Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Two Paperback – Illustrated, 2 Oct. 2012

Moore's saga of the Swamp Thing continues and if you think this is good, which it is, you've seen nothing yet. Here we have a little more light and shade with some help from guest artists to allow those grisly eminences of Bissette and Totleben not to fall behind. Nevertheless, following a prologue illustrated by the smoother Shawn McManus wherin Swampy has a reconciliation with Alec Holland the person he thought he was, we enter a 3-part story arc that is at least as emotionally horrifying as it is physically and in the immediate followup Swamp Thing goes to Hell in search of.. Well, if you don't know, I'm not going to spoil it for you. Suffice to say that you're in for a hell of a ride, literally. It also allows Swampy to meet four of the DC Universe's most important supernatural entities.After this, the reader is in need of a break and we get one. First off and well illustrated by McManus, there is a poignant and moving homage to Pogo, Walt Kelly's satirical funny animals strip. Here he is Pog shipboss of a group of varied aliens searching a new home called The Lady, having abandoned their own polluted planet. Sadly, all they find is that Earth is a mirror image of the place they lost. This is one of Moore's most touching stories. Next up is what could have been just a reprint but Moore weaves another seed-setting tale around a reprint of the very first Swamp Thing short by Wein & Wrightson, which is also important as one of the seeds planted in Gaiman's brain which would grow into part of his Sandman epic.Last is one of Moore's most groundbreaking stories with Bissette and Totleben back on art. Here is the declaration of love and its consummation between Swampy and Abigail Cable. At the time it was mind-blowing.I generally try to avoid synopses but with a series so important and consisten as this it's difficult not to, especially with these early issues, otherwise I'd simply be repeating superlatives every time I reviewed a new volume. Later on, Moore tackles important themes and ideas. There are introductions by Jamie Delano and Neil Gaiman written just a handful of years after these stories were published. It would be nice to see something new which adds a little perspective. Another minor grouch but one which almost lost this book a star is that the quality of the paper isn't quite as nice as for volume 1.Still, absolutely essential for your graphic novel collection.

Moore and his artistic team really start to cut loose in this second collection with Arcane cutting loose. There are some really inventive things going on here with their depiction of the afterlife and hell, as well as the psychedelic plant/human "sex" scene. While the "Pog" story felt out of place, Moore's use of language to create understandable word fudions was beautiful and impressive and left me wanting to use many of them as actual words. At this point in his career Moore could stay in the right side of the line between "clever to add to the impact of the story" and "clever to show how clever you are". Truly groundbreaking material.

As someone who is quite new to the comic book world, this series is one that was often recommended and it's easy to see why. Moore's writing style is fantastic and really makes the niche character of Swamp Thing interesting.Definitely a must read.

Having read the first book around Christmas time, I finally got around to reading the next book after having thoroughly enjoyed the first.This second instalment into the Swamp Thing saga does not disappoint, and is filled with great characters and brilliant prose as well as speech.Although the story starts off a bit slow, it quickly picks up the pace as the Swamp Thing travels literally, as well as figuratively, through hell.I look forward to reading the next one, and if it only gets better, this might have the potential to knock Preacher off of my top spot.

Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore is some of the best Swamp Thing story's you can read, there is a hardback version in two part but you can buy the single volumes, there are eight of them, far cheaper.

One of the best comics runs I have read.

Honestly, I don't love it but the person I bought for as a Christmas present did

Turned up early, brilliant.