Swamp Thing #6
Published and © by DC, September-October 1973
Title: “Clockwork Horror”
Synopsis: Swamp Thing finds a hidden village filled with robots – including mechanical doppelgängers of his human self and wife.
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Bernie Wrightson
Review: It feels wrong to give this issue only a B+, but Len Wein’s story simply strains credulity to the point of breaking. There are far too many convenient coincidences throughout, but this tale does succeed in its primary mission: To serve up a variety of pulpish delights for Bernie Wrightson to illustrate. This issue pairs its swamp monster with robots; a peculiar, Swiss-inspired village; a shadowy corporate cabal; and a hint of forbidden love. With the exception of some occasional inconsistency with faces, Wrightson delivers some stunningly rendered art. As an artist’s book, Swamp Thing is a tour de force.
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “A cult classic. … Weird and intoxicating.”– Mike Hall, Comic Effect #35, June-July 2003 … “(Includes) one of the most heartrending scenes ever to occur in Swamp Thing.” – Than Davis, Comics Coast to Coast #2, 1982 … Included on Alan Brightmore’s “Individual Comics That You Should Not Be Without” list, from “A Consumer’s Guide to D.C. Comics, Part 2,” Comics Unlimited #51, October-November 1979. … “very strong material.” – Guy H. Lillian III, The New York Review of Comics and Books #2, 1974 … “Len Wein must be the best scriptwriter around at the moment … but the success of Swampy must rest on the superb talents of Bernie Wrightson. … Truly a goodie.” – Dave Collins, Thing #15, January 1974
Cool factor: Bernie Wrightson is that good.
Notable: The “Swamp Things” letters page includes an LoC from speculative-fiction writer Harlan Ellison.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “I’ll give ‘tall, dark and silent’ here a lesson in forestry he’ll never forget!” – Linda Holland, robot girl
Editor’s note: This review was written Sept. 15, 2024.
