Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Kelley Jones
The penultimate issue of the plantasic (yes, I just typed that) Swamp Thing mini-series joins Matt Cable/Evil Swamp Thing as he continues his tear through city streets and decides to indulge in some megalomania. He speaks of an Emerald Apocalypse if the world’s governments do not comply. I must admit that’s quite a catchy threat. It’s all about brand recognition, people.
His global scale attack is a site to behold as Kelley Jones offers what may be his most grandiose scenes to date on this book. While I technically have no problem with this, moments of this nature make me wonder where the Justice League is and cause me to think Swamp Thing exists best in his own universe. Sure, Len Wein smartly covers his bases by saying they’re off planet, but you can probably see some validity in my statement.
While the compost hits the fan, an Alec Holland in human form (who reminds me of John Glover in Scrooged) does a bit of soul searching in hopes of regaining his powers. Along the way, he ventures to Nanda Parbat and meets up with mystical characters such as Phantom Stranger, Deadman, and The Spectre, providing for much fan service.
Swamp Thing #5 moved a bit slower than previous issues, at least in my opinion, but in a good way. I guess you could say it felt like the calm before the storm and made for a fine read. We’ve come this far and I highly doubt this creative team will disappoint us with next month’s finale.
