The Millennium Chronicles
The Millennium Chronicles is a regular column that
explores the Millennium Edition reprint series that DC
Comics released throughout 2000.
This time we look at:
Saga of the Swamp Thing #21
(Originally Published February, 1984)
Writers: Alan Moore
Artists:
Stephen Bissette and John Totleben
Colors:
Tatjana Wood
Price:
$2.50 US/$3.95 CAN
The impact of this book is still being felt throughout
the industry today.
Can you believe we have Wes Craven and Embassy
pictures to thank for the success of Alan Moore? If
you take that long view, chaos-theory, reverse
dominoes style of looking at things, you’ll see what
I mean.
In 1982, Embassy pictures turned the Swamp Thing
comic of the early 70’s into a movie directed by Wes
Craven. DC released a new comic, Saga of the Swamp
Thing, to coincide with the film’s release.
While it wasn’t any Batman, the film wasn’t
bad. Nearly two years later, though, sales on the book
were getting low. Series editor, and Swamp Thing
co-creator, Len Wein, decided to take the book in a
new direction by bringing in a new writer.
He chose Alan Moore.
Boom.
Moore almost completely redefined the character. He
changed Swamp Thing from a man turned into a plant,
into a plant that THOUGHT it was a man. What’s more,
Swamp Thing was an elemental force, a protector of the
Earth. Suddenly, the threats in the book became more
spiritual in nature. The evil villains weren’t
monsters, but ideas, concepts, ways of thinking and
acting. Moore was writing the book with adults in
mind. After issue #29, DC no longer tried to get the
approval of the CCA. Instead, they added the warning,
“Suggested for Mature Readers”. It was the first
comic to bear this label.
Boom.
The sharp writing, experimental storytelling, moody
artwork, and non-pornographic adult subject matter
created a buzz both in and around the comics industry.
This wasn’t just a new way of looking at a
character, but a new way of creating comics. Saga
of the Swamp Thing began winning industry and fan
awards. Even the mainstream press sat up and took
notice. Moore became one of the hottest writers of the
‘80s, and fans waited with anticipation for his next
project:
Watchmen.
Boom.
Moore’s success paved the way for other writers
and artists to emigrate from England. The 1980’s saw
a British Invasion of comics. Neil Gaiman, Grant
Morrison, Jamie Delano, Simon Bisley, Garth Ennis, and
Warren Ellis all crossed the pond and found an
American audience. Their radical and original views on
comics, society, and politics have influenced not just
their work, but the works of other creators who admire
them.
Boom.
The success of Swamp Thing proved there was
an adult audience for comics, leading DC to produce
more books targeted towards older readers. Animal
Man, a new Doom Patrol, Sandman, and
Hellblazer were all Brit-writ books for
grown-ups. In time, they would be the foundation for
Vertigo, DC’s imprint for books for mature readers.
Boom.
We’re still feeling the shockwaves from the
initial impact, 16 years ago. Moore has given us what
is quite possibly the greatest comic book ever
written. The writers who followed him have created
strange, unforgettable works. They’ve given us
comics that were more than we’d ever seen. And they
taught us to expect more from comics. Saga of the
Swamp Thing #21 could very well be the start of
the Modern Age of comics, signaling a time when the
industry and the medium finally started to mature.
And to think, it all began with Wes Craven,
Adrienne Barbeau, and a guy in rubber suit.
History:
Moore’s run on Swamp Thing is considered one
of the greatest comic works of all time. It led to the
launching of other adult-oriented titles, the
launching of Vertigo, and the employment of many
talented writers. It’s primary effect of making Alan
Moore famous ultimately led to his writing other
classics, like The Killing Joke and Watchmen.
For changing the entire industry in ways we may
never fully grasp, I award this book the honor of 5/5
Slushies.
Quality:
It wouldn’t have meant squat if the book sucked.
5/5 Slushies.
Total:
5/5. A definite must-have.
Related Works:
Before coming to America, Moore began a serialized
comic adventure in Britain called V for Vendetta.
It took place in a post-nuclear, fascist England, and
starred an anarchist trying to bring down the
government. The complete story is available in a TPB
from DC/Vertigo.
DC is reprinting Moore’s complete run on Swamp
Thing, (except for issue #20, the first issue
Moore wrote). Four TPB’s are available: Saga of
the Swamp Thing, Love and Death, The
Curse, and A Murder of Crows.
An unusual Superman/Swamp Thing team-up took place
in DC Comics Presents #87, also written
by Moore, (reprinted in The Greatest Team-up
Stories Ever Told).
Other Superman Stories by Moore include Superman
Annual #11, (reprinted in Greatest
Superman Stories Ever Told), and “Whatever
Happened to the Man of Tomorrow”, which signaled the
end of the Silver Age Superman.
After Moore left DC, he began writing Supreme
for Image and, later, Awesome comics. Series creator,
Rob Leifeld, must have sold his soul for that one.
Moore and Eddie Campbell have created the
maxi-series From Hell, a historical fiction
about the crimes of Jack the Ripper.
Moore is currently writing all the titles for ABC,
an imprint of Wildstorm, now a division of DC.
