Hey, let's read SWAMP THING by Alan Moore & Stephen Bissette (UPDATED 7/9)

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By Zack Quaintance — We’ve all got classic comics blind spots — books that are considered comics cannon (if such a thing exists) that for whatever reason (or a host of reasons), we simply haven’t read. This is true in spite of our knowledge of or love for the comics medium. I know I certainly have mine. And I also know that the only way I am able to consistently read my blind spot comics is by committing to it (publicly!) and keeping a steady schedule.

That’s why in September 2018, I started my first nightly Twitter reading project, reading all 75 issues of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, one per night. Since then, I have subsequently read in this fashion every Hellboy Comic Ever (including BPRD and side character series), Animal Man by Grant Morrison, Stray Bullets, and most recently Doom Patrol by Morrison and Richard Case. Now, I’ll be reading The Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette.

This is the landing page for my nightly Swamp Thing Reading Project, where you can find the ground rules and semi-regular reading project updates.

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore & Stephen Bissette Reading Project Ground Rules

Below you will find the basic rules for this bad boy.

  • I’m reading all of Swamp Thing by Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette, which starts with Swamp Thing (1982) #20 and runs through Swamp Thing (1982) #64, also including Swamp Thing Annual #2. That’s 56 total issues.

  • I’m keeping posts organized on Twitter with the hashtag: #SwampedThing

  • And I’m posting about one issue per weeknight starting Monday, July 6. I will generally try to post at 8:30 p.m. ET, but between 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET. is fair game. I’m writing a thread complete with panels for each issue, and I HEAVILY encourage you all to read along and interact.

If you’re interested in reading along, you can find all the comics online via comiXology. The first three volumes are on comiXology Unlimited. For $6 a month, you can read them that way, while keeping an eye out for sales on the subsequent three collections. Here are relevant links:

So, let’s do this!

Swamp Thing
Writer: Alan Moore
Main Artist: Stephen Bissette
Publisher: DC Comics - Vertigo
Before WATCHMEN, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book THE SWAMP THING. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history. With modern-day issues explored against a backdrop of horror, SWAMP THING's stories became commentaries on environmental, political and social issues, unflinching in their relevance.

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore & Stephen Bissette Reading Project Updates

Day 1, July 6: So, I’ve spent the last 32 hours reading the Marty Pasko run of comics that preceeded the Moore run. Nineteen books in all. Phew. I needed to plan that better, because at times it was a real slog. But they weren’t bad comics, even if the writing for the protagonist’s thought balloons felt a bit overwrought at times. The story concepts were all very good. Here’s a Tweet about the first of those issues, with an attached thread about the next 18…

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Annnd in addition, here’s tonight’s thread about the first of the Alan Moore issues, Saga of the Swamp Thing #20, which was illustrated (and illustrated quite well) by artist Dan Day. See you back here Wednesday or Thursday evening for the next update!

Day 4, July 9: I’ve read three issues since the first update — Saga of the Swamp Thing #21 - #23 — and the headlining thing here is that this run is very very good, although there’s obviously just a slight comedown after the masterpiece that was #21, the best single issue superhero comic I think I’ve ever read.

Anyway, my updates are below…oh! And good news, by following the #SwampedThing hashtag on Twitter, you can also find nightly updates from contributing writer d. emerson eddy. Also, I mislabled the numbers on the issues below…so, that’s great. Ugh. Please add one to the first two…

Check back to this space often for links to additional Twitter threads, updated two to three times a week (I promise!).

Also, checkout the Best Comics on ComiXology Unlimited!

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.