Thursday, March 30, 2017

Decent Comics: "The Tomorrow Children" by Michelinie and Redondo

What it is, Groove-ophiles! With Swamp Thing #14 (October 1974), not-as-new artist Nestor Redondo was joined by a young David Micheline, who took over our fave muck-monster's writing chores. Micheline had already been doing some cool stuff in Claw the Unconquered and Unknown Soldier, so it wasn't like DC just grabbed the first warm body they could find to take over for departing co-creator Len Wein. Michelinie would go on to do more cool stuff at DC during the Groovy Age like Starfire and Star Hunters before heading to Marvel to revitalize Iron Man, do some far out Avengers work (before making a lotta readers mad at him with ish #200), and tons more. But for now, let's head down to the swamps...




















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7 comments:

  1. Neil A. HansenMarch 30, 2017 at 12:13 PM

    My math teacher back in the day turned me on to this comic book. I ended up using the Swamp Thing thoughts on the last two panels from the last page as my yearbook quote, and boy, did it apply. Sadly, it still applies now.

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  2. keythd23April 3, 2017 at 11:35 AM

    Michelinie was just not up to the task of replacing Wein on Swamp Thing. The title pretty much existed on fumes from this point forward.

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    Replies
    1. The Groovy AgentApril 3, 2017 at 3:46 PM

      Not arguing, but I can't resist saying that I'd love to have some'a those fumes to run my car, keythd23! I mean, Swampy's mag ran 11 more issues after Wein left. ;D

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    2. keythd23April 4, 2017 at 3:24 AM

      Oh, sure it was still a great title. But Wein and Wrightson set such a high standard that anything else looked mediocre in comparison, imho (kind of like if Wolfman and Colan had been replaced by some other team on Tomb of Dracula).

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    3. The Groovy AgentApril 4, 2017 at 8:28 AM

      Oh, I agree with ya, pal! I just couldn't resist that "fumes" line! No matter how good the next team is (and, admittedly it's a rare thing when the "next team" is really that good), when the original creator(s) leave, the magic is almost always lessened or even gone. ToD is a great example. The FF in the decade between Lee/Kirby and Byrne, for the most part is another one. And who could have followed McGregor and Russell on Killraven?

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  3. Warren JBApril 3, 2017 at 9:15 PM

    That was hackneyed and a bit terrible. In the midst of all that proselytising and scolding, Michelinie unironically calls scientific names 'pompous'.

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  4. AnonymousApril 29, 2017 at 12:29 PM

    I liked Michelinie's scripts for ST 14 and 15. Redondo's art is also superb. He drew better than Wrightson, but never really got the Swamp Thing character 'on model' after Berni left. Still, his figure drawings and perspectives more than gave BW a run for his money. Wein handpicked Michelinie as his replacement.

    Regards,

    Chris A.

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


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