Thursday, March 12, 2009

Swamp Thing

Andrew O'Hehir at Salon nails why, or at least one "why", Moore's Swamp Thing has lasted. I particularly like this summary:
Moore loved comics, in all their overheated melodrama and violence and passion and romance, and simply wanted them to fulfill their potential. He wanted comics to be better written (and more beautifully drawn; he has consistently brought out the best in his artists), to be more alive to the outside world and to other forms of culture, to be less imprisoned by the emotional ghetto of pre-adolescence.

My copy of this edition hasn't arrived yet but when it was announced it changed at least one thing - for years I always thought it was audacious that Moore started his first issue with the main character's autopsy. It turns out that was actually Moore's second issue, the first having never been reprinted. But guess it's still ok to say "started his run with...."