Books: Swamp Thing - Dark Genesis

Sometimes the first instance that you see a comic book superhero colors your perception of that superhero for life. The first time I saw the exploits of Wolverine and Cyclops, for example, was on Saturday morning cartoons, which made the comics feel somewhat foreign when I finally got down to reading them. There are kids growing up now for whom Peter Parker is Tobey Maguire, not Christopher Daniel Barnes.

Many are familiar with Alan Moore's popular portrayal of Swamp Thing. My introduction to the character, though, came from the television series that aired on USA network. I guess that's a better first impression than the tongue-in-cheek short-lived animated TV series:

The book "Swamp Thing: Dark Genesis" collects the first ten original comics by the creators Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. This is a throwback of sorts, when comics were about dealing with personal sorrow and angst - while at the same time fighting with werewolves and sorcerors. It feels a bit strange at times to see this dialectic at work, but it makes for splashy storytelling. I think this would probably be the best first impression the "twisted mockery of a man" could get.