See my initial post for the context. Suffice to say that I will be sharing my entries to the Classic Comics Forum tradition, “ Twelve Days of Classic Comics Christmas“. This is a cross-post of my eighth entry, representing #5 on my list of favorite comic book Crossovers.
5. Spider-Ma Swamp Thing and Batman
“Garden of Earthly Delights”
From Swamp Thing #53 (DC, 1986)
by Alan Moore and John Totleben
After seven straight days of Spider-man entries, let me try to recall if I’ve ever read any other comics. Well, Alan Moore is my favorite comic writer, so let’s see if he ever wrote a crossover. Looks like he has. I’m not the only one to think of his Swamp Thing series, I see. Not even the only one today.
Here’s where he fights Batman.
The story so far: Swamp Thing’s wife has been arrested in Gotham City for the crime of fornication with a swamp creature. Swamp Thing is angry and has turned Gotham into a garden paradise. Many Gothamites have embraced the new order and a cult of worship has grown around Swamp Thing. But Batman is not happy.
Batman gives it his all, but can’t beat Swamp Thing, and begins to question whether he is even on the right side of this conflict, and whether Swamp Thing should just be reunited with his wife. Obviously the law is wrong. But can you just start giving into demands to change the law made by force?
Where Batman fails, Lex Luthor succeeds. He scoffs at the notion that Swamp Thing is invulnerable, saying, “You don’t know from invulnerable. I know from invulnerable…”
The issue ends with Swamp Thing dead. Second time Moore killed him this run. Yet somehow the series isn’t over this time either…
