By James Anders II

In my lifelong love of the comic book medium, Swamp Thing has been one of my favorites.  Ever since I picked up an issue of Saga of the Swamp Thing in the early 80s, I have forever been transfixed on the character and the series through all of the ups and downs of the story.  I’ve been there for the good (Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Nancy A. Collins, Brian K. Vaughn, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule).  I’ve been through the bad (Andy Diggle, Joshua Dysart).  I’ve been through the “meh” (Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, pre-fallout).  And I’ve been through the ugly (Doug Wheeler, God bless him).  Through it all, I have seen in Swampy the story of a man, a monster, life, death, and rebirth.  Like the changes of the seasons, the Swamp Thing character has had periods of great life and growth, decline, and regrowth.  It has all been very fitting for a character whose very essence is that of nature. 

That being said, it has always amazed me that through all of my reading and following of the character, that I had never read through the original run of 13 issues made by the creators, Len Wein on the writing and Bernie Wrightson on the art.  In fact, I did not get to experience the “original” Swamp Thing until well into my adult years of age.  But in having a chance to read these wonderful tales later in life, I was able to gain an appreciation of what Wein and Wrightson were able to do with such a beautifully basic concept. I also appreciated the subtleness of the subject matter and how Wein and Wrightson were able to leave a canvas so open that other writers and artists could advance and evolve our vegetative hero into such a well-rounded creation.  The issues (Volume 1 #1-13), as well as the primary story (portrayed in House of Secrets #92), reestablished a horror niche back into the mainstream.  They are also quite solid issues too. Any fan of the character should read and experience them.

Unfortunately, with the passing of Bernie Wrightson in March of 2017 and Len Wein in September 2017, a large void had been left in this legendary character.  Wein for his part had been reinserting himself with the brand, participating in a mini during 2016 that was well received, allowing him more opportunity to work on his creation many years after his original run.  But with his passing, we were never able to see where that work was going.  Enter the Swamp Thing Winter Special #1.   At 80+ pages, the “Special” features the work that Wein had been laboring on before his death (with art collaboration by Kelley Jones).  The “Special” also features an all-new 40 page one-shot by writer Tom King and artist Jason Fabok entitled “The Talk of the Saints.”        

Make no mistake about this.  There may be new work here, but this issue is quite simply a tribute to Wein and Wrightson and their work on creating such a memorable character.  And this is as it should be.  What Wein and Wrightson did with Swamp Thing is undeniable, and this “Special” gives the character a full circle vibe.  All the way back to that original 13 issue run in the 70s, the Winter Special has the Wein and Wrightson “feel” on it, and not just with Wein’s new scripting of a new story.  King and Fabok’s tale could have been taken back to that run, and it would have felt comparable, with non-swampy locales, minimal dialogues, dark art, and the philosophy of humanity vs. monstrosity.  The story is basic, our hero, trapped in a godforsaken (and Green blocking) winter tundra is trapped with a young boy in tow.  All we know initially is that the two are trying to escape a “snow monster,” but Swamp Thing’s memory and slow, slow, SLOW deteriorating state causes problems in his own understanding as to why he is with the boy.  Devoid of long and wordy dialogue (minus a bookended sports radio talk sequence and some interaction between Swamp and the boy), the pictures and artwork portray the story.  It is a tale of survival and epiphany that does its job in conveying its message.

Jason Fabok’s art steals the entire show of this issue.  It is incredible and one of the better portrayals that I have seen, up there with Wrightson himself.  The writing did not have to be intensive as the art did the talking, often framing Swamp Thing and child in a slow whiteout of wasting away.  Whether it was fighting off a bear, using his person for firewood (nice touch), or the tight embrace of the child, the art is all beautifully done.  To his credit, King allows the art to flow with minimal invasion of words, except where needed.  And once everything is complete, it is complete.  I appreciate the fact that King chose to end it with no apologies or excuses.  Like life itself, the story just “is,” making for good reading to any fan of the franchise. 

Regarding Wein and Jones’ unfinished collaboration, we are treated to some nice spreads of a story with no dialogue involving Solomon Grundy, a kidnapped child, an investigation with Matt Cable with Swamp Thing assistance, and eventually, a Batman cameo.  Though I am not the biggest fan of Jones’ steroid overuse muscle(y) depiction of Swampy, the art overall is very crisp and well colored.  It seems slightly confusing with no dialogue, but insight into each picture is shown through Wein’s script.  The two work in tandem to offer a glimpse of what could have been, but will forever now be incomplete.  Even so, I found it very interesting to read through Wein’s direction and trust placed in Jones.  Chemistry is represented between the two and in what would have been a promising start to a new story arc.  I particularly enjoyed the enthusiasm with which Wein wrote his words.  Just from the reading, you could tell the guy had a smile on his face as he cranked out directions.  It was a nice glimpse inside the curtain of comics making from a writing legend. 

Overall, I put Swamp Thing Winter Special #1 into two categories. If you are a fan of the character and have a love of the history of not only Swamp Thing, but of comics in general, then this issue is a must buy and keep.  It perfectly represents the character and the mystique of what Swamp Thing is all about, especially if you have dug back and read the original stories of Wein and Wrightson.  For a casual Swamp Thing fan or someone new to the character, I feel that the issue holds up, but will not carry near the same weight or nostalgia for someone who is or has been involved in the character through the years.  Putting the two together on an aggregate, Swamp Thing Winter Special #1 misses out on perfection but isn’t too bad at all. 

Score: 4/5

Swamp Thing Winter Special #1
DC Comics