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I doubt there can be many readers who are unaware that ALEC HOLLAND wasn't the first unfortunate individual to become a "muck-encrusted mockery" of a man... a SWAMP THING! That dubious gift of fate goes to ALEX OLSEN, who - in The HOUSE Of SECRETS #92 (July 1971) - fell victim to the all-consuming jealousy of DAMIAN RIDGE, his co-worker and supposed friend, who resented him being married to LINDA, whom Damian had secretly loved and coveted for, oh... ever such a long time.
However, if I assumed that most of you already knew these things, then I'd have nothing to write about, so I'll imagine, dear readers, that you're only aware of the second incarnation of Swamp Thing, who debuted in the first issue of his own magazine in November of 1972, and who was a bio-restorative research scientist working for the U.S. government along with his wife, LINDA HOLLAND.
ALAN MOORE grafted his own take onto the character back in the '80s, and ol' Swampy's probably undergone a few more revisions since then. Truth to tell, I'm currently completely in the dark over the current status of Doc Holland's alter-ego - DC seem to change the histories and continuities of their characters faster than ALAN SCOTT can scream "I'M FREE!" in his best JOHN INMAN voice.
However, whether you're up to speed on on what's happening to ol' tuber-tonsils or not, whether you can differentiate between all the subsequent versions since Alec Holland first crawled out of the mire back in the early '70s or are as completely clueless as I am, I thought you'd still enjoy seeing the story that spawned - The STARTLING SAGA Of The SWAMP THING! Enjoy.
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The above tale, plus the first 'baker's dozen' of the original Swamp Thing saga by LEN WEIN, BERNIE WRIGHTSON and NESTOR REDONDO are reprinted in the excellent DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY volume, entitled ROOTS Of The SWAMP THING. Wein only wrote the first thirteen issues before moving on to pastures new, so if you were thinking of buying a book about our favourite bog-birthed man-monster then it has to be this one.
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2236-9.
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2 comments:
okay thats more than enough!
I remember reading this all those years ago ,but I cant think where or when.
May have been a back up tale in a dc giant size or something like that.
It also could have been a House Of Secrets as I do recall having a few horror comics.
twang go my heartstrings..
And twang go my braces - I must buy a belt. The first two Swamp Thing tales were printed in a special edition in 1977. The next eight followed (two at a time) over the next three years in follow-up specials.
There was also a five issue reprint series in 1986. The fifth issue reprinted the tale from THOS #92. (And there have also been a couple of single-issue reprint editions since then.)
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