Comic Review #65: Saga of the Swamp Thing #4 (1982)

 

I have to say something that is kinda shameful as a comics fan. Especially of Supernatural Superheroes like Swamp Thing here. I uh haven't read a lot of Swamp Thing. It is a blind spot for me, and this includes spinoff like titles like Constantine. I really seriously don't know why this is the case. I haven't read any of the original Swamp Thing series. I've read a few issues of the pre-Alan Moore issues in the Saga of the Swamp Thing series. I've read one Alan Moore trade, the uh, first one and a few random issues after that. I haven't read anything by Rick Veitch, Doug Wheeler, Nancy Collins, Grant Morrison or Mark Millar. I don't know if I even want to read the Mark Millar stuff.

So let's give some history to Swamp Thing. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 that was published in July 1971. He was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. (Man-Thing was created and made his first appearance two months prior). They had to revamp the character due to things that happened in that story for the 1972 series. The 1972 Swamp Thing series had a somewhat different origin and stuff and this is the Swamp Thing that still gets used in DC stories today. Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. They did 13 issues of the series and David Micheline and Gerry Conway took over for the last 12 issues. Swamp Thing then just became a guest star that would randomly show up until 1982 when Wes Craven made his Swamp Thing movie. DC decided to give Swamp Thing his second series and this is where he pretty much became the most popular Swamp Monster character thanks to a wild British man named Alan Moore.

However Alan Moore only got on board in 1984. Between 1982 and 1984, a man named Marty Pasko wrote the first two years of this series. I've always felt a little bad for Marty, he's stuck in between the creators original stories and the stories that breathed new life into the character and helped the series run for 171 flipping issues. His stories honestly get forgotten and usually trashed. I haven't read all of his stories but the ones I have read are great fun and shouldn't be forgotten or trashed. That's why I chose his stuff to write about. I've always liked Marty's stuff and felt that he should get his day in the sun. 

Saga of the Swamp Thing #4, "Into the White Room" is a wild fucking ride from start to finish It starts with a news reporter talking about the recent capture of a serial killer who targets children. They also talk about a mute girl. This mute girl apparently knows Swamp Thing! So yeah we get a scene of Uncle Barney (he had his own kids tv show too) talking to himself. Or that's what you'd think. It turns out that he's talking to the demon who possessed him and pretty much made him kill so that Barney could become a self assured human being and never take anyone's shit. Not a bad thing to wish for just make sure you don't have to kill any people over it. 

Anyway the demon pretty much turns Uncle Barney into dust and escapes. A reporter lady and her producer are at the police station and well the demon now takes over the producer. The producer goes after the mute child (who was also shown to have super powers because it's a comic book after all). The Demon Infused Producer man fights Swamp Thing and pretty much beats his ass. So you know this is a serious fucker. He gets away with the girl and after some searching Swamp Thing finds out they are in the slaughterhouse. Swamp Thing smashes into the window just to get his ass handed to him AGAIN, and shoved onto a meat hook like this was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or something.

However the Demon has mentioned stuff about cold so Swamp Thing takes a chance and tells the Demon to possess HIM which he does. The Producer guy falls down and his the switch the move the meat hooks into the freezer! Which destroys the Demon and sends him back to where ever he came from. Swamp Thing ends up getting taken into custody. It's weirdly amusing to see him strapped to a gurney and moved into a police car. 

FINAL VERDICT: I had a really fun time with this comic. You get swamp monsters! Mute children with super powers! Demons! It was a dark supernatural superhero comic and if it sounds like its your bag then I recommend checking it out.