Swamp Thing - Read from the start or just Alan Moore run?

[Mr. Adventure]

I started reading the first few Hellblazer comics and was curious about his start in Swamp Thing. I am coming in completely fresh to the whole thing only having seen the movies (for whatever that's worth).

I know the Alan Moore run is storied in comic book legend but is it recommended to read the series from the beginning or just skip to the Alan Moore years?

 

[Saga]

i would read the first volume. it gives you some background on the character and it is a good horror series as well. its only 20 something issues too. in volume two the first Alan Moore issue is #20. so if you have the time, i would start from the beginning.

 

[Technobuilder]

So basically 40 issues and then the Alan Moore run picks up?

Man, I've been meaning to read Swamp Thing for about 10 years now. Thanks to the OP for the reminder.

 

[Saga]

40 or 45 issues, yeah.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Good lord.

Moore wrote the following issues of Swamp Thing:
#20-58, 60-61, 63-64, Annual #2

If you pick up the six TPBs currently on the shelves you'll get everything except issue 20, which was titled "Loose Ends" and involved Moore resolving the storylines from the first nineteen issues. It's considered inessential to Moore's actual run, and has traditionally been left out of reprints. The in-progress hardcover "deluxe" editions include issue 20. They dropped the subtitles for the hardcovers too, but here's the list:

v1 (Saga of the Swamp Thing) - collects #20/21 through 27
v2 (Love and Death) - collects #28-34 and Annual 2
v3 (The Curse) - collects #35-42
v4 (A Murder of Crows) - collects #43-50
v5 (Earth to Earth) - collects #51-56
v6 (Reunion) - collects #57-58, 60-61, 63-64

Unless you are buying individual books from your LCS, ebay, or pirating collections from the internet, it's almost impossible to read what became before Alan Moore by Accident. Although the Swampthing TPBs do continue well after Moore's departure.

 

[Mr Light]

Alan Moore did comic books too??? I thought he was just that guy who wrote the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie!!!

 

[AgentCoop]

It's been forever since I read any Swamp Thing that wasn't the Alan Moore issues, but what I remember of the pre-Moore run is that it was a decent, well-written horror comic and the Berni Wrightston artwork is more than worth your time.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The full Wein 13 issue run was released in hardback by DC in June 2009.

Bernie drew the first ten.

(Seriously, google and wikipedia. That's all I'm using. )

I'm looking through volume one right now. Nothing jumps out at me.

 

[publiusr]

I always thought Man Thing looked cooler though...

 

[Set Harth]

Alan Moore did comic books too??? I thought he was just that guy who wrote the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie!!!

WUT

 

[Mr Light]

joke