Meet the Un-Men: Swamp Things by Way of Frankenstein
If you're a true fan of the classic '70s comic The Swamp Thing, then you'll appreciate Un-Men, which is based on some monstrous characters in the brilliant Len Wein/Bernie Wrightson creation.
Today on Comic Monsters, there's an interview with writer John Whalen, who talks about the first five issues and the Frankenstein-like creatures within.
Explains Whalen, "Led
by Arcane's former right-hand Un-Man, a brain on a fist named Cranius,
the Un-Men are now running a reservation for freaks in the American desert,
which they've converted into a huge tourist attraction called Aberrance,
USA." Un-Men is rife with some of the strangest looking beings ever to invade the pages of a comic book, including: Argus, who has a halo of human eyeballs tucked into holes that have been dug into his skull; Janus, and his son, Janus Jr., "who sprouts from his father's back
like a goiter with personality."
The comics will be collected into a paperback this April. How soon will it be before Hollywood options this one?
I dunno,
I followed Un-Men for the first couple of issues, then dropped it. The story seemed too reliant on exploiting the freaks, and I wasn't really down with the whole murder investigation plot.
Granted it came out pretty irregularly, so this might be one of those series that you need to read an entire arc in one sitting. I've found more and more books like that lately. Warren Ellis' Doktor Sleepless totally confounds me with each issue I read, as does Jonathan Lethem's Omega the Unknown.
I am all for comics becoming more literature-like, but comic writers have to realize that we forget a lot of what's going on in the month-plus it takes to get to the next story arc.
nicely reasoned comment, mcgillicuddy. me, i only read the first one, and i have to say i liked the wrightson/wein appearances in ST a bit better.
McG, You're wrong about the "Un-Men" comic coming out irregularly. It has always come out during the second week of each month since its first issue last summer.
My mistake Pulpist. I guess I just had a hard time following it then -- or maybe willing myself to follow it.