Alec and Abby face off against William. But they learn, too late, that William has a trick up his sleeve. One he learned while in hospital. One that's going to take them both by surprise.
Swamp Thing is definitely keeping its place as one of my favorite titles. The artwork is richly detailed. The story is well-done and intricate.
Scott Snyder has quite a bit to show us with this title. It's not a simple case of William, the boy in the hospital, chasing down Alec Holland to kill him. Instead Snyder has molded this villain into more of a Machiavellian character, working the chess board to his own advantage.
And, in the end, Alec may not have a valid end game strategy.
This issue takes a break from the primary story going on with Animal Man, which ties it together with Swamp Thing, and explores another aspect of the Animal Man character.
Buddy Baker wasn't just a super hero without a secret identity. He was also an actor, and held the lead role in a film called "Tights". And in it he plays a hero, named "Red Thunder", whose alcoholism has cost him his family as well as his ability to fight crime. And when he tries to reclaim both, he ends up a broken man in more ways than one.
And this reflects on Buddy as Animal Man. A character who knows deep down that his ability is unique and he's got a pivotal role to play in the world. But nobody else seems to see it that way, except for his daughter. And his wife thinks they can just call the police and hand the problem over.
But they can't.
The artwork in this issue was primary done by John Paul Leon with the last two pages by Travel Foreman. In this issue Lemire's work was more appealing. And Lemire's writing was well done. And it ends with a teaser for next month when both Swamp Thing and Animal Man come together. Something I've been waiting anxiously for these past few months.
