The Swamp Thing #11 – Ram V, Writer; Mike Perkins, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The Swamp Thing by Ram V and Mike Perkins was one of the most ambitious and acclaimed new series in Infinite Frontier, and no one wanted to see it end at #10—especially with how much story there was in the last arc. A new six-issue continuation promises to give us some massive new developments, and this first issue continues the promise of the earlier issues. When we left off, Levi Kamei was presumed dead and it looked like the villains—including the always-manipulative Jason Woodrue and the mysterious and malevolent Pilgrim—had won. Now, Jennifer Reece is desperate to get her friend back and unlock the secrets of the Green—and to do that, she needs to seek out someone with experience in it. That would be Tefe Holland, the creation of the Green and one of the more obscure characters from Swamp Thing lore. But based on this first issue, she’s going to be a fascinating addition to the story.
V is an excellent writer, and Perkins’ chilling visuals are at their peak here. Like most “Season Two” launches, the pacing does have to account for a bit of a recap, but it doesn’t slow down the momentum. Pilgrim continues to be a strong villain, as his quest to defeat death itself may just cost him his humanity—and many other people their lives. Deep within the Green, we don’t see all that much of Levi this issue and his story is still a mystery. Also a mystery? The introduction of a major character from another universe who hasn’t played a role in the DCU in a very long time. I could say it comes out of nowhere, but I’m pretty sure V has been planning this character’s introduction for a long time. I won’t pretend I understand everything that’s going on in this issue just yet, but I’m fine with that. It’s yet another strong chapter in a sci-fi/horror epic that looks like it’s going to go down as a defining take on the character.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
