Swamp Thing
DC/Vertigo.
Dark
Genesis (House of Secrets 92, Swamp Thing 1-10; w Len Wein; a Bernie
Wrightson). [From DC Comics: He has become a modern
legend, this mysterious creature of the Louisiana bayou. Feared as a monster,
hailed as a god, by turns wonderfully benevolent and pitiless in his wrath,
the Swamp Thing has carved his unique niche in the American Landscape. Writer
Len Wein and legendary horror artist Bernie Wrightson, the original creators
of the most complex creature in comics, brought the "Swamp Thing"
to life in an 8-page story from HOUSE OF SECRETS #92. Now that classic story,
plus the first ten issues of SWAMP THING Volume One, are reprinted in a
new edition of SWAMP THING: DARK GENESIS. In DARK GENESIS, learn the astonishing
secret of Swamp Thing's "birth"; share the forbidden passions
of Anton Arcane and the measureless sorrow of the Patchwork Man; shiver
to the timeless horror of the witch named Rebecca Ravenwind and of a tortured
Scottish werewolf. These eleven stories are not merely acknowledged classics
of the comics field; they are an incredible reading experience, and the
ideal introduction to the many-faceted creature known as Swamp Thing.]
Secret of the Swamp Thing (digest-sized reprint of above). [From DC Comics: Once a brilliant biochemist whose revolutionary research promised to end world hunger, Alec Holland lost his whole worldy in a single, horrifying instant when a sinister conclave of industrialists planted a powerful bomb in his laboratory. Caught in the explosion, Holland fell burning into Louisiana's dark and stagnant waters, only to rise again, transformed into a shambling mockery of humanity - a hideous Swamp Thing! Now the creature who once dreamed of helping mankind has a darker goal to pursue: finding those responsible for destroying his life, and making them answer for their crimes. Thsi quest for justice will lead the Swamp Thing across the globe to confront a host of monsters even stranger and more nightmarish than himself, but nothing will stop him from completing his mission - not even Gotham City's own Dark Knight Detective, the Batman!] 
1
Saga of the Swamp Thing (21-27; w Alan Moore; a Steve Bissette &
John Totleben). [From DC Comics: This is the place.
It breathes, it eats, and, at night, beneath a crawling ground fog with
the luster of vaporized pearl, it dreams; dreams while tiny predators stage
a nightmare ballet in sharp black grass, it is a living thing, it has a
soul, it has a face. At night you can almost see it. At night you can almost
imagine what it might look like if the swamp were boiled down to its essense,
and distilled into corporeal form; if all the muck, all the forgotten muskrat
bones, and all the luscious decay would rise up and wade on two legs through
the shallows; if the swamp had a spirit and that spirit walked like a man...
At night, you can almost imagine. You can stare into those places where
the evening has pooled beneath the distant trees, and glimpse an ambiguous
shifting of the darkness: something large, large and slow, its movements
solemn and inevitable, heavy with clotted, sodden weed that forms its flesh.
Its skeleton of tortured root creaks with each funeral pace, protesting
at the damp and sullen weight. Within their sockets its eyes float like
blood-poppies in puddles of ink. You can inhale through flared nostrils,
drinking in its musk, green and pungent. There is the delicate scent of
mosses and lichens adorning its flanks. There is the dry and acrid aftertaste
o the pinmold that spreads across its shoulders, fanning out in a dull gray
rash. You can stand alone in the blind darkness and know that were you to
raise your arm, reaching out to its full extremity, your fingernails would
brush with something wet, something supple and resilient, something moving.
You shouldn't have come here. This is the place. This is the story. Saga
of the Swamp Thing.] 
2 Love
and Death (28-34, Annual 2; w Alan Moore; a Steve Bissette & John Totleben,
Shawn McManus). [From DC Comics: Collecting classic
tales from Alan Moore's award-winning run, this reprint marks a high point
in the history of graphic storytelling. Inspired by the creation of writer
Len Wein and artist Berni Wrightson, Alan Moore took the character to new
heights in the 1980s with his unique narrative approach. His provocative
and often groundbreaking writing, combined with masterly artwork by some
of the medium's top artists, made Swamp Thing one of the great comics of
the late twentieth century.] 
3 The
Curse (35-42; w Alan Moore; a Steve Bissette & John Totleben).
[From DC Comics: "I'm a nasty piece of work, Chief, ask anybody."
