A new mainstream
A new mainstream |
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Page 7 of 23  The Dark Knight Returns DC Comics countered by reviving an old character of their own, star of the eponymous Swamp Thing. This was, again, an already existing title with unimpressive sales, given a revisionist treatment, this time by British writer Alan Moore (ex-2000AD), who added new psychological depth to the original story of a sentient swamp monster. Moore was justly praised for his ability to incorporate into plots the political issues of the day: feminism, the pros and cons of drug-use, American gun laws and, above all, the Green movement (in some of the best storylines, only 'Swampy' can avert ecological catastrophe). Moore was aided by the atmospheric artwork of a number of artists, notably John Tofleben and Steve Bissette, who added to stories an eerie quality redolent of the Louisiana swamps. But the comic remained primarily associated with the writer's name - an unusual reversal of fan devotion to artists. The independents were also relatively successful in the adult market, and scored a number of hits. Eclipse published The Rocketeer (1984), by Dave Stevens, a lively romp about a pilot and his rocket pack, set in 1930s Los Angeles; Capital had Nexus (1981) by Mike Baron and Steve Rude, about a superhero whose disturbing dreams compel him to seek out mass-murderers and execute them; and First produced American Flagg! (1983) by Howard Chaykin, a humorously cynical tale of a future Chicago cop's run-ins with robots, gangsters and vampish women. Finally, a company called Eagle introduced American readers to the stylized violence of Judge Dredd (1983), repackaged from 2000AD.  The Dark Knight Returns |