Writer: Ram V
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Cover Artist: Mike Perkins & Mike Spicer.
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
The new Swamp Thing has been on a dark spiritual journey. Coming to terms with being the new host of the Green, Levi runs into a confrontation with his brother Jacob, aka Hedera, who has taken his war against human greed to the highest level. Now, The Swamp Thing #10 concludes this supernatural battle between the brothers.
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Review:
First things first: The Swamp Thing is getting an extension and will now be 16 issues long, says so on the cover. This is exciting news that I wish could have come earlier in this series’ run. See, the problem with this battle between the new Swamp Thing and Hedera is that there’s not much emotional investment in it. The series crammed most of the emotional buildup for this confrontation at the last minute in the previous two issues. And the problem with this conclusion was that it felt like it was cramming too much into it.
The art in the comic is stellar as usual and manages to match the pacing and dialogue that Ram V writes for the plot and characters. One thing the comic conveys through and through is the sense of anguish, regret, and the desire to keep pushing on making a better difference. This sentiment comes through in the narration, extra world-building, and art displaying Levi’s desire to not give up hope and find a way to reconcile the terrible tragedies to both the wilderness and his family with a drive to be better, to do better.
The story also wraps up the plotline with Mr. Pilgrim and the _ corporation, as the last issue formally established their history and now this one goes a little further to show what their setup is like. They feel like the corrupt enterprise that seems prepared to face Swamp Thing but only for so long without using their nuclear options. While not much happens on their end, Mr. Pilgrim’s side of things does properly build up the next big storyline with a character reveal/re-introduction that will excite Swamp Thing fans.
Now, the fight between Swamp Thing and Hedera is cool at first but it’s not the most epic fight. It does look good with the art and colors, but it’s not the most dynamic fight. However, the real emotional payoff is the inner resolution that Levi forms when the battle draws to a close. As the book wraps up, it shows where Levi and The Green emotionally stand as he continues his time as the Swamp Thing.
Final Thoughts:
The Swamp Thing #10 concludes the brothers’ battle while setting up the next storyline for the series. The fight between Swamp Thing and Hedera reaches its end and is illustrated well, while the comic does its best to bring more emotional impact to their fight. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but it lands for the most part and the comic looks good from start to finish.