‘Swamp Thing’ #2 ended on the cliffhanger return of Abigail Arcane, Swamp Thing’s ex-love and, according to cover of this issue, maybe his new enemy.

This issue opens on the tale of young William. William lives in a special home inside a medical bubble. He is separated from the world because his severe allergies to chlorophyll would kill him in a matter of minutes should he be exposed. William is having troubles with bullies in the facility where he lives but a new friend has come that promises to give William a way out… but at what cost?

Back at the roadside, Abby Arcane still has a saw-off shotgun leveled at Alec Holland’s head. She threatens to kill him unless he does something to prove that he’s the real deal. After being satisfied that the resurrected Holland is indeed who he says he is, Abby reveals her reasons for tracking him down. As the story closes, the world is in great peril.

When I was a kid, Alan Moore’s run on ‘Saga of the Swamp Thing’ was one of my favorites. I didn’t understand all of Moore’s genius in storytelling until much later, but the images in those tales were horrible and creepy and managed to lodge themselves permanently into my mind. Snyder’s tale is just as creepy as anything that Moore managed to write. From the tale of the lonely abused William who just wants a friend, to the reuniting of Abby and Alec as they prepare for a new adventure together, this is a wonderful new beginning to the next stage in the ongoing saga of the Swamp Thing!

But, no matter how terrifying or eerie Snyder’s story may be, combined with the visuals from Yanick Paquette, it amps things so that there is plenty of nightmare fodder to be had in this issue. When William realizes what his new friend really is and things start getting bizarre, some of the things that happen will make you cringe. Yet in the true Swamp Thing fashion, the horror is interweaved with beautiful imagery, provided this issue by Abby’s flashbacks to her relationship with the Earth Elemental. However, once the issue comes to a close, I actually stopped and stared at that ominous final page for several minutes before closing this issue with a smile.

Swamp Thing is one of my favorite DC heroes and, since I hated Vertigo’s most recent take on the character, I had my trepidations with this new relaunch series but Scott Snyder has nailed it! If you’re a fan of horror comics with an edge, you won’t regret checking this series out. However, make sure you go back and grab the first couple of issue (which should be in reprints now) or you won’t know what’s going on with this story.

Verdict: Buy

SWAMP THING #3

Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by YANICK PAQUETTE and VICTOR IBANEZ
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE