Aquaman Comics: Current New 52

 

I’ve been sick lately, so I’ve been doing more reading than usual while having to lay back in bed rather than sitting up. I just finished Volume 3 of the New 52 Aquaman comics, and though I’m not up to writing a full review, I can say that the Aquaman comics are only getting better as I go along! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!! The artwork is lovely and the writing is action-packed! It is really working to give Arthur (Aquaman) his true credit as the king of the seas and show how hardcore he really is! Aquaman is one of my favorites!!!! I have volume 4 here and I’m excited to get to it!

I’ve also been reading the Flash comics. I love science and physics and the whole speed force thing is intriguing to me. I can’t say that I totally love The Flash comics, but I know I will continue to read them when I’m all caught up on my other favorites first. It’s interesting enough to fill in space between the releases of the other current comics I get, which is a bunch of them, but not as a priority.

The New Batman/Superman comic is intriguing, and I am curious to see how it progresses. The New 52 Batman comics are amazing! I need to give the New 52 Superman another shot now that there are more volumes available, and Supergirl, too. I read the first volume of each of those and felt that they were moving a little slow and somber and confusing, but that the potential to give Superman more than just a Boyscout persona looks very promising. I am excited about that! So once I get into a Super-mood I’ll grab the next several issues of both of those. Wonderwoman is still one of my favorites, and Swamp Thing too definitely! Animal Man kind of fell of the map for me, though, and now I’ve heard that they are canceling his run? I guess that’s why. Even with my great interest in Swamp Thing and hoping to see an appearance by him in Animal Man isn’t enough to hook my interest for Animal Man before I’m turning to other comics. Catwoman is still sexy and fun, though surprisingly brutal and psychological at times.

I feel pretty lame for not keeping up to speed on Thor and especially the new Loki comics coming out, but it won’t be long before I get all of those. I just keep getting side tracked by all these other comics that I want to give a try, and then I like them, and want to try more, and then I like them….and months go by of me trying new things until the first things I tried now have a new issue out so I want to get that. But I can’t let poor Loki go unread, so very soon I will catch up on those….my most favorite ever….Thor comics and get Loki’s whether they’re good or not because I’m obsessed with him!

Swamp Thing Vol 1: Raise Them Bones

Swamp Thing Vol 1: Raise Them Bones

First off, the art in this comic is beautiful! The colors are rich and earthy, and I think it’s very creative how the panel dividers change shape and design with the theme on the pages as the story goes along. Instead of strait lines when the ‘green’ characters are present, there are lovely vines and branches gracefully stretching across the page to frame the panels. Then when the rