10 Great Comics You Didn't Understand The First Time
6. Saga Of The Swamp Thing
When Alan Moore was first starting out as a comic writer, he cut his teeth and showed his potential by completely revamping the relatively unknown Swamp Thing line. Giving the character an almost total retcon, Moore reinvented Swamp Thing's origin, gave him a new supporting cast, and even changed his species.
It was revealed mid-way through the Anatomy Lesson story that Swamp Thing was not, as he had believed, a human imbued with the mysterious power of the Green, but rather a purely elemental being with no natural link to humanity whatsoever. This does not deter Swamp Thing and he maintains his relationships with the humans in his life, even beginning a romantic relationship with Abby Arcane. Their love was so strong that when Abby was tricked into damnation, Swamp Thing weathered the depths of Hell to retrieve her soul.
Nobody could have picked up on Moore's subtle pro-environmentalism message on the first read, mostly because the story surrounding it was pretty crazy, with werewolf clans, possessed ex-lovers, and even banishment to alien planets all played a part at one point or another. However, Moore was one of the first writers to take note of the then-burgeoning environmentalist movement and incorporate it into his work.
Swamp Thing's fierce loyalty and love for Abby was meant to show that the Earth would always be there for us, so the least we could do was reciprocate its admiration.