Those of you familiar with my work (and honestly, I can’t imagine how the heck you found this blog if you aren’t) realize I’m… well, a bit obsessive when it comes to Swamp Thing and its brilliant spinoff, Hellblazer, from the pre-Flashpoint era. Put simply, I adore both interconnected titles to an insane degree. I’ve collected and read every Swamp Thing and John Constantine story set before DC Comics’ franchise-wide New 52 reboot, from 1971 to 2013, and I’ve written extensively about them.
There’s this book I authored, featuring a stunning cover and erudite foreword by Swamp Thing comics legend Stephen R. Bissette…
…and this anthology I co-edited with Lou Tambone, featuring an essay by Swamp Thing scribe Nancy A. Collins and a foreword by Hellblazer creator Jamie Delano…
…and this DC hardcover featuring The Police’s frontman Sting (on whom John Constantine was based), for which I wrote multiple essays …
…and this six-issue Swamp Thing fanzine from John Boylan, for which I wrote several articles…
So imagine my surprise and delight this past year to have contributed to multiple high-profile DC projects related to Swamp Thing and Hellblazer. It’s been a fun ride, and I owe it all to my friend and editor, Alex Galer, a great guy who keeps inviting me to be involved in these projects because he’s apparently a glutton for punishment. Someday, maybe he’ll learn from his mistakes.
First up: Swamp Thing 1989, the long-long-LONG-awaited conclusion to Rick Veitch’s landmark Swamp Thing run from the 1980s. This four-issue miniseries brought Veitch back to the bog to complete his tragically cut-short masterpiece, and Alex invited me to write retro columns for each issue, as though four decades hadn’t passed since Veitch’s Swamp Thing #87 hit stands. I cannot express what a thrill it is to be involved in Swamp Thing #88-91, which are being released separately and will later be collected in Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch Book Three: Time Upon a Once. Here’s DC’s official preview for issue #88. DC included my entire column in the preview, which is a hoot.
As if contributing a foreword to a book collecting my favorite Swamp Thing run weren’t enough, Alex also asked me to write the foreword to the John Constantine, Hellblazer by Paul Jenkins and Sean Phillips Omnibus, collecting my favorite Hellblazer run (that title is quite a mouthful). These stories are magical, and not just because they costarred John’s friend Rich the Punk. Helping DC introduce new readers to this material is a pure joy.
And finally, there’s the Swamp Thing: Dark Genesis Omnibus, which will reprint a metric ton of classic Swamp Thing stories spanning from Len Wein to David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, and David Anthony Kraft, to Martin Pasko, including some delightful guest appearances in other titles and even some previously unpublished material.
Swamp Thing‘s first decade or so may seem quaint by today’s standards, but it’s pure gold in my eyes. So I can’t wait to add this book, and all the others discussed above, to my personal “my work” bookcase. It’s been an honor and a privilege to be published alongside such immensely talented writers, artists, colorists, letterers, and editors. There truly are no words.
Well… there are words. And I wrote ’em. 🙂
