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Swamp Thing #15 - Rotworld: The Green Kingdom, Part Three Review

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Rotworld continues as Swamp Thing tries to make his way towards Gotham. What are the chances he'll like what he finds there?

The Good

Rotworld has given us a chance to see a dark and twisted version of the DC Universe. Things go from bad to worse as Swamp Thing and Deadman try to make their way to Gotham. Swamp Thing is convinced Abby is still alive, despite being told my many that she died a year ago (Swamp Thing somehow ended up a year into the future when chasing after Anton Arcane).

The nice thing about stories like this is anything goes. Because the world has gone to hell, it's possible for Scott Snyder to warp and twist the world and characters. You won't know who might show up or who will survive. The way the story flips back to the present adds to the suspense of the story as you await for each layer to unfold. You want to hope for the best but because this is Snyder writing, we know the worst (for the characters) could be waiting around every corner.

The anticipation builds as Swamp Thing gets closer to Gotham. You might think you know where the story is going but of course Snyder is going to throw in some twists to catch you off guard.

The scenes of devastation are pretty cool. Marco Rudy manages to toss in little Easter Eggs for this decimated DC Universe. Each time you see something or someone familar, you can't help but want to know more about what happened right before Swamp Thing arrived.

The Bad

As much as I'm enjoying the story and seeing the different results of the Rot's victory, there are moments it feels it's dragging on a tiny bit. It feels like Swamp Thing and Deadman have been on this journey for a while. We see on the cover that Swamp Thing is going to arrive in Gotham but it doesn't happen until the final pages.

I really dig Marco Rudy's art but it's more about the character design/concept for those inflicted by the Rot and Anton Arcane as well. They're supposed to be creepy as hell but with the colors in a printed form, they don't completely come across that way. I get a more Toxic Avenger vibe than something truly scary.

The Verdict

Things are not looking good for Swamp Thing. Actually, things aren't looking too good for the entire DC Universe. In the midst of the Roworld story arc, it looks as if everything is pretty much lost. Swamp Thing now has to make his way to Gotham but that won't be an easy trek. Flashbacks to seeing what Abby's fate may be is interesting but you have to wonder how that will come together with Swamp Thing's portion. The art and little glimpses of other parts of the DCU are great but those affected by the Rot just don't work for me. It's a problem I've had from the first time we saw them in the series. Don't try to guess how the issue will end because Scott Snyder doesn't do what you might think. Next issue is bound to get even crazier.

6 Comments
Posted by longbowhunter

I felt confused by some of the scenes in this issue. Like did Alec cut Starro in half or flip it on it's back? It couldn't really tell what was going on in that spread.

Posted by The Stegman

My goodness the Rotworld arc has been going on for a long time.

Posted by mattysp83

As much as I love this and Animal Man, the Rotworld arc has been too long. It was cool at first that the two books were interconnected, but I feel it is time they separate and these books develop their own identity.

Posted by Cap10nate

I think Zero month killed all the momentum this story had going for it. The entire year was spent building to this story and then you had to wait two months between issues. It and Animal Man seem like these past 15 issues could have been told in 8. I do love this story and think it will be great to read all the issues consecutively but the 18 months or so is a long time for the story to develop.

Posted by Booster_Bronze

I'm just happy to see Frankenstein in the story, especially since his series is being cut. It kind of spoils Frank's book though as you can see where he is here one year into Rotworld, so you kinda know how his series is going to end being at the beginning of Rotworld.

Posted by jacksonvillewriter

I don't read Swamp Thing, but I picked up this issue to see where Gotham stands in this crossover. I'm glad I did because that last page reveal was phenomenal. I'll be coming back next month.

I have been following the Rotworld story through Animal Man though, and it has been going on for far too long. I just assumed that Jeff Lemire had pacing "issues" since Sweet Tooth has that same, long drawn out never ending story.

The downside of this issue is that it takes most of the book to get to Gotham. While the pay off was there in the last few scenes, it didn't live up to what was promised on the cover which was a book set entirely in Gotham City.

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