Swamp Thing: Tales From The Bayou
Tim Seeley, Tom King, Brian Azzarello, Mark Russell writers; Kyle Hotz, Greg Capullo, Mike Perkins, Joëlle Jones, Steve Pugh (and others) artists; Trish Mulvihill (and others) colors
DC Comics, 2020
This collection compiles stories from several Swamp Thing Specials, told by a large, distinguished cast of creators. But the core of it is made up of stories written by Tim Seeley for Swamp Thing Giant (a series sold in Walmart stores that also included reprints of other modern stories set in the supernatural area of the DC Universe). In "Desert of Ash" (with artist Mike Perkins) the Swamp Thing (along with his witch companion Briar Woodrue, who features in all of these stories as well as some earlier in the collection) faces a fire elemental. Even the elemental forces of fire fear a breach in everything, the nothing represented by a being called The Barren--and Briar has positioned Swampy as "Lord Never-Barren." "Bog of Blood" (with artist Joëlle Jones and and colorist Trish Mulvihill) is a two-part story that begins with a retelling of the Swamp Thing origin, but moves into the elemental area of the Red.
"Dead Falls" (with artist Steve Pugh and colorist Trish Mulvihill) finds ST and Brian intervening in the infinite labyrinth being run by a person trying to avoid a scavenger demon hoping to enslave his soul. "The Observer Effect" is a three-part story which explains the creation of The Barren, as well as showing the fight waged against it by Swampy and Briar. The Barren sought to dominate all of the realms, but finally found himself opposed by Dr. Holland (aka the former human identity of the Swamp Thing). When all of the elemental realms ask Alec to be their champion, he begins battle as "Lord Never-Barren the All-Thing." This is the latest big Swamp Thing conflict, which have somehow managed to continuously escalate. It's hard to imagine how it could get bigger next time, but experience says that it probably can.
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