Cover Impressions:

Looks like Swampy is having a throw-down with a demon of some sort surrounded by pictures of children. Nice cover.

Swamp Thing #4 (August, 1982)
Title: In The White Room
Credits:
Writer-Martin Pasko
Art-Tom Yeates
Editor-Len Wein
Colorist-Tatjana Wood
Letterer-John Costanza

Still the same crew as last issue.

Plot:

This issue opens with Liz, her associate producer Paul Feldner and Sheriff Bingham (who has the most annoying accent ever) are discussing the case of the child murder in Pineboro. Meanwhile Swamp Thing arrives in town riding in the back of a watermelon truck (yes a watermelon truck). Of course the child killer is none other than the local kids show host Uncle Barney, who we find out is possessed by a demon, who then departs Barney's body to posses Paul Feldner. Swamp Thing continues to search for Casey in town, wondering why he is so drawn to the child, shorty thereafter he discovers Paul attempting to kidnap Casey. The now demon possessed Paul tells Casey they are not so different. Maybe all those town people back in Carolina were right about Casey? Swamp Thing and Paul then battle for Casey, which Swampy loses as Paul kicks him off a bridge. Later Swamp Thing tracks Casey to a slaughter house where Paul is about to carve Casey up with a meat cleaver. Round 2, Paul and Swampy begin another fight ending with Swamp Thing skewered on a meat hook. Paul then gloats how he is about to kill Casey with Swamp Thing watching, in desperation Swamp Thing offers the demon to posses him if he will spare Casey. The demon agrees and begins to posses Swampy just as he hits the lever to send the meat hook rack (with the now possessed Swamp Thing) into the freezer. The issue ends with Liz and the Sheriff finding Paul (who remembers nothing), a now comatose Swamp Thing and Casey is still missing. Liz arranges Swampy moved to a private medical facility.

Remarks:

Story-wise things are back on track after the vampire issue. We find out maybe Casey isn't so innocent after all. This issue had a lot of action with Swamp Thing and the demon battling each other. However Swamp Thing got the worse of it, he was kicked off a bridge, nearly sliced in half with a meat cleaver and skewered on a meat hook. He was only able to defeat the demon by tricking him at the end. I think for a horror comic Swamp Thing does its job well. I am actually surprised some of these early issues were comic code approved back then...demonic possession and child killing is fairly mature themes.

Pros:

Swamp Thing and a demon throw-down.

If you like horror style comics, this one has it.

Cons:

Liz's side plot trying to get her show on the air in the Pineboro market is a snooze fest.

The sheriff's accent is terrible.

Grade: B-