ComicCritic87’s DC Comic Spotlight
Hey there friends and fellow comic readers, this week will mark a new change in my reviews. As with the seasons, it is time for change to come, and so I’m going to be spotlighting both DC and Marvel comics in two separate articles. Much like my fellow reviewer Destroyer14, who reviews and analyzes a single issue I too shall partake in such a format, breaking down the comic into various aspects. I will continue to tell an abridged version of the story as usual, I will also review not only the story and artwork but I will be adding in the element of Writer, where I review the writer of said issue. This week in my DC spotlight I will be reviewing Swamp Thing #4
SWAMP THING #4- DESERT FIVE O’ CLOCK
Written by Scott Snyder
Artwork by Marco Rudy, Sean Parsons, and Michael Lacombe
Storyline: Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane continue to search for her younger brother William. William has entered into a truck stop diner and has caused all the people in the place to die in a horrific fashion similar to Cronenberg movies. While trailing William, Alec and Abigail decide to call it a night and rest in the middle of nowhere, as Alec falls asleep he is greeted by the members of the Green, the Swamp Things of old, warning Alec of the coming doom that is to fall upon humanity if Alec does not become the Warrior-king he is meant to become. They warn Alec that the true threat is not William but once again they forewarn him of Abigail, that after all this she shall return to the “Rot” and becoming a true harbinger of death and destruction. Alec awakens and tells Abigail that he is following her into the Desert whether she likes it or not.
Review
Story: Since the first issue of this new volume of the character, I have been very impressed and amazed that they have kept Swamp Thing out for this long. We see many characters wanting him to return to that life whether Alec wants to or not. Typically a series like this “should” have gone the simple route of Alec returning to be Swamp Thing and fight off evil of this new form called “The Rot”. However DC and Scott Snyder do a great 180 with this series and making it about the human element of Alec Holland, a character who has yet to truly become a real fleshed out person. I love the new adversary to the overall mythos of Swamp thing, “The Rot” the polar opposite of life, death, along with the power that it brings to them, the power over dead materials, it truly adds in the horror and gothic feel to the story. I like the interesting character of William; a poor, sick, tortured child that has a very creepy and sick power, he possesses the power to control any dead material even inside living people, which they explain greatly in the issue. Overall the issue is solid and well told, I enjoy darker story telling which this series is truly aiming for.
Writer: I’m becoming a huge fan of Scott Snyder, this and his work on Batman are similar and different in many ways. He creates rich and deep characters while at the same time, reinventing the very structures they are supported upon. Both stories are dark and gothic however have such drastic narratives to each other that it’s amazing that they come from the same writer. Snyder is really making Alec a very sympathetic character, you feel for him that he is constantly pushed around to become something he does not want to become, he wants to live a totally normal life without anyone interfering in his affairs, just to be “normal” despite having the memories that are not his, which is an element that I do admire, seeing a character trapped with memories of a life he never experienced but remembers. Scott Snyder is becoming a powerhouse and I can see him doing a major event if given the reigns, a true modern day Alan Moore.
Artwork: The artwork in this issue has made a slight change, Yanick Paquette is not on this issue, in his place we have Marco Rudy, whose art style bears some resemblance to Paquette. The cover is FANTASTIC, the cover features a scuba wearing person, and we are to assume its William, staring at Swamp Thing. The cover adds to the dark and gothic feel of the story, easily one of the best covers for the DCNU. The three different artists on this issue do blend in nicely, The surreal dream moments in Alec’s mind is one of the best sequences, much like something Shade the Changing man did in Justice League Dark or Secret Seven did. My favorite page is a splash page featuring three different times the Green and the Rot combatting each other, the first time was with Dinosaurs, the Second was with apes, and the third is with man in ancient times. I love the change in artist, even with the three different styles they all mesh perfectly together, they do a great job blending the dark and gothic feel and tone just right.
Summary: Overall I loved this issue, the dark tone continues to impress and show just how dark DC can truly get for a mainstream series that isn’t a part of the VERTIGO brand. The writer is a solid and strong writer, easily one of the best talents in DC. The Artwork is solid and seamlessly blends with one another. I highly recommend Swamp Thing to anyone not reading it; wait for Trade Paperback or Hard Cover once the first arc finishes so you can catch up.
Grade: A-