Swamp Thing Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows [Paperback]

Alan Moore (Author)

Book Description

Series: Swamp Thing | Publication Date: August 1, 2001

How did the DC character most noted for simplicity handle thehyper-complexity of the Crisis on Infinite Earths? In the ever-able hands of Alan Moore, Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows rises above the mid-1980s corporate reorganization to grant our hero his apotheosis into his current plant elemental form. Fans of John Constantine will eat up the smart-aleck astral con man's performance throughout, and the central struggle--uniting good and evil against something much bigger and older than either--is classic Moore. The art is bold and beautiful, organic by necessity, and contributes as much to the reader's suspense as the script. It seems that Moore et al. have spent so much time transcending their medium that they may have created a new one of their own. --Rob Lightner

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How did the DC character most noted for simplicity handle the hyper-complexity of the Crisis on Infinite Earths? In the ever-able hands of Alan Moore, Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows rises above the mid-1980s corporate reorganization to grant our hero his apotheosis into his current plant elemental form. Fans of John Constantine will eat up the smart-aleck astral con man's performance throughout, and the central struggle--uniting good and evil against something much bigger and older than either--is classic Moore. The art is bold and beautiful, organic by necessity, and contributes as much to the reader's suspense as the script. It seems that Moore et al. have spent so much time transcending their medium that they may have created a new one of their own. --Rob Lightner

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563897199
• ISBN-13: 978-1563897191
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.5 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Swampy Saves the Multiverse, May 2, 2003

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Swamp Thing Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows (Paperback)

In this round of Swamp Thing installments from Alan Moore (original issues #43-50, which includes the double-size anniversary issue), plot elements that had been developing for a year or more finally come to fruition. That would be a battle even bigger than good vs. evil in the final story of this collection, fittingly titled "The End." Here we see the full apotheosis of Alan Moore's groundbreaking work with comic horror writing, a defunct style that he courageously made hip again at the time. And although the Swamp Thing series was thematically unlike anything else DC was doing at the time, Moore still ties Swampy's saga into the greater DC universe. John Constantine and a collection of minor and obscure characters associated with magic and sorcery help in the great battle for the universe. Meanwhile Swamp Thing allies himself with the heaviest hitters in DC's stable of occult characters, including Spectre, Etrigan (The Demon), Phantom Stranger, Dr. Fate, and the very suave Deadman. There is also a flawless crossover with the then-current Crisis on Infinite Earths epic, surely one of the great endeavors ever undertaken by a comics company.

One very interesting aspect of Moore's plotlines during this period is how Swamp Thing himself often falls into the background of the stories, as the focus is on the horrors around him, and he makes dramatic Lone Ranger-like appearances to save the day. Even in "The End" Swampy is a minor presence, action-wise, then defeats the force of darkness simply by reasoning with it rather than fighting. In this collection's first tale, "Windfall," Swamp Thing only appears on one page, and the focus of the story is a psychedelic fruit that grew on his back. During this period of the series, things were changing artistically, as regular artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben were often overworked or unavailable. Here Stan Woch and Ron Randall really make their presence felt, especially in the most tremendous story of this stretch, "The Parliament of Trees." This concept is surely inspired by Tolkein, and in turn I bet that Woch and Randall's visual creations were an influence on the producers of the recent "Two Towers" film. By the end of this collection Moore and his great team of artistic collaborators continue to teach us about the deep roots of the Swamp Thing character, and he's not yet done learning himself.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The mother of all battles..., April 27, 2004

By 

Sibelius (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swamp Thing Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows (Paperback)

...is the apex in this Fourth Volume of the Alan Moore helmed issues #43 - 50 of D.C. Comics, 'The Swamp Thing.' But before this battle occurs some interesting things take place. For starters we get an imaginative hallucinatory ride as two people under different circumstances eat servings of the Swamp Thing's 'yam fruit,' and experience vibrant psychedelic journeys that change their lives in one way or another. The Swamp Thing also does battle with a serial killer, faces a legion of ghosts in a Winchester Mystery House-esque haunted mansion, stumbles into violent chaos when parallel worlds collide, learns some new Elemental tricks while meeting his ancestors, and finally faces off with the ancient tribe of Warlocks - the Brujeria - who are bent on unleashing an ancient evil that will destroy Heaven itself. From this point, the last few chapters build up too a whopper of a climax in the ultimate battle between dark and light that the universe has ever seen.

Definitely a great volume in this series as it offers fans everything that they've come to expect while taking it to new metaphysical heights and thus gearing readers for some intersting twists to come.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Moore, the best Swamp Thing, the best comic ever, February 1, 2002

By 

H. J. Spivack (Yardley, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swamp Thing Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows (Paperback)

Not sure I know what that other reviewer is talking about.

This is, simply, the best comic stories ever, bar none. In this series, the Swamp Thing finally learns why he is alive, about the Parliament of Trees, that he is not the first Swamp Thing by a long shot. Then, at the behest of John Constantine, goes to Hell and helps to remake the entire Universe.

Moore's Swamp Thing is the best and these are the best and most definitive of the stories. If you're uncertain about buying this trade paperback...buy it. You won't regret it, in fact these may be your favorites of all time.