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Swamp Thing #9 - Broken Bones

5

We've been seeing a lot of changes with the main characters. Some have been good and some have been pretty bad. The playing field has gone to a whole new level and how Swamp Thing deals with it is going to be interesting.

The Good

It's no secret how much I love Scott Snyder's writing. Yet he seems to constantly take these great characters and put them in foul situations. Alec Holland has been dealing with his return from the dead and fighting against the Parliament of Trees in their message that he was meant to become their avatar as Swamp Thing. When things got to their lowest point, he accepted his destiny and became Swamp Thing…only to find things got even worse and he is now facing a familiar face in a horrible form. Surrounded by others that have been turned by the Rot, it's not shaping up to be too great of a day for Alec.

The mixture of Snyder's storytelling with Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy's art is amazing yet highly disturbing at the same time. You become engrossed in the story but are almost left with a continuing sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. That shows the impact of the story. You do feel for the characters and can understand just how bad the situation is. Swamp Thing made a glorious return with his transformation but he is getting beat to hell in this issue.

The Bad

I got so sucked into this issue, I found myself reading each page faster and faster to find out what was going to happen next. That resulted in it being over too quickly.

And of course, Snyder's roller coaster ride of emotions continues. Just when you think you know where the story is going to go, you get kicked in the gut.

The Verdict

There has been a common theme in many of the "New 52" stories. While we've been getting great stories in many different titles, some of them almost feel as if they've been going on a little too long. With SWAMP THING, I've found myself surprised at how long it took for Swamp Thing to even make an appearance in the title. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but with nine issues, we've been witnessing Alec Holland deal with the same threat. That being said, the story has been been progressing and takes a huge leap here. This is clearly not an issue to be missed. There are big things happening here. Reading this is like watching a movie, you'll want to make sure you stick around to the very end. Just when you think you know where the story is going, Snyder pulls the rug from beneath your feet. The art by Paquette and Rudy is both wonderful and disturbing. Seeing people running with their heads twisted around is not something you expect to see. This is simply a title I am happy to read each month. It feels like a guilty pleasure and watching Snyder beat up the main characters is almost like watching a high speed race. You crave the intensity but know the chances of a fatal crash lies around every corner. This arc may be complete but the overall story is far from being over. There is some closure but there are going to be serious repercussions coming. Now comes the hard part of having to wait another full month for the next issue.