The Swamp is the first in a series of books by Yoshiharu Tsuge, one of the most influential and acclaimed practitioners of literary comics in Japan. Bucking the tradition of mystery and adventure stories, Tsuge's fiction focused on the lives of the citizens of Japan. These mesmerizing comics, like those of his contemporary Yoshihiro Tatsumi, reveal a gritty, at times desperate post-war Japan, while displaying Tsuge's unique sense of humor and point of view.