Swamp Thing: Infernal Triangles
More of the late-’80s, post-Alan Moore run of SWAMP THING is collected in SWAMP THING: INFERNAL TRIANGLES, most of it written and drawn by Rick Veitch. This five-issue arc finds the former Alec Holland impregnating his wife Abby by taking control of the body of John Constantine for the deed. Once Abby is starting to show, Swampy shows sympathy symptoms of his own – and here’s where things get really strange – by giving birth himself … to himself.
But their happy tree home is threatened when Swamp Thing has business to attend to, and doesn’t return. Abby’s depressive situation isn’t helped by being taken hostage by an alien or encountering a rude Green Lantern. In a bridging story, Swampy becomes a computer virus with designs on taking revenge on Lex Luthor for an attempted murder (detailed in an earlier collection), but Superman won’t allow it.
If this all sounds nonsensical, you must not be a SWAMP THING fan. So start from the beginning – DARK GENESIS to get the full effect, SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING to start with the Moore-driven reboot – and you’ll encounter one of the most rewarding experiences in modern comics history. The creative forces behind this title knew what they were doing, more often than not.
Speaking of “not,” a bonus issue – SWAMP THING ANNUAL #3 – is tacked on here. Though from the same time period, it stands apart from the ongoing storyline. It involves talking monkeys and obscure DC characters like Bwana Devil and Congorilla. And not much Swamp Thing. Regardless, it sacrifices lucidity for whimsy, and is just silly – a sour note in an otherwise splendid symphony. –Rod Lott
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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• SWAMP THING: HEALING THE BREACH
• SWAMP THING: LOVE IN VAIN
• SWAMP THING: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION
[...] IS THAT A SWAMP THING IN YOUR POCKET? This is what I associate with SWAMP THING: 1) Those coot fan-boats that they always seemed to be driving in shows like JONNY QUEST. 2) I sold my copy of the best issue ever, “Anatomy Lesson,” for, like, $10 to Powerhouse Comics in Green Bay, Wis., because I was young and stupid and needed cash to buy the latest JUSTICE LEAGUE. 3) Swampy, for some reason, gave birth to himself one time. It’s really number 3 that resonated when I read Rod Lott’s review of SWAMP THING: INFERNAL TRIANGLES, and that collection solidified my belief that many of DC’s early “Suggested for Mature Readers” titles were in many instances fuelled by drugs or mental illness. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and here we see why: Swamp Thing not only gives birth to himself, but he also does things such as becoming a computer virus (of course), all while his pregnant wife has to deal with being the mother of an elemental’s child. This is the canon of modern comics — the bedrock of post-Comics Code genius, and people need to recognize. [...]
[...] Apparently, the comics world is big enough for two men of science turned into giant swamp creatures. Marvel introduced Man-Thing near simultaneously with DC’s eerily similar Swamp Thing, and while the latter enjoyed a long, healthy run that continues today, the Man-Thing wallowed in relative obscurity. Every now and again, he shows up to make an appearance, recently in his own absolutely dreadful movie and now the much more wonderful ESSENTIAL MAN-THING: VOL. 1 collection. [...]