Swamp Thing

[cap5]

What are the best stores of swamp thing
I heard there is Vol 1,2,3and 4 IM wondering if its worth picking up in trades?

[Mr. Palmer]

SWAMP THING is defiinitely worth picking up in trades.

[Bellis]

Alan Moore's run, without a shadow of a doubt. Pick up Volume 1, Saga of the Swamp Thing and see how you like that - there's another five Moore volumes to collect after it and they're all amazing, some of the best comics you could ever hope to read.

[Mr. Palmer]

I don't think you can go wrong with any SWAMP THING trades.

As mentioned, definitely start with the Moore run. And, after that, dig into the Veitch stories (which, unfortunately, have not all been collected).

I'm in the minority on this one, but also try SWAMP THING Volume 4. There's some wild Diggle/Dysart stuff going down there.

[Will.S]

I actually just started with this to get the whole back story of Swamp Thing. It's by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson (the creators of Swamp Thing):

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3412/350pxswampthingdarkgenero5.jpg

After this trade I'm planning to get the Alan Moore written books but so far it's been pretty darn good.

[cap5]

Also can someone give me a rundown on the trades and the issues it collects
thanks

[Netley]

Saga of the Swamp Thing is the best place to start (imo). It's the first Alan Moore trade, collecting #21-28(ish). Next is Love and Death (collecting the next 8 issues or so), which I think is actually better than Saga. (Sorry, don't know the exact issues).

Moore stays on the book through issue 64, and they are all absolutely amazing!

DC put out a black-and-white reprint series of his whole run (or at least a large part of it) called "Essential Swamp Thing." It came out in the 90's and I bet could be found in the quarter bins (though hassle-wise it might just be easier to get the trades).

Mark Millar actually had a great run on Swamp Thing in the 90s (before he was a "name") for a good couple of years (co-writing his first couple issues with Grant Morrison).

BKV relaunched Swamp Thing around 2000 or so staring a female Swamp Thing (I believe it was Alec Holland's daughter), but it didn't catch on (this was also before BKV was a "name"). #3 of that series is one of the greatest comics I have ever read in my life. It's pretty "non sequiter" as far as pertaining to Swamp Thing, but story-wise it is just this absolutely brilliant suspense mystery type of thing.

Bottom line, though: Alan Moore Swamp Thing = some of the best comics ever produced in the history of the medium!

[dancj]

In my opinion...

Len Wein - Not bad
Marty Pasko - I haven't read, but I've heard it's bad
Alan Moore - Excellent
Rick Veitch - Very good, but sloping off a bit later on
Doug Wheeler - Some of the worst comics ever to grace the medium
Nancy A Collins - Decent
Mark Miller + Grant Morrison -Very Good
Mark Miller - Excellent
Brian K Vaughan - Not that good
Andy Diggle - Rubbish
Joshua Dysart - Rubbish

[Will.S]

Ok so having read the Len Wein/Bernie Wrightson stuff, I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's not really deep or anything but it definitely has an old school monster/horror book feel mixed in with some light superhero fare (such as Batman guest appearing). It's a nice departure from the usual superhero stuff I buy so I'd like to branch out of superhero books through trades like these.

I'm not sure what to expect with the Alan Moore stuff but I'd like to see Swamp Thing a bit more isolated from the DCU and have him think and speak in a less old school way. I've skimmed through some of Alan's books and while it does seem to continue to use other DC characters like the Demon and the JLA, I'm still looking very much forward to reading Saga of the Swamp.

[rassmguy]

In my opinion...
Len Wein - Not bad
Marty Pasko - I haven't read, but I've heard it's bad
Alan Moore - Excellent
Rick Veitch - Very good, but sloping off a bit later on
Doug Wheeler - Some of the worst comics ever to grace the medium
Nancy A Collins - Decent
Mark Miller + Grant Morrison -Very Good
Mark Miller - Excellent
Brian K Vaughan - Not that good
Andy Diggle - Rubbish
Joshua Dysart - Rubbish

You forgot a few:
David Michelinie
Gerry Conway
Will Pfeiffer

[dancj]

I can only comment on the ones I've read - or at least heard about.

When did Will Pfeiffer write Swamp Thing?

[mauisunset]

Having read all the Alan Moore run, I think there should be some kind of "Best Of" book. It seems like his run may have been interrupted a bit by editorial influince. Personally it felt like he was going one way in certain issues and was maybe reigned in a bit on others.

I had my girlfriend read my own "best of" selection and she loved it

I included:
"The Anatomy Lesson"
"Rites of Spring"
The 'vampire, werewolf, zombie' cycle
and "Pog"

Don't get me wrong, I'd read anything by Moore, but if you were boiling it down to his best ST stories, I'd really reccommend those.