The Swamp Thing #12 – Ram V, Writer; Mike Perkins, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Since the beginning of this fascinating run, it’s been treated as an evolution of the Swamp Thing mythos. We have a new bearer of the Green in Levi Kamei, yes, but this issue also makes clear that he’s not the only entity evolving. The Pale Pilgrim, introduced in the very first issue of the run with some disturbing visuals, finally makes his return spinning out of the twisted plans of Harper Pilgrim. While he was always a disturbing villain, this issue makes clear his plans are much bigger than thought—and may lead into the launch of a new parliament, the Parliament of Gears. Because after all, what could be a bigger threat to the ongoing survival of nature—be it the Green, the Red, or the Rot—than the never-ending force of human industry. We’ve seen some elements of this explored in past runs, with characters like the Machine Queen, but few have been given this level of menace.
And of course, Levi is far from at his peak himself right now. Trapped in the Green, it falls to Jennifer Reece and Tefe Holland to pull him back from oblivion. The segments in the Green provide the best visuals of the issue, and deliver some very powerful moments that spin out of Tefe Holland’s past. It’s impressive that V is pulling from so many runs here for his mythology, and it’s also about time we saw some resolution to the ongoing tension between Levi and Jennifer! There are some almost leisurely, peaceful moments in this issue—which makes the last few pages, as a massive new force emerges, all the more shocking. While Ram V’s writing drives this series, Mike Perkins’ art is the special sauce that makes it so memorable. In other hands, the new being that emerges at the end could have been nothing unique, but Perkins infuses her with a unique sense of the unknown that makes for the perfect cliffhanger.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
