Covering the Walmart-exclusive ‘Giant-sized’ issues…
At the end of 2018, new Swamp Thing stories began appearing in a ‘Giant-sized’ anthology series available exclusively at Walmart stores in the U.S. After Swamp Thing Giant #7, the issue numbering was reset for a new series that was released both in Walmart stores and comic shops.
The below titles were published by DC Comics unless otherwise noted.
Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant (2018) #1
“Hollow” (pp.1-12), December 2018. Walmart exclusive.
Brian Azzarello [w], Greg Capullo [p, c]
A woman referred to as ‘Twiglet’ loses one of her eyes when she attempts to open a doorway to the underworld and needs to be rescued by Swamp Thing. On the night of Halloween, Twiglet encounters monsters who have kidnapped some children. Swamp Thing again rescues Twiglet and the children, explaining that people must fear him if he is to defeat The Barren.
This book also reprints the Swamp Thing origin story from House of Secrets #92 (June/July 1971).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #1
“Desert of Ash” (pp. 1-12), January 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Mike Perkins [p], Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia [c]
Swamp Thing and the witch named Briar (previously referred to as Twiglet) encounter a man who can speak to flames who they call the Char Man. Swamp Thing and Char Man fight, with Swampy eventually defeating him by flooding the environment with carbon dioxide. Briar saves herself and other humans from the flames by making a deal with the fire elementals, promising them that Swamp Thing will defeat The Barren.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #1 (Nov. 2011).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #2
“Bog of Blood Part One” (pp. 1-12), February 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Joëlle Jones [p], Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia [c]
Two teenage campers begin relating horror stories to each other when they are interrupted by a woman who calls herself Ms. Ravenmocker. Swamp Thing and Briar attempt to find the students and Briar explains that she can see visions of the Barren through her missing eye. The heroes find themselves in a car junkyard and Briar is taken by Ravenmocker.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 2011).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #3
“Bog of Blood Part Two” (pp. 1-12), March 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Joëlle Jones [p], Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia [c]
Swamp Thing fights Ravenmocker in a crypt beneath the junkyard while Briar finds the missing college students. Briar explains to Swamp Thing that Ravenmocker is actually an immortal teenage girl named Astraea who has been guarding a magical, bleeding wound in the Earth for a century. When the wound recently reopened due to pressure from the Barren, Astraea misunderstood her family’s instructions and kidnapped a group of heart transplant survivors to make them immortal. Swamp Thing and Briar leave to commune with the force of death, reasoning that they have recently met the forces of fire (Char Man), evil (Bi’tal) and life (Astraea) who were all fleeing the Barren.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #3 (Jan. 2012).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #4
“Dead Falls” (pp. 1-12), April 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Steve Pugh [p], Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia [c]
A young man named George is kidnapped and forced into slavery by demonic sailors. George tries to escape through a labyrinth until Swamp Thing intervenes and destroys George’s demonic pursuers. Swampy explains that George’s soul has been running the maze for over a century and he encourages George to accept death. This act appeases the Confederation of Remains, from whom Swampy and Briar have sought advice. The Remains reveal cryptic information about the origin of the Barren.
Briar’s surname is revealed as Woodrue, indicating she is likely related to Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man. This book also reprints Swamp Thing #4 (Feb. 2012).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #5
“The Observer Effect: Part One” (pp. 1-12), May 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Steve Pugh [p], Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia [c]
Swamp Thing and Briar travel through the green to find out more about the Barren. They find themselves in the laboratory of Dr. Lola Hemsdale and Swampy follows her while Briar follows her colleague Dr. Singh. Hemsdale is attacked by various monsters and Swamp Thing is not able to save her from being taken. Meanwhile, Briar finds a secret portal in Singh’s office. Upon entering, she finds Dr. Singh who introduces himself as the Barren.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #5 (Mar. 2012).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #6
“The Observer Effect: Part Two” (pp. 1-12), June 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Aaron Lopresti [p], Marcelo Maiolo, Robson Rocha [c]
The Barren shows Briar portals to the realms of Water, Fire, Life, Limbo and Death, and explains that he has conquered them all except the Green. The Barren fights Swamp Thing and reads his memories, learning how Swampy rescued Briar when she was seeking her father, and how he removed her eye that was corrupted with dark magic. Swamp Thing, the Barren and a lifeless Briar are transported to the swamp. Singh explains that he once entered a magnetic chamber in an attempt to kill himself but instead his consciousness was imprinted onto dark matter. Now he wishes to destroy all matter.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #6 (Apr. 2012).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 1) #7
“The Observer Effect: Conclusion” (pp. 1-12), July 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tim Seeley [w], Aaron Lopresti [p], Marcelo Maiolo, Robson Rocha [c]
Swamp Thing struggles as the Barren begins merging the different realms, causing chaos in the swamp. Briar finds herself in the afterlife and meets her father Jason Woodrue. With Hell’s existence threatened by the Barren’s activities on Earth, Briar is allowed to return to help Swamp Thing. Upon her return, she announces that Swamp Thing has now been made champion of all the realms. Swampy grants life back to Singh, separating him from his dark matter body, and then finally kills him using the power of death. Briar then closes the portals to all realms, restoring order to the world. Briar and Swamp Thing part ways with Briar explaining that she will continue the work of her father.
