World Famous Comics: Swamp Thing Vol. 3: The Curse
Swamp Thing Vol. 3: The Curse
By: Alan Moore Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Vertigo Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 192 Publication Date: December 01, 2000 Release Date: December 01, 2000
Graphic SF Reader John Constantine knows that he needs to build up Swamp Thing's metaphysical and magical might, to face the trials that are to come.
He faces multiple antagonists here, including some vampires that have a quite clever way to keep out of the son, and a slightly odd werewolf.
Allen Moore is a god... In this tale, Swamp Thing begins to find out the extent of what he is (with the help of the first appearance of John Constantine). The Swamp Thing movies sucked, the Constantine movie sucked; if you want great horror fiction, look no further.
Well-deserved reputation for Greatness The third collection of the Moore-Bissette-Totleben run on "Swamp Thing" proves to (so far, I haven't read the whole series yet) the most chilling of the run, as the Swamp Thing begins to understand the extent of his power as the Earth elemental, while encountering all manner of horrors, including the first appearance of DC-Vertigo mainstay, John Constantine.
The strength of this collection lies in the unusual approach to some pretty basic horror icons. "The Nukeface Papers" introduces an urban-legend brought to life, while at the same time raising the specter of the dumping of nuclear waste. In "Still Waters", Swamp Thing does battle with a group of vampires that have taken to living underwater, and the hellish offspring they have produced. In "The Curse", Swamp Thing encounters a werewolf with a tragic twist. And in "Southern Change", Swamp Thing must battle the poltergeists of the past, as an old plantation becomes the set of a soap opera set in the Antebellum South, and the cast become vehicles for the unresolved tragedy of slavery.
And through most of this is Constantine, his abrasive manipulation and sense of guilt fully formed (although looking more like musician Sting under Bissette and Totleben's are then later artists depict him). Constantine knows something is coming, and he knows he needs to make Swamp Thing ready for it. But, in what has become typical of the character, Constantine sees no particular reason to simply tell anyone what he's up too. Thus, the bond between Swamp Thing and Constantine is built on necessity and mistrust, which reverberates to this day.
While Moore is matchless in his ability to think outside the box, these ideas would mean nothing if not for Bissette's and Totleben's depictions. The image of a group of vampires draining on a swimmer, and then diving deeper into a city long ago submerged is chilling. The deformed Nukeface, long ago addicted to waste, and rotting from the inside out, is appropriately sobering and nauseating. Slavery, always a disturbing topic, is made more disturbing as modern people are forced into roles that are morally repugnant to them, and forced to live out the past, while corpses of long dead slaves rise from the ground. It's harder to think of a more perfect fusion of writing and art in this medium.
This represents the best comic books have to offer. Fans would be foolish not to at least give these stories a try.
Alan Moore could do no wrong... This is the third trade collecting Alan Moore's groundbreaking run on the character, and is noteable because it introduces John Constantine, who would prove integral to the remainder of Moore's run. However, if you're looking for the snarky magician that was a hallmark of Ennis, Ellis and Azzarello's run, look elsewhere. Part of this is because John is regulated to a supporting character, who really exists to introduce Swamp Thing to the various menances that he will confront along the way. The nature of good horror is to disturb us, to make us feel uncomfortable, and Moore does this in spades. If you don't believe me, check out the story in which he ties cycles of the moon to a woman's menustral cycle.
Horrific Goodness The saga continues with this third volume in the collected works of Alan Moore's helming of the Swamp Thing comic series spanning issues 35 through 42. Although this middle arc is seemingly lacking in a grand storyline of sorts - important ground is covered with the Swamp Thing discovering new abilities (mainly his ability to abandon his physical body and re-generate a new one), introducing some new characters, espousing on social issues and oodles of horror mainstays (vampires, werewolves, zombies) doing battle with ol' Swampy himself. As far as contributing to the overall story arc this volume is somewhat lacking, but nonetheless makes for a very entertaining read all the way through.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
