Swamp Thing #10

For the new arc of Swamp Thing, Scott Snyder begins with an homage to the classic Alan Moore run, both in it's art and it's writing. The results are in my opinion spectacular, though I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a few hiccups.

It's difficult to talk the story without mentioning the art, and vice versa, since both are so intertwined that if one went without the other, this issue would just fail horribly. Francesco Francavilla really plays to Snyder's strength in crafting a very uncomfortable sort of tale, drawing often disturbing scenes of Anton Arcane giving a villain monologue that feels far more terrifying than it does Bond villain-y, which helps show what kind of twisted creature he really is. These scenes are contrasted nicely with a flashback and some quieter moments with Abigail and Alec returning to their home in the swamps, which works well, though I'd be lying if I said that sometimes the art felt a bit TOO stylistically different from other parts of the same issue at certain points. Some very subtle cues drawn throughout the book, really make this issue a treat to read, and serve as a brilliant example in visual storytelling. Snyder knows when to let the art speak for itself, taking his time to build tension and atmosphere, but also was able to use the dialogue for great effect. Of course, a line or two (such as Swamp Thing's "you should see the other guy" bit) fell flat, and sometimes a panel wasn't as neatly drawn as I would have liked it, but for the most part, the issue still accomplished what it set out to do. The pages where Alec submerged himself in the swamp was a real stand out, and as I said served as a very loving tribute to the original stories told by Len Wein and Alan Moore in the past.

While Francavilla is no Yanick Paquette, this book still has it's own unique feel, compared to past issues, and the classic feeling fits with the idea of Swamp Thing and Abigail returning to their... roots (HYUK HYUK HYUK!). Snyder knows how to revamp old franchises, introducing little twists to old stories that keep to the source material while expanding on it in a way that introduces tons of new possibilities, and the new storyline he has set up is still keeping me as interested as I was back when this book first came out.