Swamp Thingis in need of a big-screen comeback, and acclaimed writerAlan Moorehas already provided DC with the perfect story to reboot their resident muck-man. With several movies and TV series, Swamp Thing is surprisingly one of DC’s most adapted characters, but few of those adaptations have truly captured what makes the character special… something that a straight adaptation of “The Anatomy Lesson” could fix.
While Alan Moore’s first issue as writer wasSaga of the Swamp Thing#20, it was the following issue where theWatchmenwriter’s run truly begins. Joined by artists Steven Bissette and Jon Totleben,Saga of the Swamp Thing#21’s “The Anatomy Lesson”is a perfect self-contained horror story, one that announced Alan Moore as a major talent to watch.
“The Anatomy Lesson” is one of the greatest single issues of any comic book series, in that it radically reinvents the character while setting up a multitude of stories to come.
“The Anatomy Lesson” is the Greatest Swamp Thing Story of All Time
The issue is told primarily from the perspective of Jason Woodrue, the alias of the oldDC villain the Flouronic Man. Woodrue has been hired by corporate magnate Avery Sunderland to conduct anautopsy on the body of Swamp Thing/Alec Holland, who was believed to have been killed in the previous issue. Woodrue conducts a thorough autopsy of the body, which soon begins to puzzle the old DC villain. Woodrue finds vegetable copies of human organs throughout Holland’s body, although these organs seem to serve no biological purpose.
Swamp Thing has been adapted into two feature films, two live-action TV series and an animated TV series.
Woodrue eventually comes to the startling conclusion thatSwamp Thing isn’t Alec Holland at all, but rather aplant-based entity given life by Holland’s bio-restorative formula that absorbed the memories of Alec Holland upon his death. Woodrue comes to the conclusion that the Swamp Thing is “a plant that thought it was Alec Holland, a plant that was trying its level best to be Alec Holland.” It’s eventually revealed that Swamp Thing isn’t dead after all, merely in a comatose state after being shot in the head. Swamp Thing eventually wakes up and learns the truth, killing the old man Sunderland in a fit of rage.
It’s an amazing self-contained story that acts as a perfect horror comic in and of itself, expertly told by Moore, Bissette and Totleben. The mystery that unfolds with each new discovery of Woodrue’s ongoing anatomy of Swamp Thing builds intriguingly throughout, as the DC villain slowly realizes that themuck monster before him was never a man, but an entirely new organism. This initial story acts as the match that lights the rest of Moore’s run on fire, asSwamp Thing learns even more about his place in the worldthroughout the acclaimed writer’s tenure on the title.
Alan Moore Completely Reinvents Swamp Thing with “The Anatomy Lesson”
What Moore, Bissette and Totleben achieve with “The Anatomy Lesson” is the perfect way to reboot and reinvent everything that came before. The revelation that Alec Holland is truly dead and Swamp Thing is an entirely new entity allowsthe creative team to clear the board of everything that had come before and build something new in its stead. Alan Moore would build off the revelations in “The Anatomy Lesson” to take Swamp Thing out of the realm of a horror comic about a monster and transform it into a work that encompassed and explored the furthest reaches of space and time.
“The Anatomy Lesson” was loosely adapted into an episode of the same name for the 2019Swamp Thingseries, although the final result bore little resemblance to the original comic
Swamp Thing would discover a realm of powers and abilities, which saw the character take on larger, more cosmic threats. Later issues in the run would later explain thatSwamp Thing was an avatar of the Green, the elemental force that binds all plants together, which eventually seesSwamp Thing become the guardian of all plant life on Earth. Swamp Thing even becomes involved in the1986 crossoverCrisis on Infinite Earths, in which the muck-monster and John Constatine team up to defeat the powerful witch coven the Brujeria and the Great Beast from destroying Heaven itself.
Yet for all the cosmic, metaphysical stories to come,Alan Moore’sSwamp Thingrunbegins with the simple horror story set-up of “The Anatomy Lesson.” The story requires no prior knowledge of theSwamp Thingstories that came before, as thecreators build an intriguing story that both stands on its own, and sets up more stories to come.Readers could only read “The Anatomy Lesson” and stop there if they so choose, as it tells a complete story. But it also sets several intriguing balls in motion, which Moore and his artists would explore for several years thereafter.
“The Anatomy Lesson” Would Make a GreatSwamp ThingMovie
The self-contained nature is what would make “The Anatomy Lesson” the excellent template for a newSwamp Thingmovie. While previous adaptations had their moments, none of the extantSwamp Thingmedia has truly captured what made Alan Moore’s run on the character so special. “The Anatomy Lesson”s ongoing mystery of Jason Woodrue’s dissection of Swamp Thing’s body is already filled with more suspense and surprise than many Hollywood thrillers, and the creepy, violentdenouementwould not only be the perfect capper to a horror movie, but also an excellent way to set-up future big screen adventures that would hopefully continue in the vein of Alan Moore’s originalSwamp Thingrun.
His run onSwamp Thingwould propel Moore to the spotlight in mainstream American comic books, and eventually led to beloved DC works likeWatchmen,Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?andThe Killing Joke. While thewriter has become somewhat grumpy on the topic of superheroesin recent years, his previous work still stands the test of time as amongst the greatest superhero stories of all time. With a newSwamp Thingmovie in the works, hopefully the filmmakers will take their cues fromAlan Mooreand finally give “The Anatomy Lesson” the big-screen treatment it deserves.
Swamp Thing
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Swamp Thing follows CDC researcher Abby Arcane as she delves into a mysterious swamp-born virus in a small Louisiana town. Her investigation reveals the swamp’s mystical secrets, and as horrors emerge, the town’s safety is jeopardized. Released in 2019, the film blends elements of science fiction and horror.
