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The Timeline
Born on the Bayou A history and introduction Creature Features Articles and feature stories Cover Gallery Judge the books by the covers Forgotten Lore Unpublished tales In the Swamplight Issue-by-issue breakdowns Elemental Lineage Past lives and other entities Upcoming Releases Coming to a bog near you What's New Bayou? Archived news updates About Me Portrait of a swamp-nerd Homepage Go back to the roots Contact Me Comments, corrections & tubers |
| Thanks to Joe Bongiorno, who first dragged me kicking and screaming into the mucky mythos of Swamp Thing, and to Paul Giachetti, who created the amazing header banner. Thanks also to reader 'Alec Holland,' whose support has been invaluable; Mike Sterling, for promoting Swamp Thing and this site; and Kevin Church, for his excellent optimization advice. And thanks to Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, Alan Moore, John Totelben, Stephen Bissette, Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis and all the other creators whose work inspired this site. |
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What's New Bayou? Previous news and rumors from the universe of Vertigo Comics' Swamp Thing, John Constantine: Hellblazer and The Un-Men, archived here for posterity. View more recent news items. World's Finest Swamp Thing? September 23, 2007   Thanks to a heads-up from reader 'Alec Holland,' I've discovered a two-part Swamp Thing-esque tale from 1973, which appeared in issues #219-220 of World's Finest, DC's popuplar Superman/Batman team-up book. Back then, half the DC universe seemed to be doing some sort of swamp-creature story (see Other DC Swamp Creatures in the cover gallery for some examples). Apparently, World's Finest was along for the ride on that particular bandwagon.Bob Haney, known to Swamp Thing fans as the creator behind Swamp Thing's famous team-up with Batman in The Brave and the Bold #122, had previously penned this two-parter, in which Superman and Batman met up with a swamp creature known as El Monstro. Judging by the cover to issue #220 (at left), there was definitely a Swamp Thing influence. And this time, it's a woman in the role of swamp creature—a decided rarity, for aside from Lady Jane, Tefé Holland, Bog Venus and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting, the vast majority have been men. I've managed to track down #219 and should hopefully have #220 secured by tonight. Once I have them both, I'll add them to the timeline for ya'll to read about. Swamp Thing Meets Jesus...Now on eBay September 23, 2007  I don't normally post about eBay auctions here, but since several people have written asking about the famous "Swamp Thing Meets Jesus" story, I wanted to let everyone know there's a copy for sale, along with the artwork and cover, here.For those four of you who have never heard of it, this is Rick Veitch's original storyline for Swamp Thing issue #88, "Morning of the Magician," in which the Bog God met the Son of God. It was canceled due to DC Comics' fear of offending readers, but has been available online for years. Now it's up on eBay, and with a "Buy it Now" price of $8.99, it's a decent price for a decent story. For more information about this and other unpublished Swamp Thing and Hellblazer tales, click here. ComicNews.Info Reviews The Un-Men September 22, 2007 I just came across a review for The Un-Men #1 at ComicNews.Info, which I have to admit has me a bit bemused. The review is not a positive one, though that isn't my issue with it—everyone has a right to their opinion, of course. Rather, I am kind of disappointed to see a reviewer go to the effort of reviewing a new title without making any effort to research its history beforehand. The writer, Alan Dixon, has never heard of the Un-Men, as evidence by the following passage: "Anyway, I notice on the splash page that it gives credit to Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson as creators. So although this was new to me, I now realize that this is a concept that was created (probably) years ago and is now being brought back. Okay, no problem. Len Wein was the guy who created Wolverine. He has done some good stuff. I have heard a lot about Bernie Wrightson through the years, but I think I am a bit limited on actually owning any of his books. I usually put him in a category of a guy that did a bunch of horror titles. Actually, now that I think about it, didn’t these guys create the Swamp Thing? Hmm…I will google it later." Now, I realize no one can be expected to know everyhing (I certainly don't), but if a person is going to write a review of a new series starring characters that person has never heard of, and if the first issue credits a famous writer-artist team as having created the concept, then wouldn't it be a good idea for the review writer to look up the history of that concept BEFORE writing the review? That just seems like good journalism to me. With all due respect to Alan Dixon (whom I don't know and with whom I have no problem whatsoever, in case he's reading this), it seems kind of lazy to write a review without knowing what it is you're reviewing. Dixon further writes: "The thing I don’t like about this book is that it has a lot of throw back [sic] storyline in it. By that, I mean that the way it is written, the pace of the story, and the feel of the characters all seem like a tribute to the horror-ish type stories of yesteryear. Sometimes I can get into that, but this is not really doing it for me. I wish that people would take characters from whatever time period and just use them to create their own story. I don’t know this for a fact, but this book has the feel of the writer sitting around and thinking about how he is going to write a book that reminds him of the horror books he read as a kid. Then he gets all excited about it and I end up wasting 3 bucks on this retread when I could have just gone to the quarter bin and bought the real thing." The problem here is that Dixon has no idea what he's reviewing, and therefore can't appreciate its history. Having the Un-Men back is a lot of fun for those of us who recall the classic Wein/Wrightson Swamp Thing tales of the '70s, where the Un-Men originated, and the American Freak miniseries of the '90s that first brought them back into the spotlight. To complain that The Un-Men feels like a tribute to "the horror-ish type stories of yesteryear" misses the whole point: it IS a tribute to those stories. The Un-Men is a modern-day continuation of a storyline Wein and Wrightson began more than 30 years ago, revisiting the characters after a long absence. That the writing comes off as reverential toward those earlier stories is a point in its favor, not something to bemoan. Dixon then goes on to say: "I do not know what other stuff this writer has done, but it really feels like he trying [sic] to write a scary story, when he really should just be writing a story…period. If it turns out scary, then it will be scary. If it turns out to be just a weird tale, then we all know that it has a good home at Vertigo." Once again, the reviewer has failed to do his homework. If he wants to make the claim that John Whalen is writing outside his normal genre, wouldn't it be helpful to find out something about Whalen's writing history before making such an assertion? Again, I have no problem with Dixon and, now that I know about his column, will check it out from time to time. But researching a title and author you're reviewing is always a good practice. RSS of the Swamp Thing September 19 and 22, 2007 Roots of the Swamp Thing is now available as an RSS feed. If you love me so much that you have to know immediately whenever I post something, click one of the buttons at the top of the page to subscribe to the feed. UPDATED 9/22: I've added feeds to read this site via Google and My Yahoo, as well as a LiveJournal feed courtesy of Steve Saunders at Silver Bullet Comics' "All the Rage" column. Introducing Alex Olsen's Predecessor...Sort Of September 17, 2007 When Josh Dysart outlined some of his unrealized plans for the fourth Swamp Thing series (here), he revealed an interesting fact—namely, that yet another earth elemental was known as Swamp Thing before Alec Holland. This one lived in turn-of-the-20th-century Louisiana and knew the incestual couple known as the Fated Cajun Lovers of 1900.  What's intriguing is that previously, all known earth elementals, from the dawn of time up to the 20th century—Yggdrasil, Tuuru, Eyam, Canan Kax, Misk, Matango, Bifa, Fields-That-Stalk, Hart-in-the-Trees, Bog Venus, Ohtehrah, Great Url, Great Phoenix, Ghost-Hiding-in-the-Rushes, Saint Columba, Lady June and the Kettle Hole-Devil (I'm such a show-off)—had individual names and lived all over the world. (The Swamp Knucker doesn't count since it didn't really have a name, per se.)And yet, most modern-day Erl Kings (Alex Olsen, Albert Höllerer, Aaron Hayley, Alan Hallman, Alec Holland and now Dysart's elemental) have been called "Swamp Thing," and several have been from Louisiana. Most likely, this is related to the Parliament's efforts to plan for Alec's eventual arrival by choosing templates with similar names and backgrounds. (See Lineage of the Elementals for more on that concept.) It would be fascinating for a future writer to explore this further, if and when Vertigo eventually revives the series. (Note to Vertigo: I'm sitting by the phone and I work cheap. Call me.) From a timelining perspective, this offers some insight as to when Lady Jane (from the Nancy Collins run) ended her reign as Erl King. We know she took on the role upon her death in 1851, and that Alex Olsen (from House of Secrets #92) became the reigning elemental in 1905, placing Jane's retirement to the Parliament of Trees before 1905. Thanks to Dysart's comments, we can now place her retirement at least five years earlier: at some time before 1900. Which just goes to show that there's always more story to tell...and that I seriously need to get out more. December Solicits: The Un-Men #5, Hellblazer #239 September 17, 2007   Vertigo Comics has posted solicits for December, including Hellblazer #239 and The Un-Men #5. Here are the solicits:Hellblazer #239: w: Andy Diggle; a: Leonardo Manco; c: Glenn Fabry Vertigo promo: "A rag-tag band of refugees struggle to make the perilous journey from war-torn Sudan to the United Kingdom. They know not all of them will live to see their final destination, but they are willing to make any sacrifice to ensure their precious cargo reaches the hands of the blond-haired man known only from a dream: the Laughing Magician... The Un-Men #5: w: John Whalen; a: Mike Hawthorne; c: Tomer Hanuka Vertigo promo: "The brain-rattling conclusion to the debut story arc, 'Get Your Freak On.' Cranius goes prime-time on the premier of American Freak. But his reality show takes an unreal turn when the creeping flesh of Damien Kane makes an unscheduled guest appearance. And Kane has just one thing on his mind: vengeance against the Un-Men."  