Now that Swamp Thing and John Constantine are back in the DC Universe, what will that mean for everyone involved and who is Swamp Thing hiding from?
The Good
Right away we get clarification on where these former Vertigo characters stand now that they've been re-incorporated back into the DC Universe. In a subtle way, Constantine reminds Swamp Thing fans of past events involving Alec Holland and the special arrangement they had when Swamp Thing wanted a kid. There is also clarification on which version of Swamp Thing we will have.
It's a strange feeling reading Constantine talking about looking for Batman but as you get further into the story, you start getting pulled in and forget the divide between DC Comics and Vertigo. When Batman and Constantine do meet up, there is a bit of a...conflict between the two, just as you would expect. We also see other ties between John and the DC Universe that do make sense.
The Bad
For some reason the art for Constantine felt off at first. I had some confusion over who was going to actually be in the issue. We've seen different versions of the cover and I thought Zatanna had been replaced by Hawkman yet she's back on the cover. Also, which Batman, Bruce or Dick, we would have changed as well. I do like the choice they went with.
I am definitely interested in where this story is going but it spends most of the time setting everything up. That's understandable with a first issue but this is an AFTERMATH for Brightest Day. There really shouldn't be a lot of set up needed for DC's last big story arc.
Batman seemed a little too angry and short tempered but because of the situation, it does make sense he would resort to violence rather than talking the situation out. Besides, where would the fun be in that?
The Verdict
There may be some angry Swamp Thing and Constantine fans now that they are part of the DC Universe but the way they are incorporated works. We get some clarification that past events between Constantine and Swamp Thing do still hold true. We also find out which version of Swamp Thing we'll have in the DC Universe. I've never been the most die hard fan of either but I have read quite a bit over the years. I can live with them being in the DC Universe and I'm actually a little excited about it. As for this issue, it works to set up the mini-series which is unfortunate as it slows down the pacing. Yes it is a first issue but because it's apparently tying up the Swamp Thing bit from Brightest Day, DC's recent big event, I would think too much set up wouldn't be needed. I wasn't completely won over by this issue but I will definitely check out the next in order to find out what happens with Constantine and Swamp Thing.