A Review of Swamp Thing #32

A rogue monster of the Green is ravaging the Seven Seas, and it's up to Swamp Thing to figure out how to stop it before Aquaman puts both it and him down!

What's Fun About This Book

Who could pass up a showdown between the Avatar of the Green and the King of the Seven Seas?  Swamp Thing #32 will definitely be one of my favorite issues of creators Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz.  Their run on this book has yielded a lot of great storytelling and otherworldly visuals.  What I love most about this book is the limitless directions Swamp Thing can be taken in terms of character development and broader mythos.

The appearance of Aquaman in this issue (as well as Swampy's in Aquaman #31) hint at future entanglement between the two heroes.  Both are "kings" and protectors of their domains.  Both of their positions as agents of those domains are threatened by outside and inner forces.  Both have much to learn about that agency and their places in the world.  They are not enemies, Swamp Thing assured Aquaman; but surely they are not friends as he responded to the green leviathan.  I can't wait to see how this plays out over time.  Overall, this issue was a fun read.  I loved the seaweed and kelp look Jesus Saiz adopted for our underwater plant-hero.  Charles Soule made a nice reference, in my opinion, to Marvel Comics' Man-Thing in what seemed to be a slight dis toward their supernatural creature of the muck.  And yes there's a long storied history behind the origins of both green men that I won't go into detail here.  Look it up (smile).

What's Not So Fun

Evolution.  I know.  I know.  Evolution?  Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?  The long debate between evolutionists and creationists can make reading a fun book like this one problematic for some reader who find it hard to subscribe to the theories tossed around in it.  I'm a fan of Genesis 1:1.  If you read my other reviews in the link provide in the side-bar, you may discover more of what I'm talking about.  I believe it's okay to have dialogue on opposing viewpoints.  I believe it's good to have healthy discussion which can yield empathy for the holders of said viewpoints.  Oftentimes I cringe when I hear things like billions of years or how the plants were here before mankind.  However, I understand how all this adds to the mythos of Swamp Thing and its ever-widening scope.  I've got to hand to Charles Soule, though, for not being preachy, but allowing the action to drive the story rather than lectures.

The Punch-Line

For what could have been a big joke for readers encountering Swamp Thing and Aquaman in the same pages, issue #32 was not a bad book.  Like I said before, this issue may turn out to be one of my favorites, and I'm glad I've been aboard for the ride.