Bissette SpeaksSeptember 16, 2007 Swamp Thing writer/artist Stephen Bissette, in a recent posting on his blog, discusses an eBay auction for a piece of original artwork Bissette did for Swamp Thing series 2 issue #26. Apparently, the seller has mislabeled the artwork as having come from Swamp Thing #26, and Bissette has alerted fans to this error, while also confirming that the artwork is, indeed, legitimate. Of course, this artwork has also resided in the "Unused" section of the Roots of the Swamp Thing cover gallery for some time now. Click here to read Bissette's blog entry, or here to view the eBay auction in question. Creature Features September 16, 2007  I've added a top navigation bar to make it easier to find the pages you're looking for. Among the buttons on the bar is a new page, "Creature Features," with links to numerous feature stories published on this page. These include older stories about The Vertigo Encyclopaedia, Darko Macan's rejected Swamp Thing proposal and Josh Dysart's unrealized plans for the end of his tenure, as well as several newly added features, such as an interview with Brian Vaughan that I wrote for Cinescape.com in 2000, and a look at unpublished Swamp Thing and Hellblazer lore. Upcoming features will include a walkthrough/FAQ for the never-released Swamp Thing video game, a look at Peter Hogan's unpublished miniseries The Sandman Presents: Marquee Moon (featuring John Constantine) and more. Oh, and I will also soon get back to adding Hellblazer to the timeline. I took a break to focus on tweaking the look of the site and creating the Creature Features section, but I should be getting back to my timelining duties in the next couple of weeks.In other news, Newsarama.com has posted an interview with The Un-Men artist Mike Hawthorne, and Un-Men scribe John Whalen has kindly alerted me to a recent update to Hawthorne's blog, which offers two pages of artwork that were cut from issue #2 due to space constraints. UPDATED: The video-game FAQ/Walkthrough has been uploaded, and I've also added the two pages of unused Mike Hawthorne artwork for The Un-Men issue #2 to the "Unused or Unpublished Cover Art" section of the cover gallery. Thanks to author John Whalen for his permission to post them, and to reader "Alec Holland" for noticing that the concept of one page, showing the destruction of Cranius' statue, was used in issue #1. In addition, I've uploaded Alan Moore's Twilight of the Superhoes proposal to Creature Features. Graphic Designed September 14, 2007 Thanks to Paul Giachetti, a good friend and graphic artist (with whom I used to work at a crappy magazine with which I am happily no longer afiliated) has designed a new banner for the site, and I have to say, it looks great. Thanks very much, Paul! A Brief Glimpse Into Josh Dysart's Swamp Thing Plans September 10, 2007  When Joshua Dysart took over the writing chores on the fourth incarnation of Swamp Thing (as of issue #9), he had several long-term plans in mind. Unfortunately, those plans were cut short when the series was prematurely canceled, only 21 issues into his run, at issue #29.At the end of the final issue, Alec Holland had reformed his fractured elemental consciousness; defeated Arcane, the Toad King and Jason Woodrue; and reunited with his wife Abby and daughter Tefé. But there was still more story to tell, and only Dysart knows what would have happened next. Although he prefers to keep most details secret for now (in case a future opportunity to revisit those concepts should ever crop up), he was kind enough to provide some hints for readers of this site. Read about Dysart's unrealized Swamp Thing plans here. Cover Gallery Update: Unused Artwork September 10, 2007 I've added some unused and early-draft Swamp Thing covers to the cover gallery, including an alternate version of series 2 issue #91, and preliminary versions of the first six issues of series 4. Swamp Thing DVDs Coming to a Bayou By You! September 9, 2007  After a much-needed break from the online world, I'm back...and while I was gone, I managed to miss out on reporting about the biggest Swamp Thing news in quite some time. It figures.We've all heard rumors that the Swamp Thing TV series was coming to DVD, and now TV Shows on DVD has posted a confimration of the series' upcoming release, as well as more details about what to expect. According to the site, Shout! Factory will be releasing a set in early 2008, containing the first two seasons in their proper chronological order (as opposed to the incorrect order in which USA Network originally aired them). Click here for more details, and stay tuned here for more news as it becomes available. November Solicits: Hellblazer and The Un-Men September 8, 2007 Vertigo has posted solicits for Hellblazer issue #238 and The Un-Men issue #4, both due out in November. In addition, Newsarama has revealed the cover and details for the next Garth Ennis Hellblazer collection, Bloodlines, due in December. Check out the preliminary covers and story details on the upcoming release calendar. Rejected Swamp Thing Pitch from Darko Macan September 1, 2007  Back when Brian Vaughan was pitching the concept that eventually became Swamp Thing series 3, noted Croatian writer Darko Macan (of Star Wars, Hellblazer and Grendel fame) put his hand in the game as well. Darko's proposal was ultimately rejected because Vertigo preferred to go in a (excuse the pun) darker direction, a la Vaughan's storyline. As such, his plans for Tefé have remained virtually unknown to fans until now—in fact, most probably have no idea the proposal even existed.Darko is a long-time acquaintence of mine, with whom, around the turn of this century, I collaborated on—blatant self-promoting alert—some licensed Star Wars work. He has graciously provided the proposal for all to read, and it's a great concept: thoughtful, insightful into all the major characters involved (Tefé Holland, Swamp Thing, Abby Holland, Anton Arcane, Nergal, John Constantine and Arcane's long-forgotten sister Aniela, as well as a whole new setting—a boarding school for girls—and the ready-made source of new characters such would have allowed). All in all, Darko's proposal for Swamp Thing series 3 progresses very logically from Mark Millar's brilliant ending to series 2, and builds quite nicely on established Swamp Thing and Hellblazer continuity up to that point. Now, I'm one fan who enjoyed both Vaughan's and Josh Dysart's Swamp Thing runs, but still, I can't help but wonder what fascinating developments we might have seen had Vertigo Comics greenlit this proposal. Enjoy...and thanks, Darko. (To read the proposal, click here. DC, please note the copyright disclaimer at the bottom of this page.) What if the Original Swamp Thing Series Had Never Ended? August 16, 2007 Remember, at the end of issue #24 of the first Swamp Thing series, way back in the mid-1970s, when DC advertised an upcoming guest appearance by Hawkman in issue #25? If you're someone who regularly reads this site—and, really, why would you be here now if you weren't?—then your answer must be "Yes, of course I remember that."  For 30 years, fans have wondered what that lost chapter of Swamp Thing history would have been about, had it actually been published. Although we may never know the official answer, reader 'Alec Holland' (author of the currently on-hiatus Swamp Thing's Blog and one of the creative minds behind the DC Cosmic Teams Swamp Thing timeline a few years back) has taken it upon himself to create his own continuation."Of Hawks and Hauntings" is now online at Alec's new website, Swamp Fiction: Lost Swamp Thing Fanfic Stories from Times Past, and it's a fun read. Picking up where issue #24 left off, Alec's fanfic features Edward Holland, Jefferson Bolt, Matt Cable, Sabre, Dwight Wicker, John Constantine and other memorable characters from both the first and second Swamp Thing runs, and sets the stage for what he hopes to be an ongoing series of "What If?" tales. Alec has also created a dandy cover for his maiden issue, posted above (to see a larger version, click the image or go directly to the story). Check it out! I've added a permanent link from the right nav-bar, and I'll also continue to announce when updates get posted.   Cover Gallery Update: ParodiesAugust 15, 2007 I've added a selection of Swamp Thing and Hellblazer parodies to the "Other Media" portion of the cover gallery. Some of them are pretty funny, and some...well...not so funny. But if you're a completist, you might decide they're worth tracking down. So far, I've got ten parodies up there: Elf-Thing #1, What The—? #6, Boris the Bear #5, Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #11, Howard the Duck #4, Evil Ernie Vs. The Superheroes #2, Batman: Mitefall, Blandman #1, Top 10 #8 and, believe it or not, an {ahen} adult comic entitled The Best of San Francisco Ball Comics #2. I kid you not. Only in San Francisco, folks. As always, if you know of any other relevant covers I've overlooked, feel free to let me know and I'll add them to the gallery. Swamp Shorts August 14 2007  Two tidbits before I head out on a much-needed family vacation to Lake George (not exactly the swamp, but at least it's far more in touch with nature than the lower end of New York, where I live):• The Un-Men #1 hit stores last week, which I humbly admit I still haven't picked up. I'll be grabbing my copy tomorrow, along with the latest issue of Hellblazer (#235). Given all the hype and anticipation over The Un-Men, I'm surprised how little I've seen written about it in the week since the first issue finally hit stores. Kind of weird, actually. Some reviews have cropped up, however, on such sites as Comixfan, Broken Frontier and The X-Axis, and there's also a brief discussion of it over on Newsarama.  • In addition to Jamie Delano's upcoming return to Hellblazer for the graphic novel Pandemonium, Chas Chandler will also help celebrate Hellblazer's 20th anniversary by starring in his own miniseries, Hellblazer Presents: Chas—The Knowledge. Simon (The Exterminators) Oliver will pen this miniseries, in which John Constantine's long-time friend (who recently turned his back on him, at the conclusion of Mike Carey's run) will undergo several tests that a London cab driver must pass to be licensed. Apparently, the title refers to the routes a driver must possess to succeed, and to "the supernatural information he’s undoubtedly learned over the years with Constantine." For more details, check out Newsarama's annoucenemt. Should be a hoot (even if Newsarama misspelled Chas' name and got the title partially wrong).
Cover Gallery: Unused or Unpublished Cover ArtAugust 8, 2007  As I've been compiling the various sections of the cover gallery, I've stumbled across the unused, rejected or alternate-draft artwork to more than a dozen covers from Swamp Thing, Hellblazer and The Un-MenThese include covers to Rick Veitch's rejected Swamp Thing #88 (right), Warren Ellis' Hellblazer #141 (left) and a number of illustrations by Bernie Wrightson, Stephen Bissette, Jon Totelben, Tom Yeates and more. Until now, I've just been posting these covers in chronological order, along with the published covers, but I've decided to create a new section of the gallery for such artwork. Clear here to visit the covery gallery. John Constantne: Rebel Without a Home August 7, 2007  Meanwhile, Kit returns home to see her brother and sister in Belfast, who help her recover from the breakup by...as one might expect in an Ennis Hellblazer story...going to a pub. Kit's solo adventure, "Heartland" in issue #70, marks the only issue in Hellblazer's history in which John's character never actually appears (aside from Kit's solo story in the one-shot of the same name, published without "Hellblazer" in its title). Check it out in the Vertigo Jam one-shot and Hellblazer issues 68-71, all spanning from July 1993 to January 1994, with backstories in 1916, 1940 and Winter 1985. You'll also find a synopsis of Darko Macan's rejected Swamp Thing proposal in mid-1997. (Read the entire proposal here.) Andy Diggle's Hellblazer Scripts Online August 6 2007 Hellblazer author Andy Diggle has graciously posted his scripts for issues 232 and 233 (the two-part "Wheels of Chance, Systems of Control") on his website, and they're worth reading even if you've already read the issues themselves, as they provide great insight into Diggle's view of John Constantine and his world. Check them out here and here. Speaking of Hellblazer...and why wouldn't I be?...I hope to have another timeline update posted later today, for issues #68-71 and the Vertigo Jam ministory. John Whalen Speaks August 5 2007 Vertigo's official site has posted an interview with writer John Whalen regarding next week's debut of The Un-Men. Keep your fingers crossed...only three more days to go before Vertigo "un"-veils this new chapter in Swamp Thing history. One Man's Review of the Un-Men Preview August 2, 2007 Hellblazer #234 contains a preview of The Un-Men #1, which premieres next Wednesday, and I have to say, despite my initial reservations about how well an Un-Men series could work...it’s pretty good.
The premise: Anton Arcane’s surviving Un-Men from Swamp Thing (Cranius, Ophidian, etc., created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson), once freed from his alchemical control, found their way to Damien Kane’s freak refuge (established in the American Freak: A Tale of the Un-Men miniseries, written by Dave Louapre and illustrated by Vince Locke). With help from industrialists, they began developing the camp, restoring dignity to their kind. The deformed, outcast and mutated from other corners of society apparently gravitated there as well, looking for a place where they could be themselves without feeling shame. In the 15 years since Vertigo published American Freak (which was released in 1994 but was set in '92), American Freak: Home of the Un-Men has grown into an amusement park for tourists, who travel far and wide to see the freaks, much as they used to do at sideshow carnivals—but on a Disneyland-esque scale. And this time, the freaks are the ones exploiting the “normal” gawkers, with the series holding a mirror up to humanity so that, to paraphrase The Twilight Zone, we have seen the freaks...and they are us. With this setting as a backdrop, The Un-Men's opening story arc, "Get Your Freak On," is about a agent investigating the murder of an the Gill Man, an amphibious freak who’d been one of the show’s star attractions. That’s where the preview ends, so it’s too soon to really know what’s going at this point, but I like what I've read so far, and I suspect many of you will as well. And for the continuity-minded, Kane and Cranius both appear in this series (Kane, in fact, seems to be an Abe Lincoln-esque emancipating hero to his people), nicely building on established Swamp Thing and American Freak history. 
Hellblazer Fan Film Coming SoonAugust 1, 2007 Chris R. Notarile, an independent filmmaker, has announced the upcoming release of a fan film entitled Hellblazer: Proper Gents. Notarile maintains Blinky Productions, an indy film site that has already put out a number of well-made films based on such comic-book and horror properties as The Question, Power Girl, Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Shadow, Hourman, Blue Beetle, the Joker, Catwoman and more. According to Notarile, Hellblazer: Proper Gents should be available online sometime next week. Interview With The Un-Men's Mike Hawthorne July 31, 2007 Comic.com has posted an interview with artist Mike Hawthorne regarding next month's debut of The Un-Men. I must admit, although I initially had my doubts about this series, I'm starting to get excited about it. Check out the interview here. First Aid for Kit July 31, 2007  A Talking Rabbit, a Sacrilegious Vicar and Swamp Thing as Pot Dealer...When Constantine Turned 40, Garth Ennis-Style July 30, 2007  Issue 63 of Hellblazer, simply titled "Forty," celebrated the fourth decade since John Constantine killed his twin brother during childbirth. And true to both Garth Ennis and Hellblazer, it was not the usual birthday party.Among the guests were Zatanna, the Lord of the Dance, the demoness Ellie, and a trio of new characters in the motley, ever-growing pantheon of Constantine's friends: Header, a long-haired Scotsman with a tendency to beat people up and kill them; Rick the Vic, a mild-mannered priest who collects and sells forbidden objects; and Mange, a magical being very much like a soft, furry talking rabbit...because he is, indeed, a soft, furry talking rabbit. If you thought the Newcastle and Freedom Mob gangs were unusual, they didn't hold a candle to the friends Ennis gave Constantine. For Swamp Thing fans, "Forty" has the added appeal of featuring one of the more unusual guest appearances in the character's history—namely, as a grower of marijuana. And the Phantom Stranger cameo is an absolute pisser...literally. Check out it, in the May 10 and May 11, 1993 entries. My Stance on the Whole "Is Vertigo Part of the DC Universe?" Debate July 30, 2007 For years, fans have debated the question: Should Vertigo and the DCU universe be separate or joined? Over at Newsarama, the debate continues following comments on the subject from Dan DiDio and others at Comic-Con Internationsl. While I agree that the reasons DiDio and others give for separating the supposed universes are hypocritical and arbitrary (rape is a FAR worse thing for a kid to see than someone saying "Fuck," and as a parent, I'd be really pissed if my 10-year-old were reading the former), I just don't think this is such a big deal. Regardless of the DCU ties Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Books of Magic, The Un-Men and other books have in their origins, it doesn't really make a difference now. Are they in the same universe? Most definitely they are, regardless of what silly, easily contestable statements Berger or DiDio might make that everyone else sees through in a second. Alec Holland, John Constantine, Cranius, Morpheus, Tim Hunter, Buddy Baker and others all originated in the DC universe, and re-reading any of their series will bring you right back to those origins. But the old maxim still applies here: Just because something CAN be done, doesn't mean something SHOULD be done. Sure, there are a few stories where the costumed crowd have interracted with them over the years, but I personally think it cheapens Swamp Thing and Hellblazer to have a muscle-clad do-gooder in body-tight Spandex show up, hands on hips, ready to save Houma or London. Now, I'm NOT trashing superhero books with that statement. (I want to make that clear, as I can just picture the flame war that could result.) That motif works fine in the superhero genre. I'm just saying that if I were to pick up an issue of Hellblazer and see a guy in a cape show up, who regularly fights other guys in capes, then the automatic kneejerk reaction I would have would be to cringe, as the believability factor of the series would then be weakened for me. Sure, John Constantine knows Zatanna and the Phantom Stranger...Tim Hunter knows Zatanna...Swamp Thing knows Batman and Superman and Adam Strange and a dozen other DCU heroes...Swamp Thing and Constantine attended Green Lantern's funeral and Guy Gardner's club party...Lex Luthor helped Sunderland kill Swamp Thing...Sunderland Corp. still operates in the DCU...Swampy and Constantine both fought in the Crisis on Infnites Earths...Jason Woodrue and Poison Ivy are connected to Swamp Thing...and so forth. But even now, after all these years, if I re-read the Len Wein or Alan Moore or Rick Veitch runs of Swamp Thing, it still seems weird to me to have superheroes show up. Personally, I agree with ya'll that the line between unvierses is pointless if based on the nature of the material since the material in several DCU books is graphically worse than anything that shows up in Vertigo (aside from Preacher, of course). However, I still think removing the barrier would be an equally pointless decision because (with all due respect to those who write and draw and read superhero comics, with whom I have no problem whatsoever), it would damage the credibility of the Vertigo books to have John Constatine visiting the Fortress of Solitude, Swamp Thing fighting the Joker, or Tim Hunter joining the Teen Titans. They may co-exist, and nothing can change that...but keeping them separate, in my opinion, is the best policy. Hellblazer Sales on the Rise July 29, 2007 Andy Diggle is doing a solid job on Hellblazer, not just in terms of quality but also sales, which have risen nearly every month since his arrival. Here are the most recent sales numbers, according to Marc-Oliver Frisch:
Corrected Hellblazer #234 Available Online July 29, 2007 A corrected version of Hellblazer #234 (published without any speech balloons on page 21) has been posted online here and here. As some have pointed out, however, the story works almost as well without the missing dialog. Check out the preview of next month's The Un-Men #1. Swamp Thing Exclusive: Darko Macan's Unpublished Third Series July 29, 2007 Back when Brian Vaughan was pitching the concept that eventually became Swamp Thing series 3, noted Croatian writer Darko Macan (of Star Wars, Hellblazer and Grendel fame) put his hand in the game as well. Darko's proposal was ultimately rejected because Vertigo preferred to go in a (excuse the pun) darker direction, a la Vaughan's storyline. As such, his plans for Tefé have remained virtually unknown to fans until now—in fact, most probably have no idea the proposal even existed.Now, Darko (a long-time buddy, with whom I collaborated on some licensed Star Wars comics several years ago) has graciously provided the proposal for all to read. It's a great concept, with thoughtful insight into its major characters: Tefé Holland, Swamp Thing, Abby Holland, Anton Arcane, Nergal, John Constantine and Arcane's sister Aniela, as well as a whole new setting—a boarding school for girls—and the ready-made source of new characters such would have allowed. All in all, Darko's proposal for Swamp Thing series 3 progresses very logically from Mark Millar's brilliant ending to series 2, and builds quite nicely on established Swamp Thing and Hellblazer continuity up to that point. Now, I'm one fan who enjoyed both Vaughan's and Josh Dysart's Swamp Thing runs, but I can't help but wonder what fascinating developments we might have seen had Vertigo greenlit this proposal. Click here and enjoy...and thanks, Darko, for letting me post it. Cover Gallery: A Swamp Thing By Any Other Name July 28, 2007  I've added more covers to the "International Editions" section of the cover gallery. These issues from Italy, France, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Portugal and Germany reprint stories from both Swamp Thing and Hellblazer, as  well as numerous other DC/Vertigo titles, such as Books of Magic, Shade the Changing Man, The Sandman, Death and more.Some of the covers contain the same illustrations that appeared on the English-language originals, but laid out differently or with different color schemes. Several, however—particularly anthology titles like Horror, Inferno and Dossier Negro—feature new artwork that is often very creepy and effective. Oh, and I also uploaded some promotional posters advertising the comics, as well. Daddy's Coming Home July 27, 2007  To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hellblazer's historic first issue, Vertigo Comics has commissioned Jamie Delano to return to the series he created and write an original graphic novel entitled Hellblazer: Pandemonium. This is great news, especially with British artist Jock (who drew some of Mike Carey's stories on the monthly title) providing the illustrations.Little has been revealed about Pandemonium at this point, though Delano has told CBR.com: "Simply, Pandemonium will find John Constantine intrigued through a mixture of sex, magic, politics and ennui to travel abroad to a well-known contemporary war-zone; there, in an environment of fear and cruelty, to encounter a demonic arch-enemy who, with roots in the mythological substrate of the violence-ravaged land, is enjoying a resurgence fertilized by blood." It sounds like Constantine's going to Iraq...again (he previously visited the war zone in John Shorley's novel War Lord). Delano told CBR he wasn't caught up on recent continuity, but said: "This story—while absolutely contemporary in its setting—is stand-alone and has no relation to events depicted in the ongoing series. That said, I'm sure the editor will be alert for blatant contradiction, any instance of which will be creatively covered." Read the full story here. Printing Error in Hellblazer #234 July 27, 2007   I have some good news, and some bad news, and some better news. First, the good news...Hellblazer #234 hit stores Wednesday after a week's delay, complete with a preview of the upcoming Un-Men series. Now, the bad news...a printing error resulted in page 21 being published without any speech balloons. I suspect Arcane may be behind this unfortunate screw-up.The better news is that author Andy Diggle has graciously posted the corrected page at his blog (which I've also added to the blog links at right) so fans can find out what the heck was going on in that scene. The corrected version, with dialog intact, will eventually be included in the collected edition. In the meantime, click here to read the missing dialog, but if you haven't yet read the issue, beware...there are major spoilers for the story. New Banner: Len Wein's WEINWORDS July 26, 2007  Reader "Alec Holland" reminds me that I was remiss in not also mentioning Len Wein's blog, WEINWORDS, when I discussed Stephen Bissette's MYRANT (see below).Without Len Wein, there would have been no Swamp Thing...and without Swamp Thing, there would have been no John Constantine, which means there would have been no Hellblazer...and without either Swamp Thing or Hellblazer, there would have been no Un-Men...or Books of Magic, most likely...or, arguably, the entire Vertigo Comics imprint... And if that had been the case, there would have been no Roots of the Swamp Thing for you to be reading right now, and my wife wouldn't be shaking her head in dismay, wondering why I spend so much time updating the site. Thank you, Mr. Wein, for all your "Wein words." New Banner: Stephen Bissette's MYRANT July 26, 2007  I've added a new banner to the site, linking to Stephen Bissette's MYRANT blog. Stephen Bissette needs no introduction to Swamp Thing fans, of course. Alongside Alan Moore, John Totelben and Rick Veitch, he helped chronicle what still stands as the quintessential era of Alec Holland's varied and far-spanning history.Bissette's blog is an engaging combination of anaylsis, reviews, politics, humor and comic-book history (always a good mix). There's a a fair amount of Swamp Thing reminiscing in the blog entries, too, making MYRANT a must-read for any Swamp Thing fan. Frankly, as much as I enjoyed Brian Vaughan and Josh Dysart's more recent runs (which I wholeheartedly did), I think DC Comics is nuts for not bringing Bissette, Moore and others back to the title. I'd love to see new stories from Len Wein, Mark Millar, Nancy Collins or even David Michelinie. (Just as long as we never get any more disasterous misfires like Totems, thank you.) For now, we can at least enjoy Bissette's ruminations about life, comics, the universe and everything.  In Case Anyone's Interested...July 25, 2007 At the request of the fine folks at the Voices From Beyond Hellblazer forum, I've posted the contents of the Vertigo Encyclopaedia. To view the pages, click here. For more information about the Encyclopaedia, check out the July 20 entry, below. And be sure to visit Voices From Beyond, which is easily the best Hellblazer forum on the 'Net—great discussion, no flame wars and visits from several writers and artists who have helped create the life of John Constantine. Cover Gallery Update: Othr Media July 25, 2007  I've uploaded a quick update to the cover gallery: namely, high-res images of the Magic Sourcebook from Mayfair's DC Heroes Role-Playing Game and the two-issue Critics Choice Files Magazine Spotlight series on Swamp Thing. The first provides background information (very little of it new, unfortunately) for John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Anton Arcane, Abby Arcane, the Phantom Stranger, the Parliament of Trees and other magic-oriented entities from the DC Comics universe. The other two volumes provide an insightful analysis of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run. All are worth tracking down, particularly the Critics Choice books, though all three are rather difficult to find (and often costly). Prelude to Preacher: Enter Chantinelle July 23, 2007  With the cover gallery finally uploaded (minus some cameos still to be added), I've chronicled four more Garth Ennis stories on the timeline, as well as a Sandman-based public service announcement starring John Constantine, written by Neil Gaiman.  Issues 58 and 59 form a two-part tale introducing the next recurring character in Hellblazer: the demoness Chantinelle, also known as Ellie, who fell in love with an angel and gave birth to a half-breed child. Sound familiar? It should. Ennis would later create his epic Preacher series with the same premise, though the two stories are not otherwise connected.Issue 61 continues Ellie's story, with John Constantine helping the succubus hide from the First of the Fallen, who (in typical First of the Fallen melodrama) rants furiously that one of his demons would dare betray him. And issue 62 introduces Harry Constantine, the next in a long line of John's cursed ancestors. Finally, in Death Talks About Life, a six-page pamphlet packaged with issue 62, Death of the Endless asks Constantine's help in educating readers about AIDS. How? Why, by having him hold out a banana like an erect penis so she can explain how to don a condom, of course! The majority of the action takes place near the end of 1992, with backstory details at the dawn of time, before 8,000 B.C., 1649, 1972, early 1984 and December 1984. Hellblazer #234 Preview Available OnlineJuly 21, 2007 DC Comics has provided CBR News with an advance look at Hellblazer #234, which will be arriving at comic stores this Wednesday, following a week-long delay. Issue #234 begins the new "Joyride" storyline by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco, and judging by the preview, it looks to be a joy of a ride indeed. (Okay, I admit it...that was corny.) Shout-Outs in the Swamp July 21, 2007 I want to take a moment and give shout-outs to sites that have mentioned Roots of the Swamp Thing recently. Kevin Church's comics blog, Beaucoup Kevin is a must read, as is Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin, if you want