing existed. After some thought and some good feedback from regular sources, I ended up picking the first issue up digitally. And I wasn’t that impressed with it, mainly because I was left wondering what the hell was going on.
So I was essentially taking a huge risk with Raise Them Bones. And did it pay off? Yes, yes it did. The first issue was much clearer when read with the other six contained within this volume, and I really got into the great atmospheric tone created by Snyder and artist Paquette alike. Although the series was a bit confusing to start off with, Snyder does a great job at establishing the series for new readers and by the end of the graphic novel I wasn’t too lost. I knew about the Rot and the Green, the two warring factions, I knew about Alec Holland, and I knew about Abigal Arcane and her younger, evil half brother William. Everything sort of fell into place in the last few pages, and I was left thinking – “Holy Crap. This is brilliant.”
Read the rest of the review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/12/....
January 9, 2016
Whoa, that was brilliant! I've read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run before, but I never quite got into it. It always felt a bit overwritten and dated, not living up to its full potential.
This volume, though, feels like the best of Moore's run being mixed with Snyder's own talent for horror stories. It's dark, disturbing and yet completely immersive.
Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy also do incredible job on the artwork, emulating Stephen Bisette's crazy psychedelic style, most notably in inventive panel layouts. But they also add a lot of their own, creating very impressive and really disturbing images.
All in all, it is a great comic book, respectful of its past and yet fresh and inventive. Well worth giving a read.
This volume, though, feels like the best of Moore's run being mixed with Snyder's own talent for horror stories. It's dark, disturbing and yet completely immersive.
Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy also do incredible job on the artwork, emulating Stephen Bisette's crazy psychedelic style, most notably in inventive panel layouts. But they also add a lot of their own, creating very impressive and really disturbing images.
All in all, it is a great comic book, respectful of its past and yet fresh and inventive. Well worth giving a read.
August 21, 2016
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
When I play Lego Batman 2 with my little brother sometimes (Yeah, I have to play video games with him at times. Thanks, for that, dad.), I try to play different heroes. Weird ones. Cool ones. Ones I’ve never heard of. We have collected a lot of different guys in the game, so it is pretty easy to always get someone new to try out. The weirdest of them all is Swamp Thing. I got to thinking I’d like to read one of his books, so I found this older ones at the library and gave it a try.
My brothers always tell me I explain things too much and make too much of things, so let me try to get the point about this story. There is a guy named Alec Holland who died in a swamp, but the plants named “The Green” refused to let this man die. They saved him, but with a price. The Green making him Swamp Thing. Now, years later, the Green takes the curse away from him, but he still hears the plants screaming at him to come back and save them.
Weird, I know.
Not knowing anything about Swamp Thing, I was glad the book started out by telling me about Alec and the Green. Can’t say I got it all, because I didn’t, but it did help a little.
I would say Swamp Thing was an okay book. The story was alright, and that is what every person who reads a book tries to find. Like I said earlier, I didn’t really get everything going on, but I got enough of it to want to finish.
As for the art by Yanick Paquette it was also pretty good. Different but good. A lot of green. But green goes with the whole “The Green” thing.
The only part of the book I didn’t like was the violence. There was a lot of it. My dad said this was a book written for older teens and adults who loved the old Swamp Thing written by Alan Moore, so that was why the drawing were so graphically violent. For once, dad is right, I guess, because I wish the artist had not made things so violent like that.
Well, I hope you liked the review, and I hope you give Swamp Thing a try. You might like it even more than I did.
When I play Lego Batman 2 with my little brother sometimes (Yeah, I have to play video games with him at times. Thanks, for that, dad.), I try to play different heroes. Weird ones. Cool ones. Ones I’ve never heard of. We have collected a lot of different guys in the game, so it is pretty easy to always get someone new to try out. The weirdest of them all is Swamp Thing. I got to thinking I’d like to read one of his books, so I found this older ones at the library and gave it a try.
My brothers always tell me I explain things too much and make too much of things, so let me try to get the point about this story. There is a guy named Alec Holland who died in a swamp, but the plants named “The Green” refused to let this man die. They saved him, but with a price. The Green making him Swamp Thing. Now, years later, the Green takes the curse away from him, but he still hears the plants screaming at him to come back and save them.
Weird, I know.
Not knowing anything about Swamp Thing, I was glad the book started out by telling me about Alec and the Green. Can’t say I got it all, because I didn’t, but it did help a little.
I would say Swamp Thing was an okay book. The story was alright, and that is what every person who reads a book tries to find. Like I said earlier, I didn’t really get everything going on, but I got enough of it to want to finish.
As for the art by Yanick Paquette it was also pretty good. Different but good. A lot of green. But green goes with the whole “The Green” thing.
The only part of the book I didn’t like was the violence. There was a lot of it. My dad said this was a book written for older teens and adults who loved the old Swamp Thing written by Alan Moore, so that was why the drawing were so graphically violent. For once, dad is right, I guess, because I wish the artist had not made things so violent like that.
Well, I hope you liked the review, and I hope you give Swamp Thing a try. You might like it even more than I did.
October 8, 2012
Unknown to to the casual comics fan the Swamp Thing title has been fortunate to have a series of excellent writers over the years. Most people think, "Oh, its was just Alan Moore." That is because DC wisely has learned they can milk both soft and hardcover editions of Moore's work for profit by keeping them in print (and any publisher, be it Harper Collins etc. would do the same). Before Moore there was the excellent Lew Wein/Bernie Wrightson run, and after Moore Rick Veitch (with the ufortunately never published issue 88), Nancy Collins and Brian Vaughn (later to work on the hit television series lost).
New writer Scott Snyder began as a sort story horror author, and he created and owns the Vertigo title American Vampire. Now, he brings the horror back to this title which I would call a soft reboot in the new DCNU. The relationship between Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane has changed, both for the better and the worse. While it is obvious to see the groundwork laid for the upcoming Rotworld crossover this introduction to the new Swamp Thing can stand on its own.
For meta fans look for the various Easter Eggs (hints, Dirk Durock, Wrightson, etc.)
New writer Scott Snyder began as a sort story horror author, and he created and owns the Vertigo title American Vampire. Now, he brings the horror back to this title which I would call a soft reboot in the new DCNU. The relationship between Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane has changed, both for the better and the worse. While it is obvious to see the groundwork laid for the upcoming Rotworld crossover this introduction to the new Swamp Thing can stand on its own.
For meta fans look for the various Easter Eggs (hints, Dirk Durock, Wrightson, etc.)
January 6, 2023
This is the first Swamp Thing book I have ever read. Exceptional art, great characters, and swiftly moving the action along while establishing a compelling story and origin. Checked all the boxes for me.
June 1, 2015
Full review to come. Let's just say I finally found my favorite New 52 though! :)
July 24, 2023
The Scott Snyder run of Swamp Thing is one of the most entertaining things I have ever read. A little short on words, but makes up for it with the amazing action, and story.
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