Swamp Thing #7 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (writer), Yanick Paquette (artist), Nathan Fairbairn (colorist)

The Story: From the ashes he’ll rise again—yes, I said “he.”  Look for Phoenix elsewhere.

The Review: I know as a reviewer, I should approach everything with as much of an open mind as possible, but I’m only human; I get affected by biases and prejudices as much as anyone else.  Though I like to think I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to this stuff, once a writer has lost my faith, it takes a lot more to earn my good opinion the next time around.  Conversely, a writer who impresses me gets some leeway, even when he’s not at his best.

That’s a foreboding intro if I ever wrote one, but don’t get too worried; I’m not saying Snyder has fallen off the clipper ship of quality he’s been steering for the past six months.  It only feels like this issue doesn’t quite break new ground for the story, even in spite of the dramatic ending.  If anything, Snyder spends the bulk of the issue going over the same plot points he’s been emphasizing and re-emphasizing all along: the Parliament of Trees’ martyred accusations of Alec’s betrayal; their I-told-you-so’s about Abby; the notion of the plant world as being more hostile than peaceful; the value of human restraint to Swamp Things.  Without exception, we’ve covered this territory quite thoroughly before.

But that’s the kind of thing that separates a skilled writer from one who’s merely competent.  Snyder’s one of those few storytellers who can deliver every bit of exposition he’s thrown at you before without coming across as redundant, boring, or stale.  If you want to lock it down, that gift comes from the rhythm of his writing, something that can only be honed over years of literary experience.  The Parliament describes their end to Alec thusly: “We are dying, the Parliament of Trees.  Having stood for thousands of years, we are dying.  You will watch us die from here, from inside the Green, while your body is protected by us…so you can know our pain, feel it as we do.  And then you, too, will die.”  Not to get my English major on, but the use of conduplicato in that passage is a thing of beauty.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Orc Stain #7 – It’s been a long time coming, but Orc Stain is such a special comic due to the art and design capabilities of James Stokoe.  It’s hard to even describe the detail that the guy puts into his art.  Just go Google Image search “stokoe orc stain“.  I know that we all want comics to “come out on time” but with art like Stokoe produces, it’s easy to understand why it might take awhile.  And the story is so simple, that you won’t get lost waiting for the next issue.

Most Anticipated:  Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #9 – This is the finale of a series that has taken almost 2 years to come out.  Remember, it began just after Siege!  But, all along it has featured glorious art from Jim Cheung and a catchy story as the Young Avengers go in search of the Scarlet Witch.  Then all of a sudden, shit got real around issue #6 as Scarlet Witch was located and she started giving mutants their powers back.  Who knows, this issue could be a big wet fart.  Or it could feature something that plays heavily into Marvel continuity, like reversing M-Day. Even if you haven’t read the series so far, you should check this one out just to see if something cool happens.

Other Picks: Fairest #1, Sweet Tooth #31, Manhattan Projects #1, Amazing Spider-Man #681, Rachel Rising #6

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Spaceman #4 – Honestly, not a lot happened plot-wise in this book….and yet I didn’t really care.  Azzarello and Risso have created a fully realized world that is a joy to inhabit for 20 pages.  Really, it’s a rare case where the trip, the world, comes first to the plot, leading itself to a unique vision and experience.  This is a really fantastic book that science fiction fans should be sure to pick up in some format.

Most Anticipated: The Manhattan Projects #1 – Jonathan Hickman – creator-owned.  There’s not much more that you need to know.  It’s another big concept with lots of revisionist history, a bizarre melding of Hickman’s brand of science fiction with WWII historical fiction.  If Hickman’s creator-owned work is known for something, it’s blowing your mind.  I’m looking forward to an engrossing, challenging read.

Other Picks: Action Comics #7, Swamp Thing #7, Animal Man #7, Fatale #3, Venom #14, Winter Soldier #3, Wolverine #302