Woodrue still seems to be dead following the events of Swamp Thing #40 (May 2015). This book also reprints Swamp Thing #7 (May 2012).
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #1
“The Beet Goes On” (pp. 1-16); “…Kind” (pp. 19-26), October 2019. Direct market edition.
Mark Russell, Andrew Constant [w], Marco Santucci, Tom Mandrake [p], Doug Mahnke [c]
The Beet Goes On: Swamp Thing destroys several Sunderland facilities that are bio-engineering “terminus seeds” – plants designed not to reproduce. To manage his emotions, Swamp Thing suppresses his anger into heart-like beets that he periodically expels from his body. Sunderland wants to capture Swampy and so sends his friend, a voodoo priestess named Fatima, to betray him by injecting Swampy with a neurotoxin made out of the beets. After injecting Swampy, Fatima decides to eat his beet-heart, believing it will grant her immortality. However, she falls into a coma that is indistinguishable from death. Swamp Thing awakens and buries Fatima, believing that she sacrificed herself to save him. Fatima later awakens, trapped in her coffin.
…Kind: An elderly woman living in the swamp is killed by her estranged son during an attempted robbery. Swamp Thing, who was friends with the woman, chases the man to where he buried the woman, and her ghost drags the man underneath the ground.
The Sunderland corporation is headed by someone that closely resembles Avery Sunderland, who was killed in The Saga of Swamp Thing #21 (Feb. 1984), and the Sunderland employees discuss ways of capturing Swampy that allude to the events of #20 (Jan. 1984). In this story, however, Swamp Thing is aware that he is not human, and this did not originally occur until after these issues. This book also reprints Swamp Thing #1 (2016) and The Hellblazer #1 (2016). This issue originally released a few weeks earlier in Walmart stores with an alternate cover. These stories later released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #1 and #9.
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #2
“Everything Eats, Everything Dies” (pp. 1-16); “The Winter Quarters” (pp. 19-26), November 2019. Direct market edition.
Mark Russell, Phil Hester [w], Marco Santucci, Tom Mandrake [p], Doug Mahnke [c]
Everything Eats, Everything Dies: Swamp Thing’s friend Guillaume goes missing and Swampy helps Guillaume’s grandchildren search for him. They find that he has died following a heart attack. Meanwhile, the Sunderland Corporation have declared war against Swamp Thing after he destroyed the factories that were producing the terminus seed. After the funeral, Guillaume’s grandson Robert tells the Sunderland Corporation (his employer) where Swampy can be found.
The Winter Quarters: A man and his daughter search the swamp for a missing child named Eldon but they are scared away by a spirit called a Fifolet. Swamp Thing sees Eldon and his kidnappers and follows them to a cursed circus. The carnival workers survive by capturing people and forcing them to gaze upon a model of the circus that drains their lifeforce. When Swamp Thing arrives, the carnies let Eldon go and turn their efforts towards capturing Swampy. Eldon, now free, smashes the model and this destroys the circus. The Fifolet leads Eldon and Swampy back to the swamp.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #2 (2016) and The Hellblazer #2 (2016). These stories later released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #2 and #7.
Superman Giant (2018) #15
“Superman: Up In The Sky, Part 11” (pp. 1-12), November 2019. Walmart exclusive.
Tom King [w], Andy Kubert [p]
Superheroes struggle to protect the Earth from robot invaders called Robotiens, while Superman travels into space to rescue a small girl abducted by the robots’ commander. Once Superman defeats the alien controller, the robots shut down and the Earth is saved.
Swamp Thing is shown fighting a Robotien in one panel. This issue was later reprinted as part of Superman: Up In The Sky #6 (Feb. 2020) and available through comic shops.
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #3
“Gods Of The Abyss” (pp. 1-16); “The Courser” (pp. 19-26), February 2020. Direct market edition.
Mark Russell, Phil Hester [w], Marco Santucci, Tom Mandrake [p], Kyle Hotz [c]
Gods Of The Abyss: Swamp Thing is sought out by tourists, to the frustration of Sally Quaid of the Sunderland Corporation who wants Swampy dead. Swamp Thing warns Quaid to leave him alone and then destroys Sunderland’s headquarters. Robert ventures into the swamp to reason with Swamp Thing but dies mysteriously. Swamp Thing later finds other bodies, and then comes across a hooded group who worship Swampy and claim responsibility for the deaths. Avery Sunderland enlists the help of General Pierce to kill Swamp Thing.
