Reviews

Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing, by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, John Totleben, Ramsey Campbell

joshhansonhorror's review against another edition

4.0

After the cosmic narrative of the previous story arc, this feels very small and sometimes directionless. Abby gets a lot of screentime, which is always good, but it's mostly an exercise in breaking her down. The final issue, My Blue Heaven does something Moore almost never does, retreads stories he's already told. If you can't see the similarities between Swampy on the blue planet, playing chess with himself(1987) and Doctor Manhattan's visit to the moon in Watchmen (1986), you're not trying hard enough. I mean, even the color scheme is the same. Still, I'm looking forward to the final volume of Moore stories to see where this lands.

thatguitarist7's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

fantasticmrethan's review against another edition

5.0

"They wouldn't let me be human... And I became... A monster. ...but they wouldn't let me be a monster... So I became a plant. And now... You won't let me... Be a plant. YOU!!" When a book can say that and still have credibility you know you're on to a win. Like nothing I've ever read.

goingconfetti's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hell on Earth.

flowsthead's review against another edition

3.0

Note: 3 stars for six volume series, not individual volumes

catra121's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this story a lot. I was really surprised by how poetic some of the writing is. I did NOT like reading it on my phone. This is on that I either need to read a physical copy of or read on a tablet maybe. Too many small details and small writing...small frames. It definitely lost something and was a little frustrating to read because of it being an ebook that I read on my phone. But...it was free through the Hoopla app so I will definitely give more in the series a try...probably on a tablet...and see if that is a better experience. But the stories were really great.

jennykeery's review against another edition

5.0

Jesus this was great. One of my favourite things about comics is how on the surface you could be reading a book about a man whose consciousness was imprinted on a sentient mass of vegetation, but what you're actually reading is an exploration of what it means to be human and a genuinely terrifying examination of fear. Loved the Etrigan/Jason Blood cameo, and appreciated his adorably earnest iambic pentameter. The red world/green world stuff made me think of Andrew Marvell's poem The Garden, too: 'Annihilating all that’s made / To a green thought in a green shade'. This book was weird and stunning - my fav combo.

bdesmond's review against another edition

4.0

It is impressive to be able to bring readers into a world they are unfamiliar with, peopled with characters they are unfamiliar with, in the middle of their stories, and make the reader care. But that is far from the only impressive thing about Alan Moore. It took all of two pages to remind me why he is in a league of his own in comic writing. You just don't often see writing of this caliber in comics, and it is the reason that so many of his stories transcend the medium to which they belong. Coupled with old-school art that is at once creepy and psychedelic, Moore's Swamp Thing is a horrifying exploration of consciousness and humanity, and what qualifies as the latter. This is value by the issue, and each one a satisfying experience.

I am looking forward to more.

apageinthestacks's review against another edition

5.0

4.5/5

It's confusing at the beginning, especially for someone not familiar with Swamp Thing, and I think that's why, 3 years ago, I didn't really like this book nearly as much as I thought I would.

Coming back to it with more knowledge and the patience/willingness to be a little confused at the beginning allowed me to enjoy it so much more. It really is fantastic, and I'm excited to read the rest of the Saga.

erissa_lestrange's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75