This article is part of the DC Database Recommended Reading project, a series of articles written by our editors. They are meant as a guide to help both new and old readers, either getting into comics for the first time or looking to read more on their favorites. These should not be taken as a definitive guide; obviously you can start wherever and with whatever you want, but they're some general suggestions that we think you might find useful and enjoyable.
Creature from the swamp
The Swamp Thing is an elemental creature birthed from a mass of vegetable matter that absorbed the memories and personality of botanist Alec Holland. He lives in the swamp of Louisiana, and is the guardian of the Green, the energy network that connects Earth's plant life, and has found himself an ally of Earth's heroes, such as the Justice League, John Constantine, and the Batman. As one of DC's most celebrated and recognized horror characters, there's a lot of content to sift through with the Swamp Thing, and this guide should be able to help readers interested in reading about his adventures.
New readers[]
- Saga of the Swamp Thing is a horror series written by comics legend Alan Moore from #20-64. Saga takes the original Swamp Thing mythos and rewrites them to be much darker and deeper than ever before, creating something terrifyingly human from a vegetable creature. Many herald this as the best Swamp Thing run of all time, as well as one of the greatest horror comics ever written, and it's definitely a great place to start for any new reader.
- Swamp Thing (Volume 5) is Scott Snyder's reinvention of the character, mixing in more science fiction with the fantasy, and creating a new look and feel for DC's New 52 relaunch.
- The Swamp Thing (Volume 1) is the latest incarnation of the character's stories, following the newest avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei, and his quest of discovery and transformation.
Further reading[]
- Swamp Thing (Volume 1) is the original series about Alec Holland's transformation into and adventures as the Swamp Thing. Created by Len Wein, it took much from classic monster movies like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, with tons of romance, tragedy, and horror to be had.
- Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is an Elseworlds graphic novel that tells the tale of the Holland twins, and the two very different paths they took in their lives.