CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 5/5 – A Wonderful Tribute to Swamp Thing and Creator Len Wein.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
It could be argued that artist Jason Fabok is DC’s go to artist. He’s been the artist on DC’s flagship title Justice League along with Geoff Johns and had a popular run on Batman in Detective Comics. So when it was announced that he’d be doing a Swamp Thing one-shot that pays tribute to the character’s creator Len Wein, I couldn’t be happier. Not only that, but again the argument could be made that Tom King is DC’s hottest writer so this a fantastic combination on a character that in my opinion, deserves a creative duo of this caliber. It feels great to say that they absolutely deliver in both categories, and Len Wein would be proud!
Each page is a wonderful sight and Fabok uses all sorts of creative panel layouts to tell a captivating tale that has Swamp Thing protecting a young boy from the harshness of winter. Swamp Thing is out of his element as the freezing temperatures and snow have disconnected him from the Green. Fabok does a wonderful job of capturing the Swamp Thing’s diminishing form as he goes from a healthy and lush green at the beginning, to a worn and withered brown towards the end. It’s clear that Fabok has a love for the character and although he does not directly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with classic Swamp Thing artists like Bernie Wrightson or John Totleben, I loved his take on the character.
Not only are we treated to Fabok’s art on the main Tom King story, we also get a second story that was the planned first issue of the continuation of Len Wein and Kelley Jones’ Swamp Thing mini series from last year that was started prior to Wein’s unfortunate passing away. There is a foreword to the story that explains why there’s no dialogue and I completely understand why it was done this way, at the same time, I think the story suffers for it. Jones’ art is of course beautiful and haunting and he has such a creative way of detailing Swamp Thing’s powers and although the story didn’t connect with me, I’m glad that DC chose to publish it. Overall, this is a must read and a fitting tribute to Wein and makes me wish for a Swamp Thing ongoing. Read this book!
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
http://comicspectrum.com/ By Fans who Love Comics For Fans who Love Comics
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