By: Scott Snyder (writer), Yanick Paquette (artist), Nathan Fairbairn (colorist)
The Story: People really need to take those “Save the Amazon” slogans more seriously.
The Review: In my review of Animal Man #3, I talked about our instinctive fear of the unknown. I think that’s why we tend to be on the lookout for clichés and signs of the predictable in horror movies; it’s a coping mechanism to limit the fear that comes from surprises. A canny horror writer knows the only way to make his story work is to trick the audience into thinking they have a grasp on what’s going on, only to pull the rug from under them when least expected.
Case in point: last issue led you to believe that although a confrontation between Alec and Abby with William Arcane was inevitable, they still had some time on the road before that happened. You have no reason to think otherwise as this issue gets going, as you see the odd couple stocking up on supplies for their presumed journey ahead. And then little Billy himself appears right outside the abandoned storefront, riding on a herd of undead cattle and hogs. Without fanfare or blinking an eye, he attacks. Talk about your sudden twists.
The nice part of this unexpected attack is that it puts both Abby and Alec through a kind of trial by fire, forcing them to think and act fast, and allowing us to see what they’re made of. Despite her edgier haircut, leather jacket, and guns, Abby’s not exactly an Amazon, and she attempts to reason with her brother rather than attacking him directly. As you can see, she gets nowhere, proving that whether Billy’s possessed or truly deranged, it’ll take a lot more than well-intentioned words to move him.
Probably the most critical development of the issue is when Alec manages to exert his power over the Green and dispatch Billy’s Rot-driven minions with admirable finesse. In fact, he disarms the boy so easily that you begin to wonder if perhaps he was right all along and he doesn’t need to become a monster to work as an avatar for the Green. Still, a herd of ravenous beef and pork is, as we well know, only the tip of a titanic, undead iceberg.
Even while Sethe is accumulating a massive army of twist-headed zombies and flies, other avatars of the Rot are doing their dirty work elsewhere. We see one Professor Robert, who gets himself deep into the Amazon to threaten the Parliament of Trees themselves. We can only assume from his face-forward appearance and his otherwise normal demeanor that he has some measure of independence and control over the Rot, and there may be others like him.
If that’s the case, Alec may have no choice but to become Swamp Thing, especially if that means an even greater amount of Green power. But should the Parliament indeed perish, where will that leave him? Alec and Abby are quickly running out of allies and options in the world, while their enemies just keep growing. You have no idea how they’ll manage their way out of this mess, and that kind of uncertainty makes for great horror.
A big welcome back to Paquette, whose breathtaking attention to detail reminds you why he’s such a star on this title. Just look at the individuality of the faces he gives to the Terena natives who guard the Parliament in the Amazon. The amount of craft he puts into the throwaway characters should tell you everything you need to know about Paquette’s devotion to his art. But this issue shows off his eye for brilliant paneling and layouts. I love the two-page sequence of Alec trapped in a convenience store, and the imagery of a skeleton girl and a growing plant tearing throughout. It lets you know what’s going on and it amps the tension at the same time.
Conclusion: It’s like having a great horror movie in your hands. The twists come fast and suddenly, and you often feel like you have no idea what’s coming next, which makes it all the better.
Grade: A-
- Minhquan Nguyen
Some Musings: - I must say, it takes a lot of denial to think it’s a good time to make out when the world is on the verge of going to hell in a handbasket.
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Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Abigail Arcane, Alec Holland, DC, DC Comics, Green, Nathan Fairbairn, Parliament of Trees, Rot, Scott Snyder, Swamp Thing, Swamp Thing #5, Swamp Thing #5 review, William Arcane, Yanick Paquette
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Here comes the Rot. For once I’m not reading a superhero book in the Dc Universe. I love it
I know; it feels good to read something that has almost nothing to do with capes and “villains,” and find it in a mainstream book.
being a comics fan for this run of Swamp Thing and Animal Man is much like being a tennis fan during this amazing run from Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic: it’s just a great time to be alive.
I love that you use a tennis analogy. It’s been insane to see these three players just dominate everyone else in the circuit, though I’m a bit sad to see Federer’s significant decline from his unstoppable run a few years back.