Written by Charles Soule
Artist: Jesus Saiz
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Published by DC Comics
The world of the Swamp Thing is a world of balance. Beings of the green (plants), the red (living creatures), and the rot (the dead) are supposed to live in harmony with one another. Such is the way of the world. When Scott Snyder started his run with Swamp Thing #1 he introduced the baddest, meanest villain of Swamp Thing’s mythos into the New 52: Anton Arcane. Needless to say, at the end of Snyder’s run, Arcane is defeated and sent to ‘hell’ by the Parliament of the Rot. Apparently hell for him isn’t fire and brimstone. No, hell for an Avatar of the Rot is paradise for the rest of us, a pristine place where nothing dies and nothing rots. Enter Abigail Arcane, the current Avatar, in search of answers about her past.
I’ve been really digging Mr. Soule’s work on Swamp Thing and that continues in this Villain’s Month special issue. He took the ball from Snyder and hit the ground running with his own baddie, The Seeder. It’s very interesting to see another writer’s take on such a prominent villain without much space in between runs, but Soule pulls it off without a hitch. Anton Arcane is crazy. This is the story that shows us just how deep the madness runs while giving us a chilling back story about Abigail.
One of the best, most consistent things in the Swamp Thing’s New 52 run has been the art. There’s always some seriously twisted stuff going on and skilled artists are a MUST to make the art as twisted as the story. This is once again done to perfection. Jesus Saiz tells the Arcane story with beautiful, haunting art in this issue.
I started reading this series because of Snyder, but Soule’s work is the reason it’s the first thing I read every month when it comes out! I can’t wait to dive back into the Seeder storyline, but it was awesome to see just how twisted Anton Arcane is and has been for centuries. If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to start this series, pick up this issue and see for yourself just how amazing the writing, the art, and the thrills of Swamp Thing are!
5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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