The Courser: Hurricane Oya bears down on Louisiana while Dr. Aliyah Wallis and her students are conducting research in the swamp to find a slave ship named Le Coursier. Aliyah sees a Fifolet before Swamp Thing guides her to the other researchers who are being held at gunpoint by a Mr. Ammon. Swamp Thing tries to stop Ammon but is rendered immobile by Ammon’s magic, and Aliyah’s partner Justin is shot. Ammon raises the shipwreck from the swamp. Ammon explains that he was a sorcerer of the Oyo Empire three centuries ago before being captured by slave traders, but he sacrificed the crew of the ship and his fellow slaves in order to break free. Since then, he has then been haunted by the sounds of rattling chains and now wants to destroy the wreckage. Swamp Thing manipulates the seaweed on the ship’s chains to drag Ammon underwater, before leading Aliyah’s group to safety.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #3 (2016) and The Hellblazer #3 (2016). These stories later released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #3 and #7.
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #4
“Strategic Outcomes” (pp. 1-16); “Toys on Parade” (pp. 19-26), May 2020. Direct market edition.
Mark Russell, Phil Hester [w], Tom Mandrake [p], Marco Santucci, [p, c], John Kalisz [c]
Strategic Outcomes: Swamp Thing appears in New Orleans after fleeing attacks from the Sunderland Corporation. He is warned that a nuclear strike will be targeting him, so Swampy leaves the city and travels to the Gulf of Mexico. Avery Sunderland travels to Washington and learns that the government has abandoned the fight due to the costs, but they store a file that contains information on how to kill Swamp Thing in case they should ever need to.
Toys on Parade: The Fifolet leads Swamp Thing to a young girl named Anna who can animate toys. Her father attacks Anna and Swampy, and she manipulates Swampy’s body to defend them both and causes the room to explode. The toys kill the father after Swampy and Anna leave.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #4 (2016) and The Hellblazer #4 (2016). These stories later released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #4 and #8.
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #5
“Flower King” (pp. 1-16); “The Ghost Light” (pp. 19-26), April 2020. Walmart exclusive.
Mark Russell, Phil Hester [w], Marco Santucci, Tom Mandrake [p], Kelley Jones [c]
Flower King: Swamp Thing’s worshippers offer to help him rule the world but Swampy instead decides to let the humanity destroy itself. Swampy receives information from a Sunderland insider that the corporation has cloned him to create two creatures (Flora and Leif) who are being forced to produce food. Swamp Thing considers the creatures his children and begins destroying a city in anger of their enslavement, but he ceases his rampage after nearly killing a child. Sally Quaid presents the swamp creatures at a meeting of Sunderland shareholders but kills Leif when Swampy confronts her. Swamp Thing addresses the crowd, proposing that they work together to create a new world.
The Ghost Light: Swamp Thing comes across Alec and Linda Holland’s lab. He creates a body for the Fifolet so that it can communicate with him. The spirit explains that he was once a man and was responsible for blowing up the lab, but he was murdered by his conspirators when he expressed reservations. The Fifolet leads Swampy to an escaped prisoner who is mortally wounded. Swampy heals the convict long enough to take him back to his tribal home to die. Swamp Thing forgives the Fifolet and it is freed from its purgatory.
This book also reprints Swamp Thing #5 (2016) and The Hellblazer #5 (2016). The series was cancelled before the Direct Market edition could come out, so only a Walmart exclusive version exists. These stories later released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #5 and #8.
Swamp Thing Giant (2019, Vol. 2) #6 [Unpublished]
“Seeds of Destruction” (pp. 1-16); “The Bayou Bluebird War” (pp. 19-26), 2020.
Mark Russell, Phil Hester [w], Marco Santucci, Tom Mandrake [p]
Seeds of Destruction: After the meeting, Swampy Thing’s worshippers again ask him to rule the world but he refuses and instead concentrates on being a father to Flora. Over the next year, he grows self-sustaining cities made out of plants for communities to live in. Avery Sunderland becomes President and obtains control of nuclear warheads but he is betrayed by the Attorney General who is working with Swampy’s cult. While Sunderland and the cult hide in a bunker, they launch a nuclear strike against Swamp Thing, but Swampy sacrifices himself to destroy the missiles. When Sunderland and the cult emerge from the bunker 20 years later, they are surprised to find that the planet is thriving, and that Flora has recreated Swamp Thing using her DNA.
The Bayou Bluebird War: Swamp Thing tries to prevent monsters from attacking a family, but he and the mother of the family are captured and brought to a village. The mother is destroyed by a purple light emanating from a well and, when Swampy tries to intervene, he falls into the well and emerges with a purple creature attached to him. Swampy’s strength allows him to wield the creature, while weaker humans were transformed into monsters when the creature had attempted to bond with them. The purple creature allows Swampy to see that the true danger is the “human” family, who are actually aliens attempting to open up an inter-dimensional portal and destroy life on Earth. After a fight, the aliens and the purple creature leave Earth through the portal, and the monsters become human again.
These stories were released digitally in Swamp Thing: New Roots #6 and #9 and presumably would have been included in Swamp Thing Giant #6, but the series was cancelled. These stories were eventually published in printed form as part of the Swamp Thing: New Roots trade paperback.
[w] denotes writer, [p] denotes penciller, but I have included both penciller and inker if both are credited equally as artists. [c] denotes cover artist, but I have mostly only included the last in instances where Swampy is illustrated by someone other than the inside penciller.
Another Green World 