Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Why didn't the Squad ever run into The Swamp Thing?

It's a shame there was never any sort of cross over between The Swamp Thing and the Suicide Squad. With Belle Reeve being located in the swamps of Louisiana it seemed like it was an ideal set up for an encounter between the Squad and Swamp Thing. I kinda imagine a story line for that issue to go something along the lines of the Squad having a random encounter with the Swamp Thing as they under take a mission that is locally based and just happens to be around where "Swampy" is trying to do some good. Then of course they mistakenly think he's a monster created by some villain or evil org. their after and then it's on.
I'll reckon the Squad wouldn't have much luck trying to hurt him and before long Swamp Thing would make good his escape before any body really got hurt and the Squad would be left with an "unsolved mysteries" kinda issue conclusion. I was actually a Swamp Thing fan long before I would ever even have heard about the Suicide Squad. It actually started with that cheesy Wes Craven B horror flick. But hey, I was around 11 at the time. Plus, there were repeated scenes with Adrienne Barbeau like this through out much of the film.
But this actually did get me to notice the Swamp Thing series that was out at the time and soon I would be collecting it on a pretty regular basis. As crazy as it is to believe I actually started loosing interest in the series not too long after Allan Moore took over the writing. Now looking back I understand why and it wasn't because I had ADD or something. I would develop that later on as an adult. It's because I think that Allan's writing was really a little too sophisticated for me at the time too really appreciate as I suspect it was for most people in their early teens as well. So as result I began gravitating toward more action oriented comic titles. I'm afraid it was just that time and just that place where I was at a point in my developmental stage in which I was more likely to appreciate Adrienne Barbeau in a torn up dress then an Allan Moore story. Today the two things are on more equal footing in my mind and at least I can get my hands on those Allan Moore Swamp Thing issues. For some good insight on what made Swamp Thing under Allan Moore so amazing just go to this review at Siskoids blog of geekery. Notice how the comments section is almost completely dominated with my ramblings? Back then I was going under the profile name of "The Dude". http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2008/09/welcome-to-swamp.html

9 comments:

  1. And the Dude Abides. It's funny, Dave, but I was almost exactly the opposite of you. I was only interested in the Alan Moore Swamp Thing. Anything else could have been tossed or made into a wallet. Of course, I was a girl, so Adrienne Barbeau's, ahem, assets were of little interest to me. But Alan Moore to me was...a revelation. And led to, of course, Neil Gaiman and the world of Sandman. I had never read anything so frightening and enthralling at the same time. You would read the story once, look at it twice, and read it again, just to make sure you had it right. Then kind of shake your head a bit.

    Personally, I think they never met because John Constantine and Amanda Waller had a deal. Think about it.

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  2. I always get attracted to the odd looking characters when I have spare change so Swamp Thing was high on my radar.

    I thought he and Nightshade would make for a good pair alone, let alone lead to an interesting scene with Abigail.

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  3. my friends you've done it again and touched on some great topics. Amanda Waller meets Constantine what a concept! and perhaps another posting idea ;)
    may i have you attention everyone!? we're starting a new catch phrase here on this blog. from now on when someone says "you can make a wallet out of it" that's another way of saying that you don't give a shit or that something sucks. so as an example, george lucas can make a wallet out of the Star Wars sequals for all i care.
    and just for the record randomnerd, it would be ok had you been a bit more interested in Adrienne Barbeau's "assets". nobody will frown upon you for that here. and if they did they would be exiled from this blog. i'm willing to bet perhaps even your husband would no frown upon that. but that's just pure speculation on my part. and certainly that would be wishful thinking were i to be your husband but that's beside the point. i also agree with you about having to do a double take on Moore's stories sometimes.

    and so you don't feel left out Dan i like your Nightshade/Swamp Thing cross over that does make sense actually. i always really liked the Abigail Arcane character.

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  4. Abigail was so cool! I always thought hair should naturally come in those shades. It speaks mightily of the geek nature that I always placed them in my top 5 of the most romantic couples in comics. You know Matthew, the animated corpse of her ex? He shows up in the pages of Gaiman's Sandman as the Morpheus's Raven. Yes, I've read way to much of this. You just hit my gateway comic to the world of Vertigo.

    I love the new catchphrase. Yay! I'm relevant. And I didn't say anything about not being interested NOW. But really, how old was I when I first saw that movie? I was 3 when it came out, and by the time I got around to watching it...maybe 9? 10? I barely noticed hunky guys outside of Luke Skywalker and Nightcrawler at that age. Just to keep your hopes and dreams alive Dave.

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  5. I sent you a mail with an advertisement from that movie. I hope you got it, because my mail acounts are giving me trouble :o ???

    I would have love seeing a Swamp Thing/SS cross over and even more a John Constantine/SS cross over. That whould be creepy (nice creepy).

    I actually never saw this movie. I was a Kid then and my parents wouldn't allow, I suppose, but I recall a big buzz about a 3D movie (on TV) about this movie, the monster of the black swamp? Was it the same? I saw the first 5 minutes, before I fell asleep with the 3d glasses on. (I was a kid!)

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  6. I agree with most of the comments here; a SS/SW crossover issue would've been fun to read. I imagine Deadshot being frustrated as hell for not being able to kill of Swampy, and Cap'n Boomerang would make some smart-ass comments before getting pwed by ST.

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  7. and imagine if they could have worked a large breasted secret agent in a torn dress into the mix. ah the possibilities :)

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  8. Hey - yes, I would have loved it as well. They came so close during Millenium, with Swamp Thing right on the edge of the story, it would have been so easy to have it take place in the months following.

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