a daily dose of information, humor and insight about the world of the funnybooks. Kevin provides invaluable advice for those looking to optimize their websites, while Mike is one of the few people who seems to enjoy a good Swamp Thing story as much as I do. Also worth giving a click is Steven G. Saunders' "All the Rage" column at Silver Bullet Comics. Thanks for the recent nods, guys—right back atcha. (Oh, and if anyone who speaks Portuguese can translate what "Freud" says about my site at Blog Media Pixel, feel free to let me know!) Looking Back: The Vertigo Encyclopaedia July 20, 2007  While going through my collection last night, I came across something I'd forgotten I had—and, indeed, something I think many fans don't even know about, as I never hear anyone talking about it, and a search online reveals almost no discussion of it.Around the same time Hellblazer #75 and Swamp Thing #140 were hitting stores, Vertigo put out a promotional item called the Vertigo Encyclopaedia (and yes, that's spelled correctly). Now, promos from DC and Vertigo are nothing new, as a look at the "Promotional Materials" section of the cover gallery (which I updated heavily in the past couple of days) shows. Basically, these comic-book-esque marketing tools were fashioned to resemble actual comic books in the hope of inspiring interest in whatever titles were on the stands at the time. Fair enough. What makes the Encylopaedia different, however, is that it's actually written in-universe. Much like the Swamp Thing death certificate that was issued to promote issue 54, the Vertigo Encylopaedia is more than just a "buy our comics" advertisement. It's narrated by John Constantine, who offers his personal opinion of such Vertigo characters as Animal Man, Black Orchid, Tim Hunter, Doom Patrol, Kid Eternity, Morpheus, Wesley Dodds, Shade the Changing Man, the Swmp Thing and even himself. Each two-page spread includes John's comment on a character, followed by a brief blurb about the next story in that particular series. John begins by telling us: "Trust me. Most books are good for only one thing: trouble. Like the Necronomicon, for instance, or Remy's Daemonolateria, or the Malleus Maleficarum. (Don't know what it is? Good. Keep it that way.) A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and that's about the only kind of knoowledge you'll find between the covers...of most books, that is.So when I stumbled across this bloody weird Encyclopaedia (don't ask me where), well, my first instinct was to chuck it on the rubbish heap. I mean, who needs another set for the shelf, right? But this one is different...very different. And I don't need the entrails of a bird or a pair of loaded dice to tell me that it's about nothing less than the shape of things to come. You may find that shape appealing...or not. It all depends on your point of view. And believe me, mate, this one's got a point of view that'll make your head spin faster than a fifth of Tanqueray with a pint-sized Guinness chaser. Vertigo. Hmmph. No kidding." Okay, so John's dialog sounds...well...not much like him. And, okay, he seems to be making way too big a deal over what is basically a very brief amount of general information intended to sell a product. And, yeah, there's probably nothing in the Encyclopaedia that any DC-universe magic user would find as amazing or "different...very different" as John claims this to be. But I don't care. It's cool, and I'm glad to have it. (Check out a larger version of the cover in the gallery.) July Delays and October Solicits: It's An Un-Hellish Week July 16, 2007  Good news and bad news today.First, the bad: Hellblazer 234, originally slated for release this Wednesday, has been delayed until next week.  Those of us greatly enjoying Andy Diggle's run—and the rise in sales following Denise Mina's departure shows that many of us are—will have to wait another week to find out what happens to John Constantine now that...[SPOILER ALERT FOR ISSUE #233]...he's cast out his demons, taken ownership of Ravenscar Asylum and cleaned up his life. Now the good: Solicits are available for The Un-Men #3 (left) and Hellblazer #237 (right), courtesy of Newsarama. For descriptions and release dates, check out the calendar; and for larger versions of the covers, visit the cover gallery. Cover Gallery Update: Hellblazer July 14 (Updated July 15), 2007
Cover Gallery Update: In Any Language, It's Still Muck-Encrusted To Me July 11, 2007   I had some fun with the cover gallery today, adding a section featuring French- and Spanish-language Swamp Thing covers. If anyone has any foreign covers I'm missing, feel free to e-mail them to me (see the link at the bottom) and I'll gladly post them.In addition, I've also created a separate section of the gallery containing promotional materials. There's not much there yet, but I'll be adding more when I get a chance. (Creating this cover gallery is becoming an immense task...and I haven't even begun to add Hellblazer yet...but I'm determined to eventually make it complete.) Cover Gallery Update: Other Media  July 11, 2007Both Swamp Thing and Hellblazer have been adapted into other media over the years. Now, the cover gallery features covers to the film novelizations, original novels, VHS/DVD releases and role-playing game books based on the two series. In addition, I've added an unproduced game cartridge for the GameBoy, and a children's book that has nothing to do with our Swamp Thing...but is just too funny to pass up. One of the more unusual covers can be found on the British DVD box for the first Swamp Thing film, as seen at right. Apparently, the marketing folks were worried the Brits might have a problem seeing a romantic relationship between a woman and a plant-man, but not one between a woman and a huge green guy who looks like a cross between the Jolly Green Giant and David Hasselhoff. Cover Gallery Update: Trade Paperback Compilations  July 10, 2007Another update to the cover gallery—this time with a plethora of trade paperback compilations from series 1, 2 and 4. To date, series 3 has not been collected in this format, and no announcements have been made indicating Vertigo has any intention of doing so. I haven't yet added the Hellblazer collections, but I will soon, along with the monthly issues of that serires. And on the seventh day, I'll rest. In addition, I also plan to add the covers of the various VHS and DVD releases of the films and animated series—and, of course, the live-action TV series if it's ever released—along with the film novelizations. But for now, I'm calling it the seventh day.  Cover Gallery Update: Crossovers and Tie-InsJuly 9, 2007 Today's cover gallery update spotlights the covers for the various guest appearances of Swamp Thing and his regular cast of characters in other titles, such as the Patchwork Man, featured in House of Secrets #140 and the Swedish comic Gigant #3/1983.  This section of the cover gallery covers only those crossovers in which Swamp Thing characters play a substantial role. Alec Holland has had many cameos, some as minor as just his hand. While fun, such cameos have not been included in the cover gallery (though they are mentioned on the timeline). Additionally, as an ongoing character in both The Sandman and The Dreaming, Matt Cable had a number of appearances in those titles. However, since I am not covering either series on this site, I have only included two storylines in the cover gallery—the three-parter revealing his identity as Matt Cable, and the four-part story of his death. Conversely, his appearances in Showcase Presents #94-96 are featured.Vertigo should really consider publishing a Patchwork Man miniseries. It'd be a great opportunity to reprint this oft-forgotten two-parter—and English-speaking fans could finally read the second half of the story. (I'll gladly write it. Vertigo, are you listening?) UPDATED: I've added a selection of other DC Comics issues containing decidedly Swamp Thing-esque stories to the crossovers gallery. These tales are also worked into the timeline, and all are fun to read as pieces of psuedo-Swamp Thing history. In fact, Len Wein even worked The Phantom Stranger #14 into Swamp Thing continuity during his brief tenure on the book. 
Cover Gallery Update: Swamp Thing, Series 4July 7, 2007 Another update to the cover gallery—this time with the 29 covers to Swamp Thing, series 4. Cover Gallery Update: Reprints and Promos July 7, 2007  The latest update to the cover gallery highlights the various reprints, special editions and promotional issues published throughout Swamp Thing's 35-year history.Among the reprints are the "Silver Age Classics" version of House of Secrets #92, the "Millennium Editions" of House of Secrets #92 and Swamp Thing #21, the five-issue miniseries Roots of the Swamp Thing (catchy name!), the silver-tinted Collector's Edition of Swamp Thing issue #140, the 20 issues of Essential Vertigo: Swamp Thing and the four DC Special Series: The Original Swamp Thing Saga issues. In addition, you'll find a number of promotional items, including two DC Samplers, the Swamp Thing/Lucifer flipbook and a death certificate commemorating Swamp Thing's murder. More promos will be added eventually, along with covers to the numerous trade-paperback compilations of both Swamp Thing and Hellblazer.  Cover Gallery Update: Swamp Thing Series 3July 6, 2007 I've finished adding all the monthly covers for both Swamp Thing series 2 and series 3 to the cover gallery. In the next day or so, I hope to add the covers for series 4, after which I'll get started on Hellblazer and the various crossovers and tie-ins Swamp Thing and Hellblazer have had with other titles over the years. Swamp Thing's Cartoon Cameo: How'd I Miss This? July 5, 2007  Well, I'm four years late on this one...but Swamp Thing apparently had a cameo appearance in an episode of the animated series Justice League Unlimited (which makes sense, really, since I don't watch it).Specifically, he had a walk-by at a cantina in the Dec. 13, 2003 episode, entitled "Comfort and Joy." Why he's hanging out with the Justice League at a bar, I couldn't tell you...but there it is. 
