Swamp Thing – The Series (First 22 Episodes/Shout! Factory DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C+     Episodes: C+

 

 

‘The swamp is me and I am the swamp…’

 

 

Swamp Thing was originally created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson for DC Comics in the early 1970’s in an issue of House of Secrets comics and was later turned into its own comic series that remains popular today.  Swamp Thing originally left his comic book roots a decade after his creation in an early 1980’s Wes Craven film by the same name and once again in the late 1980’s with a bad, low budget sequel.  The Swamp Thing television series originally premiered on USA Networks in 1990 and managed to last for a total of 72 episodes (Three Seasons).  Actor Dick Durock reprised his role as Swamp Thing, having played the character twice before in both the 1980’s films. All 22 episodes of the First Season of Swamp Thing are presented here in this 4-Disc set in their original chronological order.  The series was always one of USA Network’s top rated shows, but came with mixed feelings from the critics.

 

The premise of Swamp Thing – The Series is not complicated or hard to understand.  Swamp Thing is a creature who lives in a swamp and seeks vengeance on the ‘evil doers’ who enter it.  As the series progresses, however, Swamp Thing transforms from a superhero that simply defeats all evil, to a creature that connects more with humanity and his surroundings.  Swamp Thing soon realizes that everyone’s actions, including his own, have an impact on the world and deeper considerations must always be made.

 

Where as the beginning of the series focuses on Swamp Thing as a creature, it is soon revealed that he was not always that way, but more like the people that he saves and he himself was a victim.  Following in line with the comics, Swamp Thing was a great scientist named Alec Holland who fell victim to a group of men who attempted to steal a secret ‘regeneration formula’ that he was creating in his swamp side home.  In the heat of the savage attack, Dr. Holland’s house lights up in a great flash and in a desperate attempt to save his life Holland jumps into the murky swamp waters.  Weeks and months pass, but eventually a creature emerges from the darkened waters of the Louisiana bayou, the hero we know as Swamp Thing.  Also following in suit with the comics, Swamp Thing is not exactly Alec Holland mutated, but rather a swampy, vegetation mass that maintains the thoughts, memories, and personality of the slain doctor.  Swamp Thing’s arch nemesis soon becomes the sly and charismatic Dr. Anton Arcane, who has many personal evils and loves nothing more than to play God.  The series evolves as the series progresses and after almost 20 years manages to stay fresh and exciting.

 

Though not always captivating, the series keeps a good pace and keeps the viewers’; interest well enough.  Always considered to have a strong mix of drama, science fiction, and mystery; Swamp Thing hails as having a good blend of everything for most comic book fans and casual viewers alike.  Swamp Thing – The Series was not always completely true to the comic series that created it, but good enough that fans won’t be outraged at inconsistencies.  This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed the entire First Season and hopes that the box sets sell well enough that SHOUT! Factory will be able to conclude the cliff hanger ending of the season reviewed here. I will stop here because as Swamp Thing said ‘The more I tell you about myself the less you know…’

 

The technical features of this 4-Disc set are like the swamp in that they are murky and splattered.  The picture is presented in its original 1.33 X 1 Full Screen aspect ratio and is quite frankly disappointing.  The colors and contrast are skewed having distorted skin tones and an overall flat presence; all while the picture quality seeming to have light/dark issues throughout.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound quality is better than the picture presentation having little to no distortion and only occasionally having a distant quality.  Overall, the sound presentation is surprisingly nice.  The extras are few and short, but mildly entertaining.  Extras include two short interviews, one with comic creator Len Wein and the other with series star Dick Durock.

 

In the end, this reviewer had never seen Swamp Thing – The Series before, but was whole heartedly pleased.  It had many entertaining elements throughout and the series only felt slightly dated.  The combination of science fiction with a strong drama backbone only heightened the level of creativity and was always interesting.  But as one of the leads in the series said ‘I am used to strange things I am from Philadelphia.’

 

 

-   Michael P Dougherty II