The FINAL Weird Cover of the Week - #24

I'll be switching this Friday post over to a weekly REVIEW instead, but on a note of "rebirth"...

"You look different"    "I changed my hair, thanks for noticing..."

..here's this week's cover to the New 52 Swamp Thing
#10: The Inevitable Return of ANTON ARCANE!!!

Arcane is like a bad penny, and I do love this specific trapping of the comic book medium - "the unkillable villain - the opposite number" - groovy, every hero needs one.
I have favorites:
Supes has Lex Luthor.
Cap has the Red Skull - I love the Red Skull.
Bats has ...who's that again? ..oh right, THE JOKER.
The Joker has always struck me as the ultimate YIN to a YANG ...madness vs mission = perfect, with that weird overtone to the relationship that so works.

But Swamp Thing does have one of the coolest of all in the demonically evil old man from the Balkans, Arcane - a character who technically debuted in Swampy #1, but makes his awesome true first appearance in the original Swamp Thing #2, along with Abby and a few other perennial favorites.

Alan Moore does a really nice bit of writing in his first issue on Saga in 1983 when Arcane seems to be truly gone. It made me oddly sad reading that the first time - my first encounter with the thought of a hero mourning his nemesis, but it would become an attractive theme to my little creative brain motivating some of my own storytelling.

This piece of art by Yanick Paquette is a homage not only to Arcane's original return way back in the '70s by Bernie Wrightson, but also to the fact that it was #10 then too. Very nice touch, and the last of the "weird covers" for my Blog from the Bog.

I'll start reviewing issues one-by-one after this and making this spot a go-to what's happening in the comic book currently, as well as ALL the older issues all the way up to now.

It'll be fun.
A.


June 20
Turns out it's a great issue with some really nice character writing. Review coming soon..

Breaking News!!!!

Just read the best piece of Swamp Thing news since the New 52 announcements:

The Cincinnati Comic Expo this September will feature FOUR of the artists from Swampy's second series - you know the one - Alan Moore had something to do with it...

Anyway, I'll be in attendance if I have to sell all my Swamp Thing comics, which'd be weirdly poignant actually..
I'll finally meet the guy who keeps winning my movie contest on FB, Mr. Steve Bissette - maybe even get to shake his hand.
Very good news indeed.

Going to do a DOCUMENTARY if possible ...STAY TUNED!!

Flora Flambe - Weird Cover o the Week #23

Bissette and Tottleben - need I say more?
An era of comics when my fingers would sweat as I got close to that next issue. Glorious days of passionate geniuses painting beautiful stories about monsters.

Swamp Thing meets Firestorm ...almost

A great issue - number 24 from the legendary '80s Alan Moore run - discussed by the Irredeemable Shag over at FIRESTORM FAN...

Check it out: FIRESTORM GOES GREEN

..and just look at that cool cover ..more amazing work by Tom Yeates. I specifically remember getting this issue, and promptly reading it ...probably twice..
It marks the turning point for Alan Moore's new evolution of the character - better than a movie, this issue.

But I will remind everyone that DC is offering the original Swamp Thing #1 for FREEEEEEE...
Trust me - you won't regret starting with that 40 year old piece of brilliance.
This way, by the time you get to the Alan Moore stuff you'll have the proper understanding of the impact contained within the Anatomy Lesson a few issues back.
It's a great ride - trust me...

Weird Cover of the Week #22

Weird for the fact that Alec Holland and Swamp Thing don't generally hang-out a lot...
...but more than weird, it's wonderful.
This is my favorite Swampy cover EVER.
I will try to buy the original artwork someday, but yup - personal favorite artwork by Mr. John Tottleben - Holland's DaVinci-esque face - Swampy's eyes - the Barn - it's the whole Swamp Thing saga in one image.

BRILLIANT.