It was a rough day yesterday for the comic industry but one day at a time going forward. While you start the day, here’s some comic news and a review from around the web.
ICv2 – Wheatley, Hempel Seek Return of Stolen Art Trove – We’ve shared this in other ways, but if anyone has any information and can help.
Smash Pages – Nominees announced for the 2024 Hugo Awards – Congrats and good luck to all.
Review
The Beat – Swamp Thing: Bad Seed
It’s one of two new comic book days! What are you all getting? What are you excited for? Sound off in the comments! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
The Beat – Manga industry faces hard questions as Eiichiro Oda takes break – Burnout is real and comic creation is having a massive impact on creator’s health. What can be done?
ICv2 – Bids on Kansas City Pedigree ‘Action Comics #1’ Fly Past $5 Million – Guesses on the final number?
ICv2 – Denis Kitchen Art Collection Goes on the Block – There should be some amazing art in this.
Reviews
The Beat – Swamp Thing #129
MVD Entertainment Group has announced that Swamp Thing is being re-released in North America on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-yay on July 25, 2023. The release will include the PG rated theatrical cut and for the first time in North America, the Unrated International Cut.
Directed and written by Wes Craven, Swamp Thing was released in1982 and based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. It tells the story of a brilliant scientist, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise, Robocop) and a government agent, Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau, John Carpenter’s The Fog) who have developed a secret formula that could end world hunger and change civilization forever. Little do they know, however, that their arch nemesis, Arcane (Louis Jourdan, Octopussy) is plotting to steal the serum for his own selfish schemes. Looting the lab and kidnapping Cable, Arcane douses Holland with the chemicals and leaves him for dead in the swamp. Mutated by his own formula, Holland becomes “Swamp Thing” – a half human/half plant superhero who will stop at nothing to rescue the beautiful Cable and defeat the evil Arcane… even if it costs him his life.
The supporting cast includes David Hess (The Last House on the Left), Nicholas Worth (Barb Wire) and Dick Durock as “Swamp Thing” (who reprised the role in the 1989 sequel The Return of Swamp Thing and the 1990 – 1993 “Swamp Thing: The Series”). Swamp Thing became a cult hit upon its release on home video back in the 1980’s and its countless airings on cable television in the 80’s and 90’s.
RELEASE DETAILS:
MVD LaserVision Collection #1
TITLE: Swamp Thing (2-Disc Collector’s Edition) [4K
Ultra HD + Blu-ray]
SKU: MVD12567UHD
UPC / Barcode: 760137125679
MSRP: 49.95
STREET DATE: 7/25/2023
DISC 1: SWAMP THING 4K LASERVISION COLLECTION – SPECIAL FEATURES:
DISC 2: SWAMP THING REWIND COLLECTION BLU-RAY – SPECIAL FEATURES:
MVD Rewind Collection #51
TITLE: Swamp Thing (Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray]
SKU: MVD8554BR
UPC / Barcode: 760137855484
MSRP: $39.95
STREET DATE: 7/25/2023
SWAMP THING MVD REWIND COLLECTION BLU-RAY – SPECIAL FEATURES:
It was new comic book yesterday! What’d you all get? What’d you like? Dislike? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
Wired – How a Major Toy Company Kept 4chan Online – With ties to Yen Press and more!
Publishers Weekly – Lance Fensterman Is Leaving ReedPop – We wish him well in his next adventure.
The Comics Journal – Cartoon Networking: A New Cartoonist Cooperative is the Latest Group of Creators to Seek Strength in Numbers – Interesting.
Kotaku – Here’s What $30M Of Funko Pops Going To The Landfill Actually Looks Like – Wow!
Kotaku – Congress Finds Time To Yell At Sony On Microsoft’s Behalf – Check the donations.
Variety – Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks to Release ‘Spider-Verse’ Short, Launch Mentorship Program – Very cool!
Orlando Sentinel – DeSantis’ Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power – Well played Disney. Well played.
Reviews
CBR – Avengers Beyond #1
Comic Crusaders – Pimp Killer
Comic Crusaders – Rocketman and Rocketgirl
Collected Editions – The Swamp Thing Vol. 2: Conduit
CBR – Venom: Lethal Protector II #1
CBR – X-Men Unforgiven #1
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #3
(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Doug Mahnke
In Shops: Mar 21, 2023
SRP: $6.99
One former avatar wasn’t enough to take down the savage champion the Green created to wipe out the last of humanity…so another avatar will have to do what Alec Holland couldn’t! It’s time to unleash the Animal Woman!
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #2
(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Doug Mahnke
In Shops: Feb 14, 2023
SRP: $6.99
Alec Holland has been summoned back to the land of the living by the decrepit John Constantine himself, which is quite the surprise to the Parliament of Trees. In exchange for a peaceful eternity within the Green, Alec was to stay out of their affairs. With lives at risk, Alec refuses, but his conviction comes at a cost: if Alec dies in this stolen body, defending the last vestiges of humanity…he’s gone for good!
