Swamp Thing #0 puts the primary player of the series, Alec Holland, on the relative backburner to instead showcase the evil doings of Anton Arcane, but it’s a change-up that is welcome. That’s not to say that Alec gets the shaft – Scott Snyder adds some interesting new kinks to his origin here – but everything that occurs is really in service to establishing Arcane as a terrifying threat. While the brief delay in getting to Rotworld was initially a bummer, Swamp Thing #0 makes great use of the interlude to show just how great a threat Swampy and Animal Man are facing. I mean, <i>a baby gets eaten</i> at Arcane’s command. If that’s not nightmare-inducing, then you have greater problems than figuring out what comics to buy every week.
Snyder explores a bit of the legacy of the Swamp Things, kicking off the story with Alec’s predecessor and the events that led to his demise. Again, this issue is more interested in Arcane than anything else, but it’s Arcane’s first meeting with Alec that will truly run shivers down your spine. Snyder manages to add a dollop of tragedy to Alec’s origin while making the threat of Arcane even more impressive (plus there’s still that baby thing). Arcane’s inner monologue captions are a little wordy and at times distracting from the severity of his actions, though. The events of this issue alone are so visually powerful that they would be better served to remain that way, much in the same way that horror movies can be ruined by learning too much about the psychopath at large. In the end, though, Swamp Thing #0 manages to walk that fine line between serving as a history lesson and creating something new. Better yet, I’m now heading into Rotworld appreciating the villainy of Arcane that much more.
Filling in on art this month is Kano, who quickly finds his footing in the bizarre world of Swamp Thing and easily manages the insane designs of the various elemental characters throughout. His lines are defined but delicate, and his knack for emotion – particularly in the scenes between Alec and his wife – are impressive. I daresay this is the best piece of work I’ve ever seen from the artist. Swamp Thing #0 does come up a bit short in the layout department, though. Not that the storytelling is unclear or anything, but there are attempts to disguise the pretty basic layouts as something more elaborate and creative, using vines and fancy gutter space to keep the illusion. Where Yanick Paquette creates visual mosaics that flow naturally, here the traditional borders between panels are simply masked. Not all that big of a deal, but it can be distracting.
In all, Swamp Thing #0 takes an unexpected approach to exploring the past of the titular hero, and we’re left with more appreciation for the threat awaiting him Rotworld than we had previously.
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.
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