With these words, trenchcoated mystic John Constantine introduces himself
to the Swamp Thing - and starts the man-monster on a voyage of discovery
that will take him from the darkest corners of America to the roots of his
own long-hidden heritage. This classic saga by the legendary creative team
of Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, and Rick Veitch redefined
the Swamp Thing as a powerful elemental being, with a potential as vast
as the Earth itself. Brimming with visceral horrors including underwater
vampires; a werewolf under an unusual curse; the hideous madman called Nukeface;
and the first appearance of John Constantine, Hellblazer, these are the
stories that changed American comics forever. Collecting classic tales from
Alan Moore's award-winning run, this reprint marks a high point in the history
of graphic storytelling. Inspired by the creation of writer Len Wein and
artist Berni Wrightson, Alan Moore took the character to new heights in
the 1980s with his unique narrative approach. His provocative and often
groundbreaking writing, combined with masterly artwork by some of the medium's
top artists, made Saga of the Swamp Thing one of the great comics of the
late twentieth century.] 
4 A
Murder of Crows (43-50; w Alan Moore; a Steve Bissette & John Totleben
et al.). [From DC Comics: "The man who started
me upon this dark path promised me answers… but the answers are black
and unbearable." Swamp Thing's quest for self-discovery with mystic
John Constantine has led to one final moment of truth. A harbinger of doom
has been released with the sole charge of waking an evil beyond comprehension,
and Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Deadman, the Phantom Stranger, Etrigan,
the Spectre and other masters of the occult must unite against a dark force
which threatens to eradicate Heaven's light. This classic saga by the legendary
creative team of Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Stan Woch,
Rick Veitch, Ron Randall and Alfredo Alcala continues the evolution of Swamp
Thing from a mire-dwelling man-monster to a powerful elemental being with
the potential to exceed the bond of the Earth itself. Swamp Thing: A Murder
of Crows overflows with sophisticated tales of horror. From a finely-wrought
crossover with the epic DC maxiseries Crisis on Inifinite Earths to Swamp
Thing's first audience with his brethren in the Parliament of Trees to the
cataclysmic conclusion of the "American Gothic" storyline, these
are the stories that changed American comics forever.] 
5 Earth
to Earth (51-56; w Alan Moore; a Rick Veitch & Alfredo Alcala, John
Totleben). [From DC Comics: "We have been separated
too long, and when the storm was at its worst I feared I would not see her
again." Having witnessed the cataclysmic confrontation between Dark
and Light, Swamp Thing realizes that all reality has changed. But one driving
desire remains in his heart: returning to his wife, Abby. Unbeknownst to
Swamp Thing, back in Louisiana his marriage to Abby has been exposed and
has resulted in her being arrested for "a sexual crime against the
laws of nature." Alone and uncertain of her husband's fate, Abby chooses
to flee Louisiana and seek refuge on the shadowy streets of Gotham City,
where her circumstances draw the attention of Gotham's Dark Knight - Batman!
When Abby is taken into custody by Gotham's finest, Swamp Thing is drawn
into a war for her freedom against Batman and all the forces of Gotham City
- a battle that breaks Swamp Thing's bond to the planet Earth and leaves
him on a mysterious planet of blue, in the timeless tale "My Blue Heaven."
This classic saga by the legendary creative team of Alan Moore, John Totleben,
Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala continues the evolution of Swamp Thing from
a mire-dwelling man-monster into an elemental being with power that exceeds
the bonds of the Earth itself.] 
6
Reunion (57-64; w Alan Moore; a Rick Veitch & Alfredo Alcala et
al.). [From DC Comics: "Tell her I'm alive,
and that one day I will come home. Please tell her. It would do so much
to bridge the light-years between us." After forcing the release of
his wife Abby from Gotham City's police, Swamp Thing found himself torn
from the Earth by an unexpected attack and his consciousness thrown across
the galaxy. He awakened on a distant, blue planet full of life but devoid
of any sentience. In perfect isolation, cut off from everything familiar,
Swamp Thing nearly went insane - crafting simulacra of those he had left
behind and talking in desperate criclues to himself. But he managed to step
back from the abyss of madness, choosing instead to hurtle himself into
the void of space once more, trusting in fate to bring him home. Now, as
he makes his way in fits and starts across the vast emptiness - including
the stopovers on Adam Strange's adopted homeworld Rann and at the final
barrier of the Source - Swamp Thing is finding out that life can be stranger
and more fantastic than he ever imagined. But as awesome as the universe
reveals itself to be, nothing can be as wondrous as his final goal - homecoming,
and reunion with his beloved. Here, under the guidance of Alan Moore, Rick
Veitch, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Alfredo Alcala, and Tom Yeates,
the creature whose life rose from the death of Alec Holland comes full circle
in his transformation from inhuman monster to one of the most powerful elemental
forces ever known.] 
7
Regenesis (65-70; w Rick Veitch; a Rick Veitch & Alfredo Alcala).
[From DC Comics: "There, on the altar of our pain, is the sacrifice.
