While I wouldn’t say this is my favorite DC series, I will say it is growing on me. And by ‘growing’ I don’t mean the horrible vines and rot that goes throughout this series. Scott Snyder is going full out on the horror of this character and Yanick Paquette is improving with each issue. I also wouldn’t say this is my favorite issue of the run so far either. But I gotta say I am still mighty impressed by it.

Let me get right to the issue I’ve had with this series and that would be the art. I have had my problems with Paquette’s layouts in the past but this issue I must say rectifies all of it. Well to be fair what also helps is that Paquette didn’t do the entire issue. Marco Rudy comes in once again for half the issue, setting up The Rot’s place in the Southwest, and I think he has done his best work on this series. His layouts are cleaner but just as impressive and he can also handle the disturbing moments as well. I’ll get to it in a minute but The Rot is just as grotesque (and somehow beautiful) to look at as much as Paquette. Back to Paquette, I think this was his best work to date. His layouts were shockingly not confusing to follow and it didn’t hurt the flow of the story. Again there is some truly terrifying ideas in The Rot and I have no idea if it’s all Snyder, all Paquette, or a mixture of both. But Paquette should get some major props for haunting my dreams to come with various skeletons and Muffalo (Man Buffalo) to come. Also, I love the design of the new Swamp Thing. He’s majestic yet slightly horrifying to look at which has been the theme of this series in a nut shell. The huge wings, the trunk arms, and the antlers are what make this new design unique but seem ‘right’ for the character. Finally props to Nathan Fairbairn for his great colors, especially with his reds and greens. (Which if you didn’t know by now are essential for this run)

My only problem with this issue and it will seem slight to many I know, was that it read a bit too fast for me. Seeing the power of Swamp Thing in action was great but it felt like it could have been condensed a bit for more story. But it’s nitpicking for the most part because this issue was so damn enjoyable to read. Horrifying, yet enjoyable. Scott Snyder keeps proving to us why he’s fantastic at writing horror and horrible things for us to witness. Plus this is the best of both worlds in art with Marcos Rudy and Yanick Paquette. It seems like this first, epic arc is coming to a conclusion next month and I can’t wait for it. Cause this series is finally hitting on all cylinders (sorry for the terrible cliché) and this series again is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.