There’s something rotten in the state of…wherever Swamp Thing and Animal Man are at this point! Puns aside, the two franchises are kicking it up a notch in preparation for their upcoming crossover. The stakes have certainly been raised, with both characters at their most vulnerable. But where have we found ourselves this week? Let’s see.
Swamp Thing #10
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
- The deadly return of ANTON ARCANE!
- This is the beginning of a new chapter in the SWAMP THING saga and a perfect time to start reading!
Animal Man #10
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Steve Pugh
- “EXTINCTION IS FOREVER” part two!
- Guest-starring JOHN CONSTANTINE and JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK.
- BUDDY BAKER seeks the help of THE TOTEMS to return to his family.
If you read my review last week for the “Animal Man” Annual, you might have noticed that I found it somewhat entertaining but unnecessary because while it had some interesting revelations and imagery, none of it felt needed. It turns out I was mostly right, as the biggest points of the Annual are discussed in passing in this issue, and even without the context of the Annual, it makes perfect sense in the issue. In fact, some of the ideas suggested in the previous issue are negated (at least, my interpretation, which is more than possible)!
The main points of the issue were that the Rot, Green, and Red are all forces that work together sometimes, but other times, one can take up too much power and it’s up to the other two to keep them in check. The previous issue expanded upon this with another Animal Man and Swamp Thing working together in the past to fight off the Rot. The past Animal Man even had a vision, after being assisted by the Swamp thing of the era that depicted the Justice League in ruins, and the Earth with them for that matter. It was a tad jarring for the reader, there was little reaction to it because, well, why should he care who the guy in the bat costume, the guy in the blue pajamas, or the woman in the “risqué” lingerie are?
In this issue, however, Buddy’s guide through The Red describes exactly how the Red works and how it’s not an abstract (like I thought) but rather a group of mythic beings that all live on a higher plane in a balanced ecosystem that is now being threatened by the bad guys. Furthermore, the guests in this issue, The Justice League Dark, complete with Madame Xanadu vision described this post-apocalyptic world for Ellen Baker in a very personal manner that gave the reader (in this case, me) the sense of urgency more effectively than Batman’s head on a pike. After all, how many times have superheroes died? I’m nearly desensitized to that these days, but if you give me a child in peril, I get it.
Disappointment with the issue’s redundancy aside, it worked very well on its own. Things are getting worse for Buddy who is without a body because his body is inhabited by an agent of The Rot. It’s an interesting and unique plot development that deals less with body swapping and instead tackles the idea of body theft. The end teases an epic collision that would be the ultimate fantastical end of this kind of story, and I can’t wait to see it.
“Swamp Thing’s” half of the narrative is much more straightforward. Alec is weak after the previous battle and Abigail is taking him to her safe house (of sorts) to protect him and allow him to heal. While Swampy is on the mend, we get a little peek into her backstory which describes why she is the way she is, all the way from her childhood, as told by her father, Anton Arcane, the avatar of The Rot (much like Alec is the avatar of the Green). We learn more about her, in fact, from his perspective, and just how creepy her connection to the Rot is, which his hinted to be even more powerful than the abilities the kid displayed in the first arc. I posited that Abigail will likely be the new Rot avatar in the future, and does more to support my belief that is the case. It sets up a lot of intriguing stories, especially since she and Alec are in love.
Continued belowIn the art department, “Animal Man” continues its streak of improved art now that Steve Pugh has taken over. The art itself is a bit different from what I’m used to, when he was writing and drawing the Radical Series “Hotwire” (which is a good series I highly suggest you pick it up!). To be fair though, the art in “Hotwire” was much more complicated and would likely take a long time to render; making the book difficult to ship monthly, if at all (“Hotwire” was notoriously late). It’s not a bad thing though, as his work shares a bit of a connection to Yanick Paquette’s work and finds a way to tie the two books together visually as well as thematically. It’s a shame Paquette didn’t draw it this month!
Fear not though, gentle readers! While there is no Paquette to render the issue along with Scott Snyder’s writing, we DO get his sometimes collaborator in Francesco Francavilla! And you were worried, weren’t you? Francesco Francavilla is one of the best and most consistent artists in the industry, and his chemistry with Snyder is a cut above most writer/artist teams. Francavilla’s moody and stark visuals help elevate the somewhat bleak story, and the horror hits in the right spots. While I do love Paquette as much as Francavilla, the story in this issue seems to be more suited to Francesco. That’s just as much a testament to Snyder’s chemistry with both artists as it is a credit to both artists’ talents.
From here, the book seems like it has a couple more stops before it reaches the crescendo I’ve (and likely you too) been waiting for. The books are firing on all cylinders, and with a slit hiccup in the precious story, I can’t complain about either of these two books at all. If you’re not reading these books, why aren’t you? Your loss, man.
Final Verdicts: “Swamp Thing” #10 — 7.5 /”Animal Man” #10 — 7.5 – Buy
