The Swamp Thing #15 – Ram V, Writer; Mike Perkins, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s the penultimate issue of The Swamp Thing, and Ram V has built to an epic conclusion. It all started with the Green, as Levi Kamei became the latest human to tap into the unbelievable power of Swamp Thing. But since then, we’ve seen his brother Jacob tap into a very different—and much darker—version of the Green and seek to avenge humanity’s damage against the plant world. We’ve seen a twisted being from the desert create a cult that transformed itself into the Parliament of Gears—a monstrosity seeking to overrun nature itself. A young woman emerged from a nuclear test calling herself Trinity and representing one of the most powerful forces in human history. And a strange collection of aliens descended with their own agenda. And now Levi stands against it all, infused with a new power—as the apocalypse dawns on Earth. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen a comic pack this much into a single battle.
And despite it all, this story still feels extremely human. Levi isn’t coming into this story looking to punch his way out. He doesn’t view every one of these forces as an enemy—in fact, he refuses to look at Jacob as anything but family, and he views Trinity as a wild card who deserves the chance to make the right choice for herself, It’s a fascinating approach to take as the world burns around them. While Ram V is the one who crafted this story, it would not be what it is without Mike Perkins’ stunning visuals. How do you create a story that feels both massive and intimate, horrific and beautiful? It’s not easy, but somehow these two creators pull it off. With only one issue to go, it feels like there is still a world of story to unlock, but it doesn’t feel like it’ll be rushed. It feels like everything is proceeding exactly as planned, as the creators unlock the final secrets of their epic mystery.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
