Swamp Thing #20

I don't often do this. I've been known to pimp for friends on occassion, and pimp for writer's I idolize every once in a while as well. But, in one single issue, Josh Dysart (the other Comic Book Writing Josh who I'm frequently confused with) has been writing Swamp Thing for around a dozen or so issues now. Here's the thing about Swamp Thing. Alan Moore did such a brilliant job on his issues that NOBODY has been able to do shit with the character since. Brian K. Vaughan, easily the best writer in comics today, even struggled with Big, Green, and Gassy, and instead focused on the daughter of the earth elemental. The fact is, Alan Moore really did say everything there is to say about Swampy.

And then Dysart had to go and fuck it all up. Josh's been doing what've been easily the most interesting Swamp Thing stories in a while on the book. Focusing on peripheral characters, using Swamp Thing as sort of a foil in his own book. Again, that's really the only way to do the character justice these days.

And then there's issue 20 (which I believe came out a week or two ago.) In a single issue, Josh manages to pose a new fucking question. It's a story of delicacy, intensity, poetic brilliance, and sheer amazingness. Add that to some beautiful Richard Corben art... and, well, you have the best Swamp Thing story since Alan Moore's very first issue.

Kudos, Dysart. I'm gunning for you now.

Oh, and the book's selling okay, but not great, so, if you read this issue and love it as much as you certainly fucking will, then make sure to let your shop know to put it on your subscription or pull list or whatever. Every copy helps.