Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age, Vol. 2

Swamp Thing (1972) #14-24

by David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, David Anthony Kraft

Deep in the bayous of Louisiana, far from civilisation's grasp, a shadowed creature seen only in fleeting glimpses roils the black waters... a twisted, vegetative mockery of a man... a Swamp Thing!

Created by legendary writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, this shambling, muck-encrusted figure swiftly became one of DC's most iconic characters during the Bronze Age of comics, and his shocking stories have become classics in the gothic horror genre. Now, for the first time, his early adventures are presented in a collection of three comprehensive trade paperback volumes. Witness as Swamp Thing fights with a being made of his very own flesh, teams up with Batman, shifts uncontrollably between his human and monster forms and even joins the ranks of the Challengers of the Unknown alongside the likes of Deadman and Rip Hunter.

Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age, Vol. 2 presents the complete adventures of Swamp Thing from 1975 through 1981 featuring writers like David Micheline and Gerry Conway and artists like Nestor Redondo and Keith Giffen. Collecting Swamp Thing #14-24, Challengers of the Unknown #81-87, DC Comics Presents #8 and The Brave and the Bold #122 and #176.

Including many never-before-collected issues, the surviving scripts, pencils and inks from the never-before-published Swamp Thing #25!

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

448 pages, Paperback

Published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Volume 2 collects Swamp Thing 14-24, The Brave and the Bold 122 & 176, DC Comics Presents 8, Challengers of the Unknown 81-87, and the surviving pieces of the unpublished Swamp Thing 25.

I'm going to get this out of the way right away: the Swamp Thing issues in this collection are mediocre at best. Not even Nestor Redondo's art could save the run of the mill stories. The Len Wein run felt like The Hulk done by the EC crew in the 1950s. This run feels like The Hulk done by whomever DC could get in the late 1970s.

The collection is not without its charm, though. We get top notch Jim Aparo in the two issues of The Brave and the Bold and the seven issues of Challengers of the Unknown do a lot to keep the collection out of two star territory. The Challengers battle Multi-Man and some mysterious monster-containing cubes with Deadman and Swamp Thing along for the ride. The bickering dynamic of the Challengers makes me think of the glory days of the Fantastic Four, not surprising since the FF are largely COTU 2.0.

Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Volume 2 combines top notch art with largely forgettable stories. The Challengers of the Unknown issues were the best part of the collection. Three out of five stars.

[Bob Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came for The Swamp Thing, left with a fascination for the Challengers of the Unknown (#81-87) and especially its artist Keith Giffen, definitely want to read some more of that fella !

[Luke Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it never quite reaches the delirious heights of the wrightson era, Nestor Redondo's artwork is just lovely, and it contains plenty of glorious comic booky madness. A particular favorite moment of mine is a panel featuring swamp thing absolutely demolishing an old man in a wheelchair.

Tragically, in the back third, this collection devolves into a collection of the RESOLUTELY UNREADABLE Challengers Of The Unknown. These 4 identical white shitheads with different haircuts have a sequence of profoundly incomprehensible adventures where you can't tell what's happening because they all look the same, the plots are deranged stream of consciousness gibberish, and the art is a war crime. These stories are included because swamp thing briefly shows up in them occasionally for no real reason. I couldn't get through this chunk. I read about 3 and then skimmed the rest.

Thankfully the tail end is a couple fun little team ups with Superman and Batman. I always think it's hilarious when swamp thing has to hang out with Batman.

Still, well worth the collection for the swamp thing proper issues. I just love this lurid, morose, purple weirdness.

[Zach Rust · Rating 2 out of 5]

The issues in this second volume have lost much of the tone and atmosphere of the early issues in the series. Without Wein’s moody prose and Wrightson’s macabre imagery, most of the stories end up feeling underwhelming and even a little repetitive.

[Yve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Issue #18 "Village of the Doomed" was funny since I've been looking at assisted living facilities for some elderly relatives and they're all so creepy. Those fake-idyllic names like "Serenity Village" make them sound even more like death-factories.

Overall pretty entertaining but the final issues were bad (desperately trying to be action-packed). Apparently Len Wein said that everything after Issue #21 just never happened and I'm ok with that.

[Josh]

4 stars for Nestor Redondo, the bold (garish) color work, and the occasional Conway story that plants the seeds of what Swamp Thing will become in the hands of Alan Moore.

1 star for the insipid Challengers of the Unknown, Superman, and many laughable villains.

[Mhorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only four stars

This is a fine volume until Alec Holland aka Swamp Thing joins the challengers of the unknown. The character really isn't a team character and was better off alone. The art in the swamp thing issues by Nestor Redondo, is lovely and the writing is excellent.

[Mohammad Aboomar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quality oscillates between immensely boring and downright silly. No wonder the series was eventually cancelled! The two encounters with Superman and Batman are superficial at best.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just became super tedious to read and the art really started to suffer and the story honestly. I can really only give this 2 stars.

[Brendan Hough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eye read 2021.
first volume was better, this one just kind of trails off into tie-ins with other comic book line characters.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didnt read about 150pages cause Swamp thing wasn't the main story. Still hard to read and can't wait to get to more modern stuff.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swamp Thing issues are pretty dang solid riiiiight up until the end of the run at which point it does seem like they were trying to quickly make him a standard super-hero to avoid a cancellation that wound up happening anyway. When we next encounter him in the tedious pages of "The Challengers of the Unknown" all changes established in his run have been un-done. The redheaded girl he had fallen for? Effectively forgotten (and made blonde in the one flashback in which she appears). The return to human form? Quickly undone with no explanation and he never mentions his brother (who accomplished it) again. Even his final issue in "Challengers" ends with a perfunctory end note that really is just "And they all went their separate ways. The End."

The final two issues in this trade are of special note: one is a Superman comic in which you can TELL the writer had no clue how to handle a maudlin Southern gothic horror character like Swamp Thing and basically wrote him as a standard Superman foil; the second is a "The Brave & the Bold comic which is better written, better illustrated, and handled by a man who clearly understands Swamp Thing...and, if anything, does a better job writing him than the actual protagonist, Batman.

The real hidden gem here, though, is the final unpublished issue of the original Swamp Thing run -- the battle against Hawkman in Portland, Oregon. It was canceled despite being all but completed (really only the final inks & coloring are missing) and makes the lackluster "Challengers" jag feel all the worse in comparison. It reminds me of my favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC -- despite being wildly popular and a mainstay of the neighbourhood, it closed because of a "burst pipe." Customers were referred to this pork bun place a couple blocks away "while repairs were being done", claiming to be run by the same family...but was pretty rubbish with none of the dishes, service or people who'd made the original so successful. And the original restaurant never re-opened because apparently they'd just chosen to put all their effort behind the new pork bun place (which tanked). Knowing that instead of the mediocre "Challengers" guest-arc we could have had the craziness of Swamp Thing as a human battling Hawkman in Portland... I don't know, it just makes the "Challengers" issues all the more tedious, especially since they don't really matter or contribute anything to Alec Holland's story.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a downturn from the original thirteen issues written by Len Wein (with the legendary Bernie Wrightson on the art duties for the initial ten issues) since the gothic horror tropes are mostly gone for the second half of the Bronze Age Swamp Thing run. Gerry Conway and a young David Michelinie cover the majority of the back half of issues, with Nestor Redondo on the artwork. The various stories here feature Swamp Thing in more superhero-esque, action adventure type settings that feel more out of place compared to the previous issues, which covered more supernatural and horror concepts. Redondo's artwork is great throughout, but the issues here are unfortunately quite middling. It was clear that DC wanted a wrap up for Swamp Thing, so the final issues lead towards a bizarre and hastily put together finale (which later gets ignored during the early '80s title relaunch). For those interested in perusing the earlier issues of Swamp Thing prior to Alan Moore's seminal run, I'd recommend just sticking with the first 10-13 issues.

But I did like the supplemental Swamp Thing stories in this collection. In addition to Swamp Thing #14-24, this volume collects The Brave and the Bold #122 and #176, DC Comics Presents #5, Challengers of the Unknown #81-87 and the completed pages of the unpublished Swamp Thing #25. The Challengers of the Unknown and The Brave and the Bold issues are all solid fun, and add some much needed variety to the Swamp Thing issues. I really enjoyed the DC Comics Presents issue which features a Superman/Swamp Thing team-up against Solomon Grundy. These stories broadly echo my complaints about the main Swamp Thing issues about casting the titular character into too much of a superhero role, but those manage to execute on the light-hearted aspects better since other established characters fit the tone more.

This isn't essential Swamp Thing reading, so I'd mostly recommend passing on this for the more casual readers, but for those interested in digging deeper on the character history there is enough here that makes for a worthwhile reading experience. The common misconception is that Wrightson's departure tanked the book, but Nestor Redondo still delivers strong in terms of the art duties. If anything Len Wein's absence was more felt here.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel contains the last issues of the initial Swamp Thing comic as well as crossovers with The Brave and the Bold and DC Comics Presents, as well as a brief guest starring role in Challengers of the Unknown. It also has some scripts for future planned stories and an unfinished layout of what would have been Swamp Thing #25 had the book not been cancelled by DC.
For the main title of Swamp Thing, nothing really compares to the artwork of the 70s or the storytelling. The issues were dark, bleak, pulpy and hearkened back to the earlier days of science-fiction storytelling while at the same time being rife with social and political commentary on the turbulent times of the early- to mid-70s. Swamp Thing faced all types of monsters, mutants and other science-gone-wrong entities as well as aliens and cosmic gods, and as crazy as the plots could get, the stories were very enjoyable. His appearance in Challengers of the Unknown wasn't all that, mostly because, while he was a semi-major factor in those issues, the story was still mostly about the Challengers; until reading those issues here I had never even heard of that title before, so it was hard getting into those stories despite the appearance of Swamp Thing and, one of my favorite DC characters, Deadman. But the first half of the book concluding Swamp Thing's initial journey was well worth the read.

[Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that becomes apparent in these issues is that Micheline has even less of an idea what to do with the character of the Swamp Thing than Wein did previously, his first few issues clumsily recreating those absurd tale of Swamp Thing wandering into a remote town and finding a conspiracy or adventure (though Micheline has him encountering these hotbeds of intrigue by accidentally falling out of trains and aeroplanes, which doesn't help the believability), and the stories rely heavily on happenstance to resolve. Gerry Conway steps in to help out later on, but he clearly wants to turn this into a superhero book, so that doesn't fly either. The last few issues are a complete clusterf*ck of poor intentions and worse execution.

And through all this, Nestor Redondo draws the absolute hell out of every daft thing that's thrown his way like a champ. His nature environments - like his Swamp Thing - are gnarly and dense, his women beautiful, his men square-jawed his buildings solid and believable, and his love of rendering detail in technical machinery is evident. Three Stars here for Nestor Redondo.

(Read as single issues of Swamp Thing.)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read part of this volume solely for the purpose of reading some stories featuring Swamp Thing that aren't collected in the hardcover SWAMP THING BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS. (And why weren't they, DC? The hardcover omnibus should be ***the*** place to collect everything, especially unpublished issues.) Granted, the stories from CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN had Swamp Thing more as window-dressing and muscle (and a convenient vehicle for Deadman to jump into), but I believe the unpublished issue #25 and the stories from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD and DC COMICS PRESENTS should have been included in the hardcover omnibus that I'm also reading.

[Danny Mason · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad that someone's bothered to collect this era of Swamp Thing for preservation purposes, but it's not very good. The main run moves away from the gothic horror of Wein's run and in doing so loses all of the atmosphere that made it work. They felt a lot wordier, but they were saying a lot less.

The run of Challengers of the Unknown was okay, but I don't know who any of these people are and found it hard to care about them. I'm not sure Swamp Thing was the most appropriate character to crossover with them either. The standalone Batman and Superman crossover stories are fun but insubstantial.

Looking forward to moving on to the reboot now, we'll get to Alan Moore eventually team.

[Gregory Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts strong but ...

The collection starts off strong with some very good issues but then the last quarter are guest appearances in other titles that mostly miss and are a chore to read. The appearance on The Brave and Bold with Batman is among the better ones. These issues are all new to me and I'm slowly reading all that preceded the Alan Moore run of the Swamp Thing. Thus far this collection has been an improvement from the best and the stories are getting more interesting and take the character more seriously. Onto the next collection.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apart from the wonderful cover art of this second collection of Swamp Thing, the volume has a certain appeal, if not only for the presence of some stories where our preferred moss-encrusted swamp monster makes and appearance, such as a saga with the Challengers of the Unknown, and even meeting Superman in Metropolis and Batman in his Louisiana swamp. But, more that that, the volume is a little treasure because of it collects even the lost issue #25, not even fully drawn or inked, but precious for an encounter with another member of the JLA, Hawkman.

[John Reimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give 3.25 if i could, love swamp thing so much had a blast reading his adventures and filling in the missing pieces from when i first went through alot of the character. His two stories with batman and one with superman were a blast to read. Unfortunately the score was lowered due to the challengers of the unknown, the issues of their book in here were not appealing to me much, however deadman being in there helped alot

[Kris Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collecting Swamp Thing stories after the fantastic Len Wein/Bernie Wrightson run and before the unprecedented Alan Moore run in the early 80s.

These stories aren't bad, just a bit generic stacked up against some of the greatest comics of all time.
For newbies Check out Volume One and any Alan Moore Swamp Thing collections.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same but definitely diminishing returns apply here, alongside a degree of repetition. There is less over an overarching story over these issues (compared to Vol 1). The writing definitely falls into "of its time". But it still manages to be fun for the most part. The non-Swamp Thing issues are probably better.

Probably more like 2.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous.

[John Gustafson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The low rating here does not mean that this wasn’t a fascinating read in its own way: an early case of intellectual property gone berserk in the departure of the original writer, stylish gothic horror to deep silliness in 60 seconds. And I had never heard of Swamp Thing’s own little cadre of superfriends, Challengers of the Unknown, but man oh man did I dislike their square-jawed antics.

[Keith Wyrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A step down from vol. 1, but still fine.

[Michalina Kinga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much Challengers of the unknown for my taste. But it was necessary for the development of the saga of the Swanp thing.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy uneven, but still entertaining.
The post Wrightson stuff feels like the writers are channeling the 70's Hulk TV show with a little EC comics thrown in and it doesn't really work.
Nice art, but weak reads.

The couple issues included from DC's team up books are fun, but forgettable.

I personally like the short-lived attempt to revive the Challengers of the Unknown that had them adopting two strays: Swamp Thing and Dead man.
Nice to finally have all the issues collected.

Interesting to finally see the much rumored, lost Swamp Thing where he crosses paths with Hawkman, but aside from some nice art, it was as forgettable as the previous issues.
Nice to fill in the holes in my collection, and I miss the days when Swamp Thing was just a monster, and not a nature god, but there's a reason we don't talk about these stories with the same awe as the Wrightson run.

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Swampy Bronze Age Vol. 3 review...