Swamp Thing will return this Halloween in a one-shot that explores aspects of the character’s history. Featuring an all-star roster of creators, Legend of the Swamp Thing: Halloween Spectacular releases October 6, just in time for Halloween season.
During Alan Moore’s legendary 1980’s run on the character, much of what was known about Swamp Thing was revealed to be a lie: he was not a man who had been turned into a monster, but instead he consisted of the memories of a man impressed onto a monster, and that this monster is the latest in a long line of avatars representing the Green, the physical embodiment of Earth in the DC Universe. As Moore’s - and others' - runs progressed, Swamp Thing grew into his status as the Green’s agent. And in addition, readers learned bits and pieces about his predecessors.
The Legend of the Swamp Thing: Halloween Spectacular leans heavily into this part of the character, promising readers looks at some of the James Tynion IV (Batman) and Mike Perkins (Captain America). The one-shot was originally intended to feature a story written by Tom King (Mister Miracle), but it appears to have been pulled.
This one-shot continues what has become something of a tradition at DC: releasing specials featuring Swamp Thing and similar characters around Halloween. In 2018, DC released a Swamp Thing Halloween special as part of its 100 Page Giant initiative with Wal-Mart, and it proved popular enough to give the character his own on-going 100 Page Giant Series. Another Swamp Thing special, this one tied to Winter instead of Halloween, featured a notable story by the aforementioned Tom King.
DC looks to continue this winning tradition with this new Halloween special. The talent behind the book is formidable: Tynion has established himself as one of DC’s top writers, and Morbius, for Marvel. Podcaster and film critic Julian Lytle contributes a story as well. With this diverse array of talent, this special is sure to be a hit like its predecessors, and hopefully leads to a return for the character.
