Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones (The New 52)
Any writer tackling DC Comics’ popular Swamp Thing character has to work in the sizable shadow of superstar scripter Alan Moore, who in 1984 transformed a title on the verge of cancellation into one of the most critically lauded comics of the decade. This latest interpretation, part of the company’s New 52 relaunch, is among the better post-Moore renditions. As it begins, Alec Holland is living a mundane life, possessing only vaguely troubling memories of his earlier existence as the Swamp Thing. This attempt at normalcy ends abruptly when Holland is compelled to once again transform into the plant-monster to defend the Green—the essence of all plant life on Earth—from the Rot, the force of decay that threatens the entire planet. Swamp Thing has always walked the line between comics’ horror and superhero genres. Snyder, best-known for American Vampire and his recent work on Batman, tips the balance firmly toward the former (a cameo by Superman notwithstanding), aided by Paquette’s intricate art, which is lush and grotesque at once. --Gordon Flagg