The Good
Charles Soule is continuing his take on Swamp Thing. The "chase" continues as the mysterious Seeder is going about the world, seemingly offering help but is actually causing serious problems for The Green.
In a nice change of pace, the story takes place in Scotland. Coming upon a small town, Seeder asks what the town would wish for. A few years back the whisky distillery that gave life to the town shut down. Seeder plants a seed which causes a special whisky-giving tree to come about.
While this might sound like a cool notion, the problem is whatever means Seeder is using to go about his business, it's affecting and harming the Green. This is why Swamp Thing is involved.
In an almost random fashion, Alec finds himself in the company of Constantine. We all know Constantine can be a tricky guy to get along with. What ensues is a great exchange and interaction which should appeal to fans of both characters. You get the impression Soule is having fun with this story and suddenly the story veers in a different direction.
The art by Kano is great. Swamp Thing can sometimes look a little goofy. From his different forms to the people and location of the story, it all fits nicely here.
The Bad
I understand why and how Swamp Thing and Constantine meet up. For this run in to take place all the way in Scotland still seems a little coincidental. But then, what do I know about this magical world they live in?
The story of the Seeder is interesting. It feels a little odd with last issue focusing on Capucine and then it shoots back to the pursuit of the Seeder in Scotland. It's a slightly sporadic feeling unless it turns out they are connected in some way.
Last issue, in the "Next Issue" portion, it called this issue "The Whiskey Tree." This issue, the title and throughout the story, they use "whisky." I know both are acceptable but I find the lack of 'e' disturbing. (No, this isn't a serious gripe against the issue).
The Verdict
There's some serious business going on yet this was a fun issue. I'm still recovering from the end of the previous run and the results that caused Alec Holland to be a little less cheerful. With the pursuit of Seeder, the Whisky Tree and appearance by Constantine, Charles Soule is shaking things up in a good way. Things are getting interesting and with the way it ends here, there's no telling what might happen next.
12 Comments