We hear a new voice screaming out, from the absolute depths that exist in
the human soul. Screaming for release." Swamp Thing, the living embodiment
of the vibrant web of Earth's plant life known as the Green, has returned
triumphant from his greatest test - traveling as a disembodied spirit across
the unimaginable distances of space and surviving its almost insurmountable
challenges to reunite with is longed-for love, Abby. But the world has kept
turning in Swamp Thing's absence, and deep in the heart of the Green a new
avatar has been conceived to take his place in the great hierarchy of Elementals.
The entity that was once Alec Holland now faces an agonizing choice: destroy
his successor and reclaim his position as champion of the Green, or allow
it to be born and risk throwing the balance of life on Earth out of alignment
- a choice whose consequences may prove to be beyond cataclysmic.]
8 Spontaneous Generation (71-76; w Rick Veitch; a Rick Veitch & Alfredo Alcala). [From DC Comics: There are no easy answers, little brother. No simple solutions to our dilemma. Only one hard choice. After returning from the endless void of space, the elemental force known as the Swamp Thing discovered that, in his absence, a replacement had been created to take his place as the avatar of Earth's plant life. Unwilling to kill this new, as-yet unborn spirit to restore the delicate balance of nature, Swamp Thing instead resolved to find a way to coexist with his would-be successor. His first attempt, however, proved less than encouraging - and set an unbalanced doppelganger of himself loose on the world. Now, with the embryonic elemental growing more corrupt with each failed incarnation, Swamp Thing is about to find a new way to look at the problem - a way that points to John Constantine as the pivotal yet unwitting agent of success.] 
9 Infernal Triangles (77-81, Annual 3; w Rick Veitch, Jamie Delano, Steve Bissette; a Rick Veitch & Alfredo Alcala, Tom Mandrake). [From DC Comics: Sleep, little sprout. Let the dreamtime of the womb cleanse away all the madness and corruption that were your birthright.
After much trial and error, the elemental entity known as the Swamp Thing has succeeded in harnessing the life-force of his successor into the one form with which he can co-exist - a new human soul, to be born of his love Abby (with help from the sardonic magus John Constantine). But even as the couple begin preparing for their impending domesticity, forces far beyond their intimate world are conspiring to drive them apart once more - only this time, the resulting distance may prove to be unbridgeable.
Acclaimed comics creator Rick Veitch (The One, Brat Pack, The Maximortal, Greyshirt: Indigo Sunset) is joined by longtime Hellblazer author Jamie Delano and veteran Swamp Thing contributor Stephen Bissette for a mesmerizing journey through love and loss.] 
1 Bad
Seed (1-6; w Andy Diggle; a Enrique Breccia). [From
DC Comics: Once there was a man named Alec Holland, who died trying
to transform the world into a new Garden of Eden. From his ashes rose an
avatar of the Green, the embodiment of Earth's plant life - a shambling
mass of vegetation called the Swamp Thing, whose godlike power was tempered
by Alec's kindness and human decency. Those same qualities won him the love
of a woman, Abby Cable - a love which endured a seemingly endless host of
trials and hardships and culminated in a child named Tefe, who inherited
from her parents the elemental power to control plants and flesh alike.
Willful and contrary, Tefe rebelled against the pressures of her abilities,
even as her father grew more and more powerful, adding the ancient forces
of Earth, Water, Fire and Air to his command of the Green. Now, swollen
with all of the planet's elemental powers (save those residing in his daughter),
the being that was Swamp Thing has lost all traces of its former humanity.
This is bad news for mankind, as there is no longer anything to restrain
Tefe's father from forcibly rebalancing nature at the cost of billions of
human lives. The good news is that John Constantine, that sly old magus,
has a plan to rein in the Holland family - he just needs to do a little
digging. Fortunately, the Hellblazer happens to know where all the bodies
are buried...] 
2 Love in Vain (9-14; w Joshua Dysart; a Enrique Breccia). [From DC Comics: SWAMP THING: LOVE IN VAIN features the first two story arcs from writer Joshua Dysart - "Love in Vain" and "A Measure of Faith" - and continues to showcase the spectacular art of Enrique Breccia.] 
3 Healing the Breach (15-20; w Joshua Dysart; a Enrique Breccia, Ronald Wimberly, Richard Corben).
[From DC Comics: With the consciousness of Alec Holland still separated from its former host and scattered across the world, the Swamp Thing must face a new threat to the Green which is manifesting itself inside a growing dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.]
Roots
(OGN; w & a Jon J. Muth). [From DC Comics: Dark
was the night, Cold was the ground; When you were sleeping, the Devil came
'round. 1943. One tree, whose twisted roots snare a cold evil that coils
itself around a small town. One woman who's fleeing with her children from
an abusive husband… And one man, seeking salvation, moves beyond flesh
and blood and emerges from the murky depths of the Wabash River as... the
Swamp Thing. This compelling story of small-town terror and one Earth elemental's
quest for deliverance is written and painted by Eisner Award-winner Jon
J. Muth.] 