Cover Gallery Now OnlineJuly 5, 2007 More covers have been added, this time from Swamp Thing series 2, American Freak: A Tale of the Un-Men and the Un-Men monthly series. I've also added a new covers page to the left-hand navigation bar. Click here to view the covers currently available. If Only He'd Run For Office Again... July 4, 2007 Happy Independence Day to all my American readers! Forget Clinton, Obama, McKane and Giuliani...Swamp Thing for president in 2008! I Got Ya' Covered July 4, 2007 I've begun creating cover galleries for each of the four Swamp Thing titles, as well as the entire Hellblazer run. Swamp Thing series 1 should be available later today. Diaries, Demons, Desecration and Damnation...Oh, My! July 3, 2007  Charles the Ripper: A Royal Pain in the Arse July 2, 2007  Imagine, if you will, the maniacal leader of a major world power betraying his country, his oath of office and his religion, and spilling the blood of innocent people just to satisfy his own hideous desires and increase his power base...but enough about George W. Bush. "Royal Blood," in Hallblazer #52-55, remains one of my personal favorite Garth Ennis Hellblazer stories—and, in fact, one of my favorites of the entire series. Britain's Prince Charles, in an effort to expedite his ascendency to the throne, allows himself to become possessed by Calibraxis, a demon that once caused the 'Jack the Ripper' murders. Grisly and gory, yet at the same time humorous and socially poignant (and not entirely over-the-top), "Royal Blood" takes Jamie Delano's scathing commentaries on the British monarchy to a whole new level. The main story takes place at the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992, with the Ripper's backstory revealed from 1845 to 1888 (the actual years of the infamous Ripper murders). Calendar Update July 1, 2007 DC has postponed the release of Golden Age Doctor Fate Volume 1 (a hardcover volume reprinting the much-overlooked first appearance of John Constantine's nemesis, Nergal) to July 5. After Midnite July 1, 2007  In stark contrast to the Blaxploitation nature of Swamp Thing's Jefferson Bolt (see below), Mat Johnson's Papa Midnite miniseries makes a multidimensional, flesh-and-blood character out of Papa Linton Midnite. Midnite was first introduced in Jamie Delano's opening story arc, then returned in Garth Ennis' Hellblazer #74-76, seemingly jumping to his death from the Empire State Building in the latter.With this five-part story, Johnson successfully reconciles the overweight, stereotypical Voodoo witch doctor from the Delano/Ennis stories with the much slimmer (and better-dressed) version portrayed by Djimon Honsou in the film Constantine. At the same time, Johnson provides a powerful indictment of the African slave trade in the United States, pointing a blameful finger not only at the European White men behind the slaving, but also at those African-Americans who benefited from the practice, and those who have since done little to better the Black man's status in America. It's a poignant story, set on two fronts: the period spanning from 1712 to 1744, and in the present day (2004). Some inconsistencies do crop up (Midnite still being alive, his sister's name and how she died, and so forth), but Johnson satisfactorily explains these away by the end of the series, making Papa Midnite one of the more compelling Hellblazer miniseres to date. In the Midnite Hour July 1, 2007 I finally got around to chronicling the remaining issues of the Papa Midnite miniseries by Mat Johnson, which (despite being an obvious tie-in with the film Constantine) was quite enjoyable and well written. I'd posted the events of the first two issues several months ago, but in my desire to finish up the Delano run and begin re-reading Ennis, I'd put it on hold. I'll add a breakdown of these issues to the timeline later today. Alas, it's 2:00 in the morning and I'm going to bed. Twilight's Lost Gleaming June 30, 2007 Alan Moore—fan-favorite Swamp Thing scribe and creator of John Constantine—proposed a 12-issue miniseries to DC Comics around 1986, following his success on The Watchmen. Unfortunately, DC opted not to publish it.  Despite DC's attempts to remove from the Internet what it sees as its copyrighted material, Moore's proposal for Twilight of the Superheroes has been circulating among fans for years, and is widely available online. The title is a reference to Twilight of the Gods, the last of four operas comprising Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung saga, first performed in 1876.The opera's original German title was a translation of the Old Norse phrase "Ragnarök," which (as shown in Marvel's Thor storyline, as well as in the Stargate: SG-1 episode "Red Sky") was the mythological name for a war of the gods prophesized to herald the end of the world. Moore's version—exploring John Constantine's masterful machinations to end the reign of all superheroes on Earth—takes place in two timeframes (1987 and 2000), with additional events set in mid-1995. In Twilight of the Superheroes, Constantine is seen manipulating everyone from Batman to Superman—and even himself (belay that smirk, you dirty-minded so-and-sos)—as well as a bevy of other metahumans, aliens and godlike beings, in an effort to save mankind from its desperate reliance on the superheroic community (who, in Moore's hands, have gone mad with power and are set to fight an all-out war amongst themselves). Conceived as a 12-issue miniseries, Twilight was Moore's attempt to rectify what he saw as unfortunate limitatons imposed by DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths—and, as with most of Moore's writings, it seems like it would have been an amazing work of art. Click on the years above to read the story breakdowns. Comixfan and Toonopedia Banners Added June 28, 2007 I've added a new banner to the site, and I highly recommend clicking it, as it'll take you to the Comixfan website. Jordan T. Maxwell at Comixfan has put together an excellent overview of the trade paperback compilations of the various Swamp Thing series, with detailed plots for each. In addition, I've also added a banner to Donald D. Markstein's amazing Toonopedia site. Don describes it as "a vast repository of toonological knowledge," and he ain't kidding—Toonopedia simply has to be seen to be believed. What Ever Happened to Jefferson Bolt, Sucka? June 27, 2007  Remember Jefferson Bolt, the perpetually angry African-American character from the first Swamp Thing series, who hung out with Matt Cable and Abby Arcane from issues #11-20, then was never mentioned again by any future writers? Ever wonder what became of him? I know I did, particularly since in issue #112, Alec Holland told Liz Tremayne she was the only living person who knew him when he still thought he was a man—implying Bolt had died in the interim.Well, regular reader 'Alec Holland' alerted me to two non-DC titles featuring other characters named Jefferson Bolt, suggesting humorous fates for Matt and Abby's jive-talkin' comrade—and, as with his Swamp Thing analog, these Bolts were perfect examples of the Blaxploitation era of the early 1970s...and both looked like Swamp Thing's Bolt, to boot. The first (at top) was a 1973 film called That Man Bolt, a movie starring Fred Williamson in a role clearly modeled in the vein of Shaft. "The highest-flyin', slickest, meanest dude you'll ever face is Jefferson Bolt...ON the CASE," the film's tagline said—and that pretty much describes DC's Bolt as well.  The other (which actually came out first—before Bolt's debut in the pages of Swamp Thing, in fact) was a 1972 issue of Marvel Team Up—issue #3, featuring Spider-Man and the Human Torch. At one point, this Jefferson Bolt accused his brother Jacob of "shining the White Man's shoes." Again, sounds like Alec's friend Bolt...though Marvel's version of the character ultimately became a vampire. It's interesting to note that Marvel's Bolt appeared in an issue written by none other than Gerry Conway, co-creator of Swamp Thing's Marvel brother Man-Thing, and roommate of Len Wein...who, of course, created both Swamp Thing and the Jefferson Bolt of the DC universe. Coincidence? I think not, especially given that Conway was one of the writers to step in on Swamp Thing following Wein's departure. Hmmm....  Just When You Thought It Was Safeto Go Back to the Laundry June 27, 2007 I've updated the timeline with events from Hellblazer #51, yet another Hellblazer ghost story, this time written by John Smith and set in a laundermat in 1990 or '91. I've also added Doom Patrol #53, a 1992 tale featuring the exploits of John Constantine, a costumed superhero otherwise known as the Hellblazer, as imagined within the dreams of a sentient road named Danny the Street (yes, you read that right). UPDATED: For those who've followed the whole "Is John Constantine bisexual?" debate, it all started with issue #51...and yes, he is. [Thanks to JasonT for reminding me to add that point, and for correcting my attribution of the writing to Garth Ennis.] Calendar Update June 25, 2007 Almost forgot to mention: Vertigo has posted solicits for Hellblazer #236 and The Un-Men #2, both of which have been uploaded to the calendar. The First Fifty June 25, 2007  I just finished adding the events of Hellblazer issues #47-50 to the timeline, bringing me about 20% of the way through the entire run. The latest entries include a two-part ghostly revenge tale centered around a pub; a second ghost story, this time about the long-forgotten Lord of the Dance; and the introduction of the next Garth Ennis Big Villain, the hellish King of the Vampires. Most of the entries fall in 1991, though as always, others can be found sprinkled throughout other eras. The Swamp Thing TV Series: Help Get it Released on DVD! June 24, 2007  Okay, folks, I need your help on this one: both Swamp Thing films are out on DVD, and so is the silly cartoon series. But the live-action TV series is not, and it's about time that changed. Please visit TVShowsOnDVD.com and vote to get this series released in season sets. The studios take that site seriously, and often consult its voting results when deciding which shows to release. Swamp Thing might not have been the best series ever done...but it's all part of the mythos and it's about time it was made available! Vote now, and spread the word.UPDATED: I forgot to mention that you'll need to log in at TVShowsOnDVD.com to vote for the show's release, which will require registration—but it's a quick and painless process! New Swamp Thing Book! June 24, 2007  Sorry, couldn't resist. I saw this on Amazon.com and had a good chuckle. This children's book—part of the Mercer Mayer's Critter Kids Adventures series (with which I am quite familiar, having two critter kids of my own), was released last year from Gingham Dog Press, written by Erica Farber and illustrated by Mercer Mayer. I may just have to buy this...er...for my son.Just for the heck of it, here's Amazon's description: "Join the Critter Kids as they come face-to-face with wild wetland creatures in the Snake Hill Swamp Sanctuary. Is the swamp safe to explore, or will the Swamp Thing get ‘em? Join the Critter Kids as their classroom travels take them on exciting adventures! Who knew that school trips could be so exciting? The Critter Kids have a knack for discovering adventure and mystery as they travel with their teachers to exotic places to learn about a Native American desert preserve, an archaeological dig amid ancient ruins, a tropical coral reef, and more! And despite unnerving events and unexpected obstacles, the Critter Kids manage to see the humor in their situations and learn from their experiences. Offset fact boxes explaining important vocabulary and reference details—along with other graphic novel-type features—support young readers by linking factual information to the stories. A special reading comprehension section at the end of each story provides additional guidance for reading enjoyment." Maybe Wes Craven will make a movie out of it. I wonder if Adrienne Barbeau and Heather Locklear are still available. Now Where the Hell Has He Blazed Off To? June 24, 2007 After a few-week hiatus (real life sometimes has a habit of intruding on hobbies), I've gotten back to updating the site. Later today, I'll be adding Hellblazer #47-50 to the timeline, in which John Constantine embarks on perhaps the most significant romantic relationship in the history of the series: namely, with the great love of his life, Kit Ryan. I'll also be adding covers for the latest Vertigo solicitations for Hellblazer and Un-Men.  Laying Down New Roots June 9, 2007 Roots of the Swamp Thing has its own domain name now...which you've obviously figured out if you're reading this. The original address wasn't getting a high search-engine ranking on Google or Yahoo, and I always felt the URL was too long, so I finally did something about it. Welcome to swampthingroots.com! Merci Beau Coup, Kevin June 8, 2007 Thanks to Kevin Church, I've optimized the site better than before, and I will soon be changing the site URL to my own domain. In addition, I've added banners for Kevin's comics blog, BeaucoupKevin.com, as well as a cool new Swamp Thing search engine called Ask Cranius, created by Mike Sterling, based on Kevin's AskCerebra comics blog engine. And just for the heck of it, I also added a link to the official Constantine film site. I'm not sure why...but I did. Sorry. A Banner Day in the Swamp May 28, 2007 I've added several links to the right-side navigation bar, so check 'em out: Dark Mark's Swamp Thing Earth-1 Index, the Sequart Swamp Thing Continuity Pages, the DC Comics Database, the Cosmic Things Swamp Thing Chronology and the "Free Alec: and "Free John" campaign.  Back in the HabitMay 25, 2007 I've finished chronicling Hellblazer issues #41-46 on the timeline. This six-party story marks Garth Ennis' groundbreaking opening storyline, entitled "Dangerous Habits," in which John Constantine is at his most vulnerable and must turn to drastic measures to deal with the deadliest demon of them all...cancer. Despite being the springboard for a truly dire film adaptation, "Dangerous Habits" stands the test of time as the quintessential Constantine story, featuring the classic "Up yours" scene in which John flips the bird at the Devil, forever setting him at odds with Hell. Move over, Nergal...here comes the First of the Fallen. This storyline also introduced several longtime Hellblazer recurring characters, including Kit Ryan, the angel Gabriel (a.k.a., "The Snob," inexplicably played on film by a woman) and, of course, the First of the Fallen. Entries on this storyline can primarily be found in 1991, with other events scattered throughout the life of John Constantine, most notably in 1983 and 1987. New Hellblazer in Stores May 23, 2007 Don't forget to pick up your copy of Hellblazer #232—in stores now! The Un-Men Cometh May 21, 2007 News-a-rama has posted solicitations for Un-Men #1 and Hellblazer #235, coming August 8 and August 15 respectively, as well as the trade paperback Hellblazer: The Gift, due out September 19. Cover images and solicits have been added to the Upcoming Releases. Happy Birthday, Conjob! May 10, 2007 John Constantine, born on May 10, 1953, turns 54 today. Congratulations, John—you don't look a day over...well, okay, you look like crap—but happy birthday anyway, you ol' bastard.  Tales of the Golden BoyMay 6, 2007 Well, it's taken too long, but I'm finally there—the entire Jamie Delano run has now been added to the timeline, revealing the secret behind John Constantine's more-magical and more-noble stillborn brother, the Golden Boy. This two-parter presents an alternate-reality tale, showing what would have happened had John not murdered his twin in the womb, and giving him the chance after 37 years to come to grips with his brother's death. For details, see entries in 1953, 1957, 1968, 1975, 1978, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 2030. (This tale jumps around the timeline a lot.) NEXT: Starting this week, it's on to the Garth Ennis years, beginning with issue #41. Just Two More to Go May 2, 2007 And another update: This time, I've added the events of Hellblazer issues #37-38 to the chronology—a two-parter in which Constantine's old friend Merc falls in love with the son of an abusive butcher. For details, check out the synopsis for these issues, set in 1990. Issue #37 marks a milestone for Hellblazer, as Constantine first debuted in Swamp Thing #37 (unless you count his cameo in #25, of course). Only two more issues of the Jamie Delano run left...tune in tomorrow! Hell-blast from the Past May 1, 2007 A week later than intended, I've added the events of Hellblazer issues #34-36 to the chronology. For details, visit the write-ups for the late 1950s, 1961, 1990 and several points between 2003 and 2033. Un-Expected News April 22, 2007 Comix Connection has beat Previews and Vertigo.com to the punch by posting the following solicitation for The Un-Men #1: ARE YOU READY TO GET YOUR FREAK ON? They say the freaks come out at night. But in Aberrance City, being a freak is big business. Sitting on the board of directors are the weirdest freaks of all—birthed in the profane laboratories of Anton Arcane—the Un-Men. In this new, ongoing series that combines gritty noir, grindhouse horror and gallows humor, an albino agent known as Kilcrop is dispatched by the government to investigate the murder of a sideshow attraction called The Gill-Boy. To uncover the truth, Kilcrop must infiltrate Aberrance, where society's most misshapen outcasts can find their own kind of freedom. But with the original Un-Men in charge of the city, Kilcrop must confront a corruption far deeper than the mysterious death of a man who breathes through his neck. He must deal with his growing love for a one-armed, angel-winged beauty named Niko - an attraction that could prove fatal. And the truth he discovers may be the secret of his own outsider's soul. Breakout debut writer John Whalen and artist Mike Hawthorne (THE EXTERMINATORS, Queen and Country) bring chilling new life to the characters created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in the original SWAMP THING, with a series that explores what it means to be a freak in a society filled with gawkers. Thanks to reader "Alec Holland" for the heads-up. A Brief Visit to Hell April 16, 2007 Hellblazer #231 comes out this week, and DC has released its solicit for issue #234. See the calendar for details and a cover image. Ring Around the Swamp Thing April 14, 2007 Roots of the Swamp Thing has been submitted to the Vertigo Net Ring, a Web ring devoted to the characters and worlds found within the pages of Vertigo comics. Assuming the owners of the Net Ring approve the membership, Roots will be in the fine company of such sites as The Ultimate Hellblazer Index, Straight to Hell and The Continuty Pages' Swamp Thing site. All Great Things Must Come To an End April 12, 2007  It's a momentous day in the swamp, as I've finally caught up with Swamp Thing chronicling series 4 on the timeline. The series comes to a very satisfying ending as Alec deals with the Toad King, comes to grips with his mistakes of the past year, reunites with Abby (finally!) and confronts a newly rejuvenated Jason Woodrue. Great stuff all around, and you can read my breakdowns of the issues here. Now, at last, I can pick up with Hellblazer where I left off a year ago—issue 33, which begins the wind-down of the classic Jamie Delano years. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I finish the Delano years and begin chronicling Garth Ennis' immortal—and arguably most popular—Hellblazer reign. Le Freak...How Chic! April 9, 2007 Any fans interested in the upcoming Un-Men comic who speak French should check out Superpouvoir.com, a French-language page devoted to the Un-Men—it's history in Swamp Thing and American Freak, and news about the upcoming monthly comic. According to this site, the first story arc of The Un-Men will be titled "Get Your Freak On." How funny!  A Dose of Un-RealityApril 9, 2007 The cover to the first issue of Vertigo's upcoming Un-Men comic book series has been posted at illustrator Tomer Hanuka's blog. Thanks to reader "Alec Holland" for the heads-up. Hanuka describes the series thus: "The Un-Men are a group of deformed creatures living in a city of freaks in the Nevada desert. Their origin dates back to the 70's as a group of villains on Berni Wrightson's classic Swamp Thing. The city is a mix of Tokyo, Las Vegas and a side-show tent parading your worst nightmare. At the center of the story is Cranius, a humnan brain sewed onto a hand. There's also a winged one-armed woman (a real life Winged Victory), a two-headed CEO and an FBI agent who is an African-American albino, leading the plot after an unsolved murder." Hanuka also provides some preliminary sketches of the cover and fascinating insight into how he developed it. No publication date is provided, however. Introducing the Latest Section April 2, 2007 I added a new option to the left-hand navigation bar—a rundown of all upcoming releases in the Swamp Thing and Hellblazer mythos. Check it out!  Catchin' Up Is Hard to DoApril 2, 2007 I've been busy this week, adding a number of stories to the timeline. Among them: Swamp Thing #26, a brilliantly written and painted one-shot about the death of a child that has my vote as the best issue of series #4; More Fun Comics #67, a Golden Age comic containing the origin of Dr. Fate and the oft-overlooked first appearance of John Constantine's arch-nemesis, Nergal (soon to be reprinted in a hardcover archive volume); and several non-Swamp Thing storylines involving Marty Pasko's Sunderland Corp.—Firestorm #87-88 and 95-96; Hawkworld #13, Annual #2 and #27-29; Hawkman #2-5; and The Power Company #18. Only three more issues of Swamp Thing and a few other titles to go, and then I can get back to chronicling the entire run of Hellblazer. When I left off a year ago, I was on issue #33, near the end of the Jamie Delano run. Next stop: the Garth Ennis years. Portrait of a Swamp Thing Artist April 2, 2007 I almost forgot to mention this—Newsarama.com recently posted a great interview with artist John Totleben, fan-favorite Swamp Thing artist from the Marty Pasko and Alan Moore years in the early, golden days of series 2. Check it out! The Swamp Thing in the Plastic Bubble March 22, 2007 I decided to add a thought bubble around John and Swampy's quotes on the intro page. Too cartoony?  Meanwhile...in AtlantisMarch 20, 2007 Issue #25 of Swamp Thing Vol. 4, "Meanwhile...in Houma," has been detailed on the timeline, leaving only four more issues of that series before I'm caught up. I've also added a canceled miniseries, Aquaman II, which would have featured the Sunderland Corp. had it seen publication. Click here for more information about the miniseries, or here for my timeline write-up (scroll down to the Fall 1986 entry). The Bleeding Raconteur March 19, 2007 The events of Swamp Thing Vol. 4 issues #21-24, a story entitled "The Bleeding Raconteur," have now been added to the timeline. Check out the mid- to late 2005 A.D. time period for details of these issues. Matt Cable's Excellent Adventure March 17, 2007  As I've mentioned here before, Matt Cable had an extended cameo in Showcase Presents... #94-96 in 1977—the issues famous for introducing the new Doom Patrol after the murder of he previous team in the mid 1960s. The story features Matt Cable, still a D.D.I. agent, trying to track down Valentina Vostock (Negative Woman), who has just defected from Russia.When placing thie story on the timeline, I ran into a slight snag, in that Martin Pasko had previously established that Matt was tortured by the D.D.I. and left a broken man following the first Swamp Thing series, which would have occurred before 1977. Therefore, I have placed this three-parter between Swamp Thing issues #8 and 9, where a chunk of time clearly passes. To read my issue breakdowns on the timeline, click here and scroll down to the entries for 1975. (Thanks to reader "Alec Holland" for helping to work out the chronology of this story.) I Come From a Land Down Sunder March 13, 2007 They say good things come to those who wait, and it turns out to be true. For years now, I've been trying to find a list of non-Swamp Thing appearances of the Sunderland Corp., the villanous megacompany introduced during Alan Moore's reign. A couple of days ago, I was given a complete list (see the "Spotlight: Sunderland Corp." entry in the archive), and now, courtesy of Mike Sterling at Comic Book Galaxy, I have just purchased the entire batch. I'll be adding these issues to the timeline as soon as I have 'em in my hot little hands. If you haven't been reading Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin blog, make sure to do so—it's a daily rant on any comic-related topics that suit Mike's fancy, many of which are about Swamp Thing. The blog is poignant, irreverant, silly, multi-faceted and loads of fun. You can get to his blog, and his comic stroe, by clicking on the banner ad to the right. Thanks, Mike! Incidentally, Mike says he seems to recall an appearance by the Sunderland Corp. in the pages of The Spectre, though he can't recall which one, or if such an appearance really occurred. Any Spectre fans out there who can clear this up for me, please drop me a line and let me know. Grazi! My God...He Actually Updated the Timeline! March 12, 2007 I've added the events of Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #10 to the chronology (see the cover image below). To read the update, click here and look for relevant entries in 1973 and 1974. Going Houma March 11, 2007 One more quick update: I realized there was no Homepage button, so I added one to each page of the site. (Not all that exciting, I know.) Inside the Dark Mansion March 11, 2007  Over the years, I've added some non-Swamp Thing titles from DC that have been amazingly Swamp Thing-like and have taken place in the bog, just for the sake of enriching the mythos. Among them: Phantom Stranger #14, The Unexpected #152, and House of Mystery #195 and #217.Well, I've found a new one and will be adding it to the timeline in the next few days, along with Matt Cable's solo story in Showcase #94-96. This one's called Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #10, dated March-April 1973, and inside is a short tale by Jack Oleck and Alfredo Alcala, entitled "The Monster." Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #10 fits the Swamp Thing motif perfectly and will make a nice addition to the timeline. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend tracking it down! Spotlight: Sunderland Corp. March 11, 2007 Ever since I started this site, I've had a banner up asking for help identifying all non-Swamp Thing appearances of the Sunderland Corp. so I could add them to the timeline. I now have the following list, thanks to reader 'Alec Holland.' If anyone knows of any other issues not included in this list, please drop me a line. Thanks!
Un-Men...Underwhelming March 11, 2007 Thanks to reader 'Alec Holland' for alerting me to a recemt Newsarama.com poll asking visitors which upcoming Vertigo projects excite them the most. The clear winners: Northlanders, Faker, Amy@Love and Silverfish. The losers? Cairo, Sentences and...sadly...Un-Men. I can't say I'm really all that surprised, given that the Un-Men were great second-string players but, as American Freak: A Tale of the Un-Men proved, don't necessarily make the most captivating leads. Still, I hate to see yet another Swamp Thing-related title go down without a fighting chance. Hopefully, time will prove the poll wrong and Un-Men will end up the Un-derestimated Un-derdogs. Bogged Down No Longer Feb. 17, 2007 Nine months. That's how long this website has remained dormant since my last update. A long time, to be sure, and the dust sure has built up.
 In other news, John Shirley's second Hellblazer novel, Subterranean, hit stores...a new monthly comic title was announced, starring (bizarrely enough) Anton Arcane's Un-Men (see URLs below to check out sample artwork for tihs series)...several trade paperback compilations of both Swamp Thing and Hellblazer were solicited...Alec Holland and Swamp Thing made Elseworlds appearances in two Justice League America titles: The Nail and Created Equal...John Constantine had a cameo in the "Panic in the Sky" episode of Justice League Unlimited (see far-right image)...and a sequel to Constantine was announced, despite the lackluster success of the first film.  During my hiatus, a new Swamp Thing fan site emerged called "Swamp Thing's Blog," written by none other than Alen Holland himself. The blog is written from the viewpoint of the Swamp Thing, incorporating a wide variety of comic-book characters and images to tell a unique story. It's certainly one of the most unique Swamp Thing sites out there. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check it out.Meanwhile—and this explains my nine-month down-time—I have created a sister site to this one based on the Planet of the Apes universe. The site is called The Hasslein Curve: A Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, and it incorporates the films, TV shows, cartoons, novels, comics and other tales from the Apes saga. If you're a Planet of the Apes fan, feel free to stop on by.
Unfortunately, I've lost all the news that I'd posted to the previous version of the site. |
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Swamp Thing and Hellblazer are the sole
properties of DC/Vertigo Comics. No
copyright infringement is intended.
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