DC Studios Co-Chairmen and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have announced plans for their first 10 film and television projects under the new DC banner they lead across film, television, and animation. Gunn and Safran are designing and implementing a long-term interconnected story for the iconic franchise and characters, and today shared details on “Chapter 1” focused on “Gods and Monsters” with five new films and five television series for HBO Max already in development.
The plan is for a connected universe with all ten projects set within the same shared DC Universe. Characters will crossover between projects.
The reveal has some surprising announcements but shows a very wide variety of characters and projects. Live action, animation, television, and film, some of the projects are high profile characters and some are sure to be the stars of tomorrow.
What also stands out from the announcement is Gunn’s promotion of other projects that will be outside of this connected world and will be labeled as “Elseworlds”. Examples are The Batman and the upcoming Joker sequel.
Film Projects:
Television projects for HBO Max:
It’s an interesting mix of known and unknown properties for the wide masses. What do you think of the initial lineup? Sound off in the comments!
Swamp Thing is a character that I tend to go back and forth on as far as my enjoyment. It seems to be very specific to the writer and maybe even the arc. It’s not a character I go out of my way to read. But, a series by Jeff Lemire and Doug Mahnke gets me to take notice and I’m glad I did as Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1 kicks off a story that’s rather intriguing and something I’ve wondered about.
Lemire takes us to the feature where the environment has further decade leaving rising water levels and diminishing food supplies. It’s a world that’s we’ve sort of seen before where humanity has destroyed the environment and is paying the price. Society has diminished and the remnants of it holds on living day to day and unsure what the future brings. We get the stereotypical stable town attempting to create society and the gang who forces them to give up part of their hard work under threat of violence. None of that’s new and it’s also not the point.
With the world of of whack, what are the Parliaments of the Green, Red, and Rot to do? The answer? Wipe out what’s left and start all over. There’s a lot to take in about that. First, who can blame the trio? Humanity has destroyed and thrown away beauty and clearly has learned little from it all. Honestly, I was cheering from the Green, Red, and Rot to succeed.
Lemire delivers that turn of events with an eye toward horror as the Green attacks becoming the environmental avenger that Swamp Thing feels so perfect for. The fact the series hasn’t been a regular discussion about environmental justice has always confused me and a story that has been done but not nearly enough.
The art by Doug Mahnke is great giving us a world that feels lived in and worn down. With color by David Baron and lettering by Steve Wands it all feels like a functional world where “junk” is re-used to build houses and machinery for society to use. The people look a little too healthy is my only complaint, especially if there’s food scarcity as is hinted at in the comic. The scenes where Swamp Thing attacks are fantastic horror and the detail of the attack is great and creative. There’s panels that truly creeped me out forcing me to quickly flick through and read the dialogue as fast as possible.
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1 has a lot of potential in a series. It has an interesting premise and where it ends is somewhat predictable but sets up a fascinating conflict. We don’t see enough stories about the environment finally saying enough is enough and taking on the humanity that has ravaged it. We can see that reality and result in the disease that has plagued the world for two years now. Maybe comics will finally take on that weighty subject and this is a tease for greater questions to come. Either way, this is a debut that delivers a nice dose of horror from some unexpected places.
Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Doug Mahnke
Color: David Baron Letterer: Steve Wands
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Doug Mahnke
The Earth is all but done. The last remnants of humanity cling to a mountaintop island lost in endless floodwater. The Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and the Rot all agree: it’s time to wipe the slate clean and start the cycle of life over again. And to do so, they’ve united their powers to summon an avatar—one of the most horrific monsters to ever stalk the surface of this forsaken planet. Against a creature like that, there can be no fighting back…unless you have a soldier who understands the enemy. Someone who has used its tactics before. Someone like Alec Holland.
Of course, it would help if Alec Holland hadn’t been dead for decades…
Jeff Lemire—the author of the smash hits Joker: Killer Smile and The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage, along with the graphic novel that inspired the television sensation Sweet Tooth—returns to Black Label with one of the greatest artists in modern DC history, Doug Mahnke, in tow! Together they’ll unleash a gory, gruesome monster mash, where the fate of humanity rests in the hands of someone who isn’t human at all!
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1
Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Doug Mahnke
The Earth is all but done. The last remnants of humanity cling to a mountaintop island lost in endless floodwater. The Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and the Rot all agree: it’s time to wipe the slate clean and start the cycle of life over again. And to do so, they’ve united their powers to summon an avatar—one of the most horrific monsters to ever stalk the surface of this forsaken planet. Against a creature like that, there can be no fighting back…unless you have a soldier who understands the enemy. Someone who has used its tactics before. Someone like Alec Holland.
Of course, it would help if Alec Holland hadn’t been dead for decades…
Jeff Lemire—the author of the smash hits Joker: Killer Smile and The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage, along with the graphic novel that inspired the television sensation Sweet Tooth—returns to Black Label with one of the greatest artists in modern DC history, Doug Mahnke, in tow! Together they’ll unleash a gory, gruesome monster mash, where the fate of humanity rests in the hands of someone who isn’t human at all!
Skip to content