This article examines the Italian editions of the American horror comic book series the Swamp Thing. In particular, it considers the episodes written by Alan Moore, which were first published as a series in the 1980s in the US by DC comics (later republished in the 1990s as a graphic novel), and in Italy from 1990 to 2006 both in comic book and in graphic novel format (by Comic Art and Magic Press). Following an overview of the development of the horror genre in American and in Italian comics, the analysis focuses on the episodes written by Alan Moore, which were much appreciated by both readers and critics. The discussion considers social, economic and literary aspects of comics, and points out areas of distance and/or encounter between source and target poles at the levels of editorial policies, readership and culture.