Swamp Thing: Roots #1

Swamp Thing: One-Shots

by Jon J. Muth, Shelly Bond (Editor)

A story about a small-town terorized and an Earth Elemental's quest for redemption.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Dc Comics, Fantasy, Fiction

63 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Jon J. Muth is an American comic artist. His works include J. M. DeMatteis' graphic novel Moonshadow, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: The Wake (along with Michael Zulli, Charles Vess), Mike Carey's Lucifer: Nirvana and Swamp Thing: Roots. Muth has gone on to an award-winning career as a children's book writer and illustrator. He received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for his illustrations in Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse.

He has also created a version of the Stone soup fable set in China.

Reviews

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jon J Muh's illustration: of course it's beautiful.
Jon J. Muth on the plot: well...(he says, embarrassed)

The story is too long, too wordy and takes itself a hair too seriously for what it's telling.

More for those nostalgic for the glorious era of painted comics than for fans of our favourite walking cabbage.

[Nicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muth's artwork is very nice, but his storytelling just doesn't do it for me. The characters are not developed in any kind of a relatable way, and the plot is disjointed and hazy. Also this story has nothing whatsoever to do with Alec Holland or The Swamp Thing as characters. It is about "an Earth elemental."

[Thona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one shot runs in the same vein as Alan Moore's tenure with our face sentient vegetation, it's poignant, it's thought provoking, it's silent and calm but holds u with a tight grip also go again goodness it's been some years

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough !

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uma história curiosa, onde o horror telúrico se cruza com as tradições de xenofobia do deep south americano. Um espírito amargurado, aprisionado entre raízes, procura envenenar os espíritos de uma comunidade que, já de si, pelas clivagens do racismo, não precisa de muito para cair em abismos. Toda uma história em que o personagem que lhe dá o mote mal aparece. Jon J. Muth foi um dos pioneiros em trazer para os comics a mestria pictórica da expressão plástica associada à pintura, e é essa a grande qualidade deste livro.

[RSC_Collecting · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting one. I picked it up because it has Swamp Thing in the title. Though I would hardly call it a Swamp Thing story. Swamp Thing only appears as a shadow in the darkness. The story revolves around a few key characters in a small town in 1943. A mother and children who ran from their father. A man of color with a heart of gold. And a rude family of evil. It follows the short intersections of their lives and how they affect each other. Though not a Swamp Thing story, it was still enjoyable. Not something I would recommend, but definitely worth picking up if you find it for cheap.

[Guthrie Kyle Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just here to confirm everyone else's reviews. This has nothing to do with Swamp Thing. Just some uninteresting story about some kid and a scarecrow that may or may not be possessed by some random dead guy.

[Julia Deutschmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork, but not the Swamp Thing story I hoped to find. The story makes you uncomfortable but it's incoherent and not worth it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

re-read this last night (Sat. Nov. 24, 2012) just for the heck of it.

This is not a Swamp Thing story in the classical sense of it being about the DC Swamp Thing, in fact, one could just as well call it "The Living Scarecrow" and still get away with it as a story.

Be that as it may, it is a very touching story about life in (what I presume) is in the South of the U.S. in 1943. In many ways, this story has been told multiple times, with this being a version where evil and good are added on by external elements. I don't know if Muth had started it to be a Swamp Thing story at all, or wether he just wanted to tell this story and DC marketing decided it would fit well within the "Swamp Thing" mythos. Whatever the case... the end result is worth reading and visualy amazing.

The artwork is simply amazing, (watercolors, I think) each panel is worthy of being enlarged and framed and proudly displayed.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante reinterpretación, aunque la narrativa es un tanto confusa. El dibujo es buenísimo pero más funcional a un cuadro que a una historieta. Leí y tengo la edición descatalogada de Norma, si puedo después la subo.

[Devowasright · Rating 4 out of 5]

really dug this. gorgeous artwork. i found myself lingering over many of the panels, which is rare for me. its a stand alone story, which works well for me as i am not overly familiar with the swamp thing story.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia unitaria de La Cosa del Pantano. Tomo publicado en la Colección Vertigo #100.

[Minka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully made. Went through a couple of pages in the shop and had to have it, even if only for this reason. I wished the story was longer. It's dark, mysterious and unsettling.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

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