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SWAMP THING #7

Moss fills lungs. Leaves scrape across skin and wood against bone. A Swamp Thing is rising in The Green’s hour of darkest need…but is Alec Holland a part of it? Or is he just bleeding out in a ditch? And as Alec falls, a horrible champion is taking the throne of the Bone Kingdom at Sethe’s right hand!

Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
B&W Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 47.7%

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Comments

  1. Avatar photo ghostmann says:
    March 5, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Finally, ol Swampy shows up!

    • Avatar photo Cantseeme says:
      March 5, 2012 at 9:42 pm

      He has been my most anticipated appearance out of all of the DC characters since the end of Brightest Day. I am so glad that Yanick is back on for the reveal!

  2. Avatar photo conallgil says:
    March 5, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    So glad to see Yannick back on this issue, don’t get me wrong thought Marco Rudy killed on issue 4 but last issue…..well less said the better,eh?

  3. Avatar photo skydog says:
    March 5, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    A great cover!

  4. flapjaxx says:
    March 5, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    The cover reminds me so much of the psychedelic stuff that John Totleben drew for Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing in the mid-’80s. The only criticism I have of the current run is that it seems really beholden to the spirit of what Moore & co. did. But that Moore run is my favorite run of anything ever, so I don’t really mind that Snyder & co. are reinvoking and borrowing from it all the time. Glad to see Paquette back on art!

  5. Avatar photo kmob181 says:
    March 5, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    Make or break issue for me. I like it but in an era of tight budgets and limited shelf space every book I stick with has to be A- or better. Of the three books on the cusp for me this week I think this one has the best chance…

  6. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    March 5, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    Snyder has said that the Green could be as evil as the rot. That is weird cause I can’t see the Rot having a goodness in it.

    • Avatar photo zlbenson says:
      March 5, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      I suppose that though the Green could be as evil as the Rot, doesn’t mean the Rot could be as “good” as the Green.

      Though I imagine if you think of the Rot as a idea – without its totems or Champions – its no more evil than that the concept of dying. Like Death in the Marvel Universe. In of itself, its merely the element of death and decay – but those who control the Rot – or so-called Champions of the Rot – wish to use it to control the Green and the Red.

      Just like the Green is neither Good nor Evil – it just is. It’s its protectors or Champions that could be either “good” or “evil” – and Swamp Thing and Animal Man happen to fall on the “good” side. But if Swamp Thing wasn’t there, a different avatar of the Green could try to overtake the world – much like Floronic Man tried to early in the Alan Moore run.

    • kcekada says:
      March 5, 2012 at 10:41 pm

      You can’t have without the other. The green could not grow without some rot. I don’t think the rot could exist without the green — even though we’re seeing it more as rotted animals — most animals rely on vegetation to exist.

    • Avatar photo AmirCat says:
      March 6, 2012 at 12:40 am

      @zlbenson – that makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the explanation. It’s really the power that is corrupting. What an exciting series. The Floronic Man is the perfect example!

    • Avatar photo AmirCat says:
      March 6, 2012 at 1:27 am

      @kcekada – yeah can’t wait till red is involved …

  7. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    March 5, 2012 at 8:36 pm

    Time to moss!

    K

  8. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    March 5, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    I’m gonna be cranking up Paquette’s score for this issue!

  9. Avatar photo sitara119 says:
    March 6, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    i hope there’s a big payoff in this issue. i’m kinda gettn’ tired of them just endlessly talking about the green and the red and the rot….and the green and the red and the rot….alec’s endless whinning “i don’t want to be the green monster with superpowers, oh but now i do cuz i’m in love”. to be honest, i was almost happy that a chainsaw went through him.
    the fact that it’s starting out with a chainsaw in his chest is a good indicator that this will be good.
    the best part about this story has been the creepy lil’ bubble boy and the twisted norman rockwell homeage.

    i have been enjoying it’s animal man counterpart far more than this. and it’s not that it’s really that bad, it’s just draggn’ ass if ya ask me. this has been stretched out further than plastic man.

  10. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    March 7, 2012 at 7:34 am

    Today is Wednesday; comic book day! I agree with sitara119 for the most part except for the Animal Man which I have dropped as of last month. This title is only staying a float because of the creepy little boy, and the chainsaw was also pretty viscious and I want to see an end to the whole green, red and rot routine in both titles. I may drop this after this issue after we get an official appearance by Swamp Thing and then come back when all of this boring dragging green, red and rot crap is done in both titles.

    K

  11. Avatar photo picture_boy (@AzGaunt) says:
    March 7, 2012 at 9:42 am

    out of the the new 52 books this and batman are my top ones and its not hard to see why scott is da man leaves me gaging for the next issue like he did on severed – my pull of the week

  12. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    March 7, 2012 at 9:52 am

    This is probably one of the best paced series of the new DC 52. Snyder knows that just having a series where Swamp Thing beats up on Rot monsters would be the lamest thing, so he’s drawing out the best and most visceral elements of the series like a true horror master. Expertly done.

    • Avatar photo sitara119 says:
      March 7, 2012 at 10:21 am

      emphasis on “drawing out”

    • Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
      March 7, 2012 at 10:58 am

      Drawing out doesn’t always mean bad. It’s a horror thing. Just look at The Descent or The Orphanage (2 recent examples).

    • Avatar photo zlbenson says:
      March 7, 2012 at 11:32 am

      I can’t lie – I did want to see Swamp Thing proper a touch earlier – but this has been mostly firing on all cylinders for me. Last issue was especially fun/creepy seeing what happened to Abby.

    • Avatar photo sitara119 says:
      March 7, 2012 at 12:04 pm

      maybe i’m just being impatient. it’s in the realm of possibility. the series has had a lot of great and horrific moments. i like it.
      i just wish it didn’t take 6 issues to arrive to, what looks to be, the action sequence here in #7. i just think we could have shaved off an issue or so.
      also, i don’t like the “hero running away from being a hero” theme. it’s tired. i realize it’s a good device or tool for creating conflict and drama, but stretched across 6 issues makes him appear to be a whinner and nobody likes a whinny whicker.

    • Avatar photo Zhurrie says:
      March 12, 2012 at 11:27 am

      Meh, I find him to be way too formulaic in a lot of ways and he always speaks about writing that way… it just doesn’t do it for me. I do like Batman a ton, but it too has that same academic/formulaic foundation that makes for a very good story but never quite gets far enough out of the box like it needs to blow people’s minds. Batman has flashes of brilliance, this one not so much for me.

  13. Avatar photo jasonhart says:
    March 7, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    I really felt like the first few issues dragged too much – but I’ve been loving the pacing & story for the past 3 issues. Snyder keeps swerving and handling what could be pretty cliche moments in an unexpected way. So, we finally get Swamp Thing… and looking back at this arc, I’m really happy with how we got here. Definitely not the standard “road to becoming the superhero” taken here.

    An upcoming arc with a quicker plot/more forward-moving action would be nice, but Swamp Thing is as cerebral a book as it is physical… so I’m in for wherever Synder & co are taking us.

  14. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    March 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    HELL YES. That last page has me grinning from ear to ear. “I will show you war.”

    Is there a way to give a book a 6?

  15. Avatar photo MegaPhilip says:
    March 7, 2012 at 6:16 pm

    HOLY CRAP! That was fan-freaking-tastic. I’m glad I stuck around with Animal Man and Swamp Thing as they were both amazing this week and we finally get some payoff. So many great panels here…the Abigail in the cocoon bits were breathtaking and I like that the issue that had the most grotesque images was also the most inspiring and fist pump-worthy. Love this so much and am anxiously awaiting the upcoming war(s).

    Thanks Scott!

  16. Avatar photo Neeks says:
    March 7, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    Did he always have wings?

  17. Avatar photo zlbenson says:
    March 7, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    OH YES! This was just so freakin’ good. Those last four pages were AHHH so god damn good!

    • Avatar photo zlbenson says:
      March 7, 2012 at 10:40 pm

      Oh, and all that talk about how the Red, and how perhaps they might need to deal with the Red as well as the Rot? Could we be seeing a WAR of the Green VS the Red down the line?

  18. Avatar photo stasisbal says:
    March 8, 2012 at 1:25 am

    I complained about the last issue being unsatisfying. That’s still true but after reading this one, having an entire issue devoted to the transformation really worked. This was fantastic. Maybe the first six issues were slow but I think it was worth it to flesh out all the characters as people before they became monsters/avatars. Snyder and Lemire have really hit on something with the Green, Red, and Rot all being greedy. Combine that with some great character work and I expect their books to pay off big time.

    • Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
      March 8, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      I agree about last issue, haven’t read this one yet, but your comments give me hope this book will finally start picking up. Last issue I wondered why I was reading this when it just left me cold, even though lots of folks seem to love it. I hope my love begins with this issue.

  19. Avatar photo walterwhite says:
    March 8, 2012 at 2:57 am

    This was great, magnificent, awesome, yada yada yada..,,I know alot of people like quick payoffs but the pacing for me has been fantastic. Snyder is doing an amazing job setting up the new Alec Holland Swamp Thing and making it his own. I read a shit load of Swamp Thing before the relaunch and this really feels fresh and not a rehash of all the great stories with Swampy before. Paquette layouts are so tripping and horrific that I can’t believe I’m reading a comic and not looking at paintings from a art gallery…5/5 POTW

  20. Avatar photo aetony says:
    March 8, 2012 at 9:17 pm

    Loving the whole tragic romance thing going on here….and the whole part about it being his “choice”

  21. Avatar photo sitara119 says:
    March 8, 2012 at 11:00 pm

    ………it took long enough…….

    …. but i finally got my foot outa my mouth long enough to say that this muh-fucka paid-off and rocked my world like prom night.
    seriously. i had to smoke a cigarette after reading this. and then i did it two more times in the living room and once on the kitchen table and even considered doing it in the shower, but realized that the pages would get wet along with everything else. so i decided against it…and then i smoked another cigarette.
    yanick’s pencils are flawless in this issue. i don’t know if i’ve ever seen a comic so beautifully illustrating the content it’s describing. the story is great, but those pencils really put this over the top. and i really love the wings. seems like a quality of the red, but i like it all the same.
    now if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to give this another go. might have to make a run for smokes…

  22. Cedric says:
    March 9, 2012 at 9:27 am

    Dammit snyder, I don’t want to give you so much pow’s anymore, but I got to give it to you, you know how to pay off!

  23. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    March 9, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    This was great. I’m not being sarcastic when I say that it’s amazing what Snyder has been able to pull off with so little action taking place. Think about it; althought the end result is obviously critical, nothing happens in this issue. I usually try not to even say those words because it’s my least favorite complaint, but in this case I mean it as a compliment. Very little happens here, but what does happen is of monumental importance, not to mention riveting. The satkes are high, the rot is literally about to win, and Holland makes the ultimate sacrifice not to save humanity, but for his girl. That’s it. That’s essentially the entire issue. But you just can’t take your eyes off it. Awesome.

  24. Kmanifesto says:
    March 9, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    If the comic book world had a Fantasy League, Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette would be first-round draft picks!

    Wow…this issue was too awesome for the mind to handle!

  25. edward says:
    March 11, 2012 at 9:47 am

    Pretty good issue. I get the feeling next issue will feature a sweet new design for swamp thing

  26. Avatar photo SDGerry (@SDGerry) says:
    March 11, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Can’t wait for the next one! Paquette’s art is great.

  27. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    March 12, 2012 at 7:13 am

    I really felt lost on the artwork and some of the ways the panels were flowing through out this issue. I really hope Abegail does not turn, she has been one heck of character before this reboot and even in the few short issues was in for this new title. I gave this a 3 rating.

    K

  28. Avatar photo sfprice1980 says:
    March 26, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    This is simply one of the best books on the stands out (besides animal man and aqua man) today…the story is only just beginning and the crossover with animal man ..Im excited

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