Swamp Thing #36 Review

Swamp Thing: Futures End #1 was one of the few Futures End one-shots to read like a natural extension of the main series. It's a treat to dive into Swamp Thing #36 and see Charles Soule building connections to both that issue and the recent Swamp Thing Annual #2. Everything is coming together as Soule builds up the conflict between Swamp Thing and the Machine Kingdom and moves toward what is presumably the climax of his run. It's shaping up to be another memorable storyline.

Jesuz Saiz does a great job of bringing the Machine Kingdom to life. Their clean, elegant, orderly designs clash with the organic power of Swamp Thing and his allies. Saiz brings a great sense of mood and emotion to every page in addition to the impressive level of detail. This series is never better than when Saiz is at the helm.

As the cover suggests, Soule also tackles the long-awaited reunion between Swamp Thing and Abigail Arcane. Here the issue takes on a new level of emotional resonance. Here are two lovers doomed by fate and circumstance to forever remain apart. Soule does a great job of capturing their emotional bond and the sadness that comes from their newfound distance. The blend of fantastical action and mystery with very grounded, human drama gives Swamp Thing its core appeal, and it's something Soule is so frequently able to tap into.

Get full review from IGN here

Swamp Thing Annual #3 Review

As funny as it may sound, the problem here feels almost like Soule was given too much space to tell this particular story. There's not necessarily enough material here to fill up a full annual, and as a result we some little side stories, drawn out fights, and an overall slowing of the pace as Swamp Thing prepares to fight the Demon in order to rescue Capucine's soul as her thousand-year lease on life winds down.

With each new page, though, the urgency trickles away bit by bit. The end result is a little too drawn out a sequence, one where we're given the answer and then have to wait to see everything finish playing out. I'll give Soule credit that when he pulls all of the information together, readers who were paying attention will have seen it all (and perhaps pieced it together on their own); there aren't any tricks or fake-outs here, it's all been up front and waiting to be thought through. But with that in mind, this book should have moved at a slightly faster clip, alas.

"Swamp Thing Annual" #3 lacks the amount of punch that Soule's comics normally contain. The art looks good, but the script itself doesn't live up to its own promise. Soule's idea here is good, but this feels like a regular issue that's been forced into the longer, bulkier Annual format. That's a real shame, because the fit just doesn't work.

Get full review from Comic Book Resources here