Saga of the Swamp Thing

Gr 11 Up-Swamp Thing, a sentient mass of vegetation with the memories of a dead scientist, dwells peacefully in the Louisiana bayou, but he must come to the aid of his human friend Abby when they find out that her alcoholic husband has been possessed by the spirit of Arcane, an evil magician. Unfortunately, Swamp Thing is too late to stop Arcane from consigning Abby's soul to the underworld, forcing him to enter the afterlife in order to rescue her. With the help of Etrigan, a sympathetic demon, Swamp Thing is able to recover his friend from a squiggling, Boschlike version of hell. The accompanying stories in this volume cover Swamp Thing's origins, a visit from a band of Walt Kelly-like aliens, and the main characters' burgeoning relationship. They're all fine in their own way, but not nearly as good as the main story line. An early work of noted comic writer Moore, Saga of the Swamp Thing is an eerie, imaginative, and unique work that blends classic horror-comic themes with dense, nearly Shakespearean dialogue and a macabre version of Orpheus's trip to underworld. Although the art is a bit dated, it's still quite expressive-especially its excellent use of color. The sinister and violent story line makes it appropriate for older teens and adults. This fine work is sure to appeal to fans of Moore, Neil Gaiman, etc., and deserves to be a first purchase.-Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.