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Swamp Thing by Mark Millar and Phil Hester Omnibus
896 pages, Hardcover
Published January 14, 2025
7 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Mark Millar
1,540 books2,591 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 1, 2025
One of the best runs of the Swamp Thing. Great to have it attractively collected in its entirety.
Bad Gumbo (140-143). In this first arc by both Morrison & Millar, you can see how hard they're trying to be Moore. The first issue, when Alec wakes up with his whole Swamp Life being (seemingly) a dream feels as much of an about-face as "The Anatomy Lesson", something that the authors emphasize even more when they again ask the question of who Alec is and who the Swamp Thing is ... but in a different way from Moore's classic.
Morrison & Millar aren't up to Moore's quality of writing, but it's great to see reflections of that terrific run after several years of comics that had been mediocre in comparison. It's also terrific to see the horror fully back in the comic.
What surprises me most is how much setup there is for Millar's more extensive run, with the Traveller and his friends all coming on stage and the idea of a series of trials beginning [5/5].
Big Game (144-147). It's interesting to see Millar reinvent Swamp Thing yet again in the next arc, this time as a hunted fugitive in a humanoid body. However this arc reaches its full height when it increases its scope — not only giving us the Parliament of Stones, and thus really setting up Millar's arc, but also bringing in a plethora of DC's supernatural superheroes, such as Deadman and the Spectre.
Beyond that, it's also got a lot of weird wackiness like the damned priest and the returned Linda Holland. Millar shows off that he knows how to dance Swamp Thing through horror and strangeness, offering a real return to form for the character. And Nelson Strong: he's laughable as an adversary in this incarnation, but he's got a really nicely bookended story that adds interest to this particular road trip [4+/5]
The Root of All Evil (148-150). I find this last story to be a bit muddy, particularly for what Sargon's trying to do, and how Swamp Thing fixes it. Nonetheless, it's nice to see connections back to Swamp Thing comics of old, and to see more of the sort of horror that Moore was writing. After a bit of meandering in this first volume, Millar finally really reveals what's going on with his Swamp Thing run, which will be continued in the arcs that follow [5/5].
River Run (151-158) is really a beautifully imagined story line, and one that remains very evocative. By sending Swamp Thing through a variety of alternate realities, Millar got to recreate the one-off stories of the classic horror comics, while still maintaining some continuity. It's like American Gothic for a new generation. My favorite is the Earth-3 story of Abby and Anton, which is delightfully reversed, but overall the stories are all quite good, as is the idea of a ghostly writer haunting the Mississippi [5+/5].
Ghost Dog (159) is a fine one-off that's genuinely creepy. [5/5]
The Parliament of Vapors (160-164). Millar's long sequence of trials actually works because he was so varied with them. And this semi-connected five-issue arc that ends on an almost anti-climatic trial is more varied than most. But, it contains so many nice elements. The Nightmaster intro calls back to classic DC fantasy. The two-issue Wicker Man story that kicks the trial off reads like Moore horror; it could have been part of American Gothic. The actual trial that ends things off isn't quite as dramatic, but it's great to see the intersection of DC's fantasy comics with their real world. In particular, Nightmaster's appearance here would lead to an even bigger role in Primal Force, then Shadowpact. [4/5].
Chester Williams (165). Swamp Thing v2 had a lot of important human characters early in its run, and had lost them by its end. So its great to see a return to Chester Williams, Super Hippie, even if it's in a satirical form that feels like it's another River Run story [5/5].
Trial By Fire (166-171). The finale to Millar's run is also a great finale to the entire original run of Swamp Thing comics. We get real closure on both the Swamp Thing's journey and on Alec's journey. And along the way we get those long-missing supporting cast members one last time. (Except Matthew; he should have been here too.)
The problem with this arc is, of course, that it's never really been accounted for in later Swamp Things. This story sets up a change across the world and makes notable changes in the status quo, none of which was good for continuing stories. So in the "real" Swamp Thing continuity, we have to assume that something slightly different happened as Swampy reached the end of this trials.
But this is still worth reading as one ending [4+/5].
Bad Gumbo (140-143). In this first arc by both Morrison & Millar, you can see how hard they're trying to be Moore. The first issue, when Alec wakes up with his whole Swamp Life being (seemingly) a dream feels as much of an about-face as "The Anatomy Lesson", something that the authors emphasize even more when they again ask the question of who Alec is and who the Swamp Thing is ... but in a different way from Moore's classic.
Morrison & Millar aren't up to Moore's quality of writing, but it's great to see reflections of that terrific run after several years of comics that had been mediocre in comparison. It's also terrific to see the horror fully back in the comic.
What surprises me most is how much setup there is for Millar's more extensive run, with the Traveller and his friends all coming on stage and the idea of a series of trials beginning [5/5].
Big Game (144-147). It's interesting to see Millar reinvent Swamp Thing yet again in the next arc, this time as a hunted fugitive in a humanoid body. However this arc reaches its full height when it increases its scope — not only giving us the Parliament of Stones, and thus really setting up Millar's arc, but also bringing in a plethora of DC's supernatural superheroes, such as Deadman and the Spectre.
Beyond that, it's also got a lot of weird wackiness like the damned priest and the returned Linda Holland. Millar shows off that he knows how to dance Swamp Thing through horror and strangeness, offering a real return to form for the character. And Nelson Strong: he's laughable as an adversary in this incarnation, but he's got a really nicely bookended story that adds interest to this particular road trip [4+/5]
The Root of All Evil (148-150). I find this last story to be a bit muddy, particularly for what Sargon's trying to do, and how Swamp Thing fixes it. Nonetheless, it's nice to see connections back to Swamp Thing comics of old, and to see more of the sort of horror that Moore was writing. After a bit of meandering in this first volume, Millar finally really reveals what's going on with his Swamp Thing run, which will be continued in the arcs that follow [5/5].
River Run (151-158) is really a beautifully imagined story line, and one that remains very evocative. By sending Swamp Thing through a variety of alternate realities, Millar got to recreate the one-off stories of the classic horror comics, while still maintaining some continuity. It's like American Gothic for a new generation. My favorite is the Earth-3 story of Abby and Anton, which is delightfully reversed, but overall the stories are all quite good, as is the idea of a ghostly writer haunting the Mississippi [5+/5].
Ghost Dog (159) is a fine one-off that's genuinely creepy. [5/5]
The Parliament of Vapors (160-164). Millar's long sequence of trials actually works because he was so varied with them. And this semi-connected five-issue arc that ends on an almost anti-climatic trial is more varied than most. But, it contains so many nice elements. The Nightmaster intro calls back to classic DC fantasy. The two-issue Wicker Man story that kicks the trial off reads like Moore horror; it could have been part of American Gothic. The actual trial that ends things off isn't quite as dramatic, but it's great to see the intersection of DC's fantasy comics with their real world. In particular, Nightmaster's appearance here would lead to an even bigger role in Primal Force, then Shadowpact. [4/5].
Chester Williams (165). Swamp Thing v2 had a lot of important human characters early in its run, and had lost them by its end. So its great to see a return to Chester Williams, Super Hippie, even if it's in a satirical form that feels like it's another River Run story [5/5].
Trial By Fire (166-171). The finale to Millar's run is also a great finale to the entire original run of Swamp Thing comics. We get real closure on both the Swamp Thing's journey and on Alec's journey. And along the way we get those long-missing supporting cast members one last time. (Except Matthew; he should have been here too.)
The problem with this arc is, of course, that it's never really been accounted for in later Swamp Things. This story sets up a change across the world and makes notable changes in the status quo, none of which was good for continuing stories. So in the "real" Swamp Thing continuity, we have to assume that something slightly different happened as Swampy reached the end of this trials.
But this is still worth reading as one ending [4+/5].
May 16, 2025
Swamp Thing by Mark Millar & Phil Hester, Kim Demulder and Tatjana Wood.
I have read quite some Swamp Thing and i loved all of them, besides a run from Brian K Vaughan which i thought was just ok. I was really surprised by the run from Collins, and i was happy to find out this is set directly after. I love this period of Vertigo, in the 90s Marvel was not at its best, but Vertigo, damn.. I just love the vibe and style of it all. This had some outgoing arcs, The Ghost Train, a wild story set in the City i lived in, Amsterdam, Lots of stuff about the Parliaments and elementals, it takes alot from the revered Moore run. Its not all sunshine and rainbows, the stories are really up and down, with a final arc that was really long and had a big amount with barely any Swamp Thing. But alas. Very happy to have read another run from this character, that i am liking more and more.
I have read quite some Swamp Thing and i loved all of them, besides a run from Brian K Vaughan which i thought was just ok. I was really surprised by the run from Collins, and i was happy to find out this is set directly after. I love this period of Vertigo, in the 90s Marvel was not at its best, but Vertigo, damn.. I just love the vibe and style of it all. This had some outgoing arcs, The Ghost Train, a wild story set in the City i lived in, Amsterdam, Lots of stuff about the Parliaments and elementals, it takes alot from the revered Moore run. Its not all sunshine and rainbows, the stories are really up and down, with a final arc that was really long and had a big amount with barely any Swamp Thing. But alas. Very happy to have read another run from this character, that i am liking more and more.
April 26, 2025
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
If you asked me going in, I would have thought that this was were the fantastic Swamp Thing run would come to an end. I really like Mark as a person, as a writer, I find him much more hit and miss. And I really thought a run on Vertigo's seminal title in the 90's would be beyond him. I'm glad to say I was wrong. Despite introducing enough story idea's and new concepts to fill out twice as many issues with killer material, what we got did the legacy of the character and the wonderful care and creativity of those whom came before justice. I can see why some people might not like this as much as me, but I really thought Mark absolutely rose to the challenge and added another meaningful and momentous chapter to the life of Alec Holland.
Phil Hester is a great artist, and his pencils contained in the additional material at the end of the book highlighted a level of detail that wasn't always reflected in the finished art. I loved Kim DeMulder's inks on the previous run, but maybe it just wasn't the greatest fit here. Either way, it did seem like the art slightly and slowly degraded over time. The colours were mostly gorgeous throughout. Just another testament to the former artistry when actual colour was put on the page, though some colour blending did creep in towards the end.
If I was forced to rank them, then Collins' and Moore's runs do rank slightly higher. but given my reservations going in, this is essential reading for one of the greatest characters in the DC lexicon. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
If you asked me going in, I would have thought that this was were the fantastic Swamp Thing run would come to an end. I really like Mark as a person, as a writer, I find him much more hit and miss. And I really thought a run on Vertigo's seminal title in the 90's would be beyond him. I'm glad to say I was wrong. Despite introducing enough story idea's and new concepts to fill out twice as many issues with killer material, what we got did the legacy of the character and the wonderful care and creativity of those whom came before justice. I can see why some people might not like this as much as me, but I really thought Mark absolutely rose to the challenge and added another meaningful and momentous chapter to the life of Alec Holland.
Phil Hester is a great artist, and his pencils contained in the additional material at the end of the book highlighted a level of detail that wasn't always reflected in the finished art. I loved Kim DeMulder's inks on the previous run, but maybe it just wasn't the greatest fit here. Either way, it did seem like the art slightly and slowly degraded over time. The colours were mostly gorgeous throughout. Just another testament to the former artistry when actual colour was put on the page, though some colour blending did creep in towards the end.
If I was forced to rank them, then Collins' and Moore's runs do rank slightly higher. but given my reservations going in, this is essential reading for one of the greatest characters in the DC lexicon. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
February 17, 2025
A lot of ups and downs in this volume for me, but it clearly surpasses the preceding run of Nancy Collins.
This book gave me a very rough start. It clearly cuts from the previous issue (in the Nancy Collings Omnibus) and gives the protagonist a sort of amnesia. A whole lot of characters and concepts are introduced, the Swamp Thing is barely shown and the whole status quo and the supporting cast vanished from the book. It clearly features more horror elements and spiritual concepts and feels more like a successor to the Alan Moore run, than any other Swamp Thing comic, I've read so far.
On the bright side, this means, this could be read almost immediately after the Alan Moore run, even though there's almost a hundred issues in between.
Eventually the book finds its footing and a clear structure is presented, as the Swamp Thing has to pass a set number of trials, each representing a complete story arc. The goal is unclear initially, but becomes more refined as the story moves on. The problem I had, while reading this, is that the first and third trial are confusing and or boring and that is a substantial amount of pages.
On the other hand, the second trial, the river run, is an amazing collection of Elseworld tales, cleverly woven into the overarching storyline. In addition to that, the last trial, which resembles the finale is amazing as well. Finally all the discarded supporting cast is allowed to appear once more and all plotlines reach a satisfying and unified conclusion.
A big problem I have with this book is the disappointing artwork. The comics in here were published in 1993-1996 and the concepts and characters in this book yearn for amazing designs and beautiful spread pages. Unfortunately most panels are bland, faces are muddy and landscapes are hazy. The book really suffers from the artwork in my opinion.
All in all, the book is very well worth reading (after the Alan Moore run) and offers a satisfying conclusion, but stumbles sometimes along the way.
This book gave me a very rough start. It clearly cuts from the previous issue (in the Nancy Collings Omnibus) and gives the protagonist a sort of amnesia. A whole lot of characters and concepts are introduced, the Swamp Thing is barely shown and the whole status quo and the supporting cast vanished from the book. It clearly features more horror elements and spiritual concepts and feels more like a successor to the Alan Moore run, than any other Swamp Thing comic, I've read so far.
On the bright side, this means, this could be read almost immediately after the Alan Moore run, even though there's almost a hundred issues in between.
Eventually the book finds its footing and a clear structure is presented, as the Swamp Thing has to pass a set number of trials, each representing a complete story arc. The goal is unclear initially, but becomes more refined as the story moves on. The problem I had, while reading this, is that the first and third trial are confusing and or boring and that is a substantial amount of pages.
On the other hand, the second trial, the river run, is an amazing collection of Elseworld tales, cleverly woven into the overarching storyline. In addition to that, the last trial, which resembles the finale is amazing as well. Finally all the discarded supporting cast is allowed to appear once more and all plotlines reach a satisfying and unified conclusion.
A big problem I have with this book is the disappointing artwork. The comics in here were published in 1993-1996 and the concepts and characters in this book yearn for amazing designs and beautiful spread pages. Unfortunately most panels are bland, faces are muddy and landscapes are hazy. The book really suffers from the artwork in my opinion.
All in all, the book is very well worth reading (after the Alan Moore run) and offers a satisfying conclusion, but stumbles sometimes along the way.
March 7, 2026
Solid! Len Wein and Alan Moore days were peak, but the art here by Phil Hester is great. And Millar’s arc comes through really cool by the end!
This character creates unique opportunities for such genuine human stories.
This character creates unique opportunities for such genuine human stories.
May 18, 2025
3 1/2 stars.
October 27, 2025
Tolle übergeordnete Storyline, mit teils großartigen Zeichnungen und Dialogen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews