When Will Swamp Thing Come Back?

Just who owns Swamp Thing? After being asked about the chances of a revival of everyone's favorite muck monster at today's Vertigo panel, DC's VP of Sales told the following story:

Every now and again, there's a battle between [DC Universe] and Vertigo about who gets to publish the character. DCU guys go up to the Vertigo offices with the issue of Batman where Swamp Thing appears and say "Clearly this is a Batman character!" and suddenly there are pitchforks and they're forced back to the elevators.

Trying to offer a more serious answer, editor Bob Schreck said that it was one of his favorite comics, but after about three failed attempts to bring back the character, he's realized that "maybe you shouldn't go home again."

6:45 PM on Sat Feb 23 2008
By Graeme McMillan
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5 comments

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Buji at 11:46 PM on 02/23/08
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Most absolute favorite character of all time (for me) as it was the first title I picked up around 1982. I was 8 at the time and I remember being hypnotized by the cover and just demanding that my mom get it for me in the convenience store. (it was the one where swampy battles the man who'd been turned to crystal...)

It's what got me reading comics. the Alan Moore/Steve Bissette/John Totleben run will forever be, for me, the pinnacle of the art for which every single comic I read is compared to in one way or another. (I usually get around 60 titles a month, so I'm not a casual reader, I guess...)

I have every single issue, from the Wrightson/Wein special of House of Secrets, to the latest series where they tried to kick it off again.

I would love to walk down that path again, but they simply made the character too powerful. If they want to go there, then they need to go back to the "american gothic" run and start with a new swampy, who doesn't know any of his potential yet, and is as confused as the classic protagonist was during the best runs.

I could go on and on... but I think I'll go pick some of my favorite issues out and read them by headlamp in bed :D
drift_marlo at 07:22 AM on 02/24/08
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It seems like the wrong question to me. If DC owns Vertigo, they own Swamp Thing. A fact that the prickly Alan Moore will remind you of after he's finished sucking the brains out of your severed head for asking. The question remains, does Swamp Thing BELONG in the DCU? For my tastes, Swampie should stay out of mainstream DC titles in the same way that Gaiman's Sandman should. They are simply telling a different kind of story. The DCU is, for the most part, a Manichean exercise. Good guys stomp bad guys. Vertigo titles exist in a much needed gray area, shrouded in fog and mystery, and should stay there.
SeeingI at 06:07 AM on 02/25/08
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Swampie? Yes please. But only if Adrienne Barbeau is involved.
rhorsman at 06:53 AM on 02/25/08
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Swamp Thing has been dead to me since they screwed over Rick Veitch.
edosan at 07:38 AM on 02/25/08
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@drift_marlo: "Swampie should stay out of mainstream DC titles in the same way that Gaiman's Sandman should."

Agreed. It's a whole different world. The story has been told, so work on telling new ones -- some stories are fine just the way they are and don't need to be "re-invented" over and over again.