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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2012 8:50:44 GMT -5
Please let us know what you think!
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Post by David on Jan 13, 2012 9:54:48 GMT -5
I'm not much of a fan of Swamp Thing, and I more or less read this issue to support our newest members Kyle and MZ--- but boy, was I surprised and blown away!
From that beautifully complex and intricate cover to the polished and distinctive writing style, it's clear we have two huge talents here.
The writing is atmospheric, pregnant with a vague underlying horror that is just perfect for this book. I do know the basic story of Alec Holland, and while the writer does not spare the reader the awful inevitable conclusion, he still does his work to set it up and it hits like a punch to the gut.
Five star effort all around!
One question: my curiosity is piqued by the significance of the number three recurring at the beginning of the issue--- what's going on there? Did I miss something, or is there something coming down the road that calls back to that? A type of tripartite identity, or some such? Holland, Swampy and...
Obviously, I will be back next month! Thanks for the great read!
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Post by MemnochZERO on Jan 13, 2012 14:21:19 GMT -5
Reading it for the first time I got the shakes. I'm serious. I know Kyle's a great writer, and I was so glad he decided to try his hand at Swamp Thing, but given the professionals that have handled the character over the years, like Len Wein, Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Brian K. Vaughn, Scott Snyder to name a few, those were pretty big shoes to fill. It's also tough telling an origin story with something new worth reading in it that doesn't just feel like a re-tread of past greatness. Kyle manages to do that in a narrative style you don't see in mainstream (superhero) comics anymore that harkens back to the outside the box writers (most hailing from the UK) prevalent in the 1980s and 90s, mainly in Vertigo and indie books. I've always found prose stylistically doesn't fit into comicbook fan fiction since it's not the natural state of a comic book, yet it must be used since there are no pictures to fill the void. I feel it works very well here, not just because it's well written, but because it invokes the Vertigo style of storytelling. Which is great. The tone of the piece is also incredible. Usually I love origin stories, but I always root to the massive change that turns the protagonist into the character I came to see/read. No matter how tragic or unseemly that change may be. With the story of Alec and Linda, knowing how badly things end for them made the attention to their love and hopes and dreams all the more powerful when it was stolen from them. It also made me want everything to work out for them. The romance, mixed with sadness and brutality made me think this is what "The Notebook II: Adventures on the Bayou" would be like if done by Rob Zombie. The emotional rush I got reading the story is what made me go with the cover choice we used as opposed to a more no-brainer image of Swamp Thing, proper. I figured since he never appears in the issue, it'd be a disservice to the TRUE content Kyle brilliantly wrote about: Alec and Linda. Hence the "rejected" Swamp Thing image in the sampler thread. And thanks for the kind words about the art, too  |
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Post by kylebridges on Jan 18, 2012 22:38:31 GMT -5
Hey guys!
Swampy has been a real treat to write so far, and I promise you that this issue barely scratches the surface of what I've planned for Swamp Thing.
David, thank you for such a glowing review. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. And that's a good question! The number does have significance, and you'll be surprised to see how often it's going to pop up... and whether or not it's a lucky number for The Swamp Thing or not...
Mem, as always, I'm having a ball with this. Every bit of artwork he's shown me for this book is absolutely stellar. Just wait and see what he's got up his sleeve for you guys in the art department.
So what's coming next month? Abby Arcane! The Birth of The Un-Men! And something from Alec's past rears it's ugly head.
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Post by HoM on Jan 21, 2012 8:47:53 GMT -5
I'm psyched to dig into this but like I've said elsewhere, January is my anti-social month of 2012, but come February you will have my attention. Can't wait!
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Post by HoM on Feb 14, 2012 19:25:43 GMT -5
Holy crap, well worth the wait, what an interesting first issue.
You waste no time setting up the overall creepy tone I hope we can expect from all future issues of the series. There were little touches that I truly loved (the flowers growing in the maternity ward) and there was this kind of... unsettled feeling through the issue. Nothing seemed to be quite right (and that's not a slight against your writing, but a compliment) and it was just building to that inevitable moment in the swamp with the restorative formula.
I'm not a big Swamp Thing fan. I read Alan Moore's run because it was the done thing, and I was only ever really a fan when he was in the middle of his American Gothic run. Those stories terrified and inspired and I believe played a big role in my development as a storyteller. Take from that what you will.
Anyway, this is an intriguing start, you didn't go full pelt out of the starting blocks and I'll be fascinated to see where the series goes over the next few months. I see I'm lucky enough to have waited an extra month before reading this so I've got the second issue to look forward to sooner rather than later.
Great work!
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