By Ben Avery
4
44 ratings
The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.
OK. It’s not a muck monster . . . and may not technically be a swamp, but a CREATURE from a LAGOON is close enough!!!
Join Ben as he talks about a comic series he was wary about, but after taking the chance on the first two issues, he is ALL IN! (Sorry for the spoiler . . . but he liked it.)
Man-Thing celebrated his 50th anniversary recently, and so as time goes on the issues of his comic books have been celebrating their own 50th anniversaries!
While I am not sure how long this will last, I wanted to take a look at these comics . . . about 50 years later.
In this issue, Man-Thing is drawn into a conflict with a man and a woman who are in a conflict over a child . . . and the relationship trauma and issues and inter-personal dynamics may not be great, but the story sets up some of what’s to come from THE MAN-THING!!!
MAN-THING’S ORIGINS (Savage Tales #1 and Astonishing Tales #12 and 13) Swamp Things Ep. 2 – CBTM103
No, your ears aren’t deceiving you! This episode is going out on THREE different feeds! We recording this episode for WELCOME TO LEVEL SEVEN (Ben’s podcast about the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and his co-host Stewart agreed to let him repurpose it over here, because SWAMP COMICS!!!
Here we have the first official appearance of Man-Thing in the MCU! He’s been referred to! He’s been possibly spotted as a carved face on Planet Skaar!
But now he’s here! And he’s going by the name Ted.
And yes, Ben was excited.
So in the previous episode from the main feed of Comic Book Time Machine, Ben talked about the first part of the Flea Market Challenge – he had $3 cash in his wallet and determined to find a comic or two that he would enjoy but only using the $3 budget.
He found not one but TWO comics that fit the bill, but he was surprised to find that the second of the comics he found . . . was a SWAMP MONSTER COMIC!!!
And so, where he expected Swamp Things #21 to be about the two Swamp Thing series that DC is putting out in March . . . instead he spends some time with this old $1 comic.
And he had fun doing it.
Some links to things Ben talks about in this episode:
Comic Book Time Machine episode 103, which talks about the surprisingly good swamp monster story “Lure of the Swamp”
Episode 176 of Comic Book Time Machine, featuring part one of the $3 Flea Market Challenge
What a time to love comic book swamp monsters!
First up: Ben takes a quick look at the second issue of Swamp Thing Future State
Then: The Swamp Thing is a ten issue maxi-series by Ram V and Mike Perkins, introducing a new Swamp Thing to protect the green
Finally: Three one-shots that are actually just three issues in a three issue mini-series celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Marvel’s muck monster, and this story reveals some unknown information about the Man-Thing’s origins!
It’s “an embarrassment of riches” . . . as 2021 may not feature lots of muck men guesting in other series, but both of the big comic publishers give Manny and Swampy their own spotlight!
The end of 2020 and beginning of 2021 featured two comic book events with Swamp Thing, and this week had a couple swamp related surprises in the comics world.
As usual, Ben judges these swamp based comics using the following paradigm:
CONTENT – is the story good?
COVER – is the cover poster-worthy?
CREATURE – how does the creature look?
FUTURE STATE: SWAMP THING #1 of 2 from DC Comics
The first chapter in a two part series takes us in the the distant future of earth . . . an earth dominated by plant life and ruled by Swamp Thing, who roams the land with a crew of swamp people looking for traces of humanity.
ENDLESS WINTER crossover from DC Comics
It’s not a huge crossover. It’s not an important crossover. But it IS a fun one.
It’s a complete story, with a beginning, middle, and end, that jumps between two time periods – the distant past in the era of vikings and the modern day. These two time periods share a villain, and to defeat him in the present the Justice League must learn from the past.
Plus, two surprises this week:
Two swamp-related comics have been released recently, so Ben heads off to the swamps to record about them.
As usual, Ben judges these swamp based comics using the following paradigm:
CONTENT – is the story good?
COVER – is the cover poster-worthy?
CREATURE – how does the creature look?
LEGEND OF THE SWAMP THING HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR One Shot from DC Comics
This 48-page one shot features a six story anthology of Swamp Thing tales through time, including:
* a pagan/earth-god styled creature from the Roman invasion of Briten
* a cool and maybe not too surprising creature from the time of the Spanish explorers
* a companion to a Japanese soldier from World War II
* A Puerto Rican creature that steps in to stop a plantation owner from a horrible act
* a brand new Swamp Thing, just waking up to his new identity
This was a nice surprise after the cancellation of the Swamp Thing Wal-Mart exclusive books, but the question is: is it good?
EMPYRE: AVENGERS Three Issue Mini-Series from Marvel Comics
Man-Thing has been quiet lately, unlike just recently when he was showing up all over the place. But it does make sense that he would show up in this tie-in to the major Marvel event that features plant based aliens.
But what place does a wordless, mindless creature have in an ensemble cast team book?
Again, the question: is it good?
One of these topics was a HUGE surprise to Ben. The other was sort of a let down. Which was which? Find out here!
Ben returns to the swamp for a Man-Thing related episode! This time, he takes a look at the NEW swamp character, Man-Slaughter! And he pops open a soda that’s swamp-themed AND Avery-themed. And post credit, he takes a look at the Funko Pop Man-Thing figure.
Ben returns to the swamp to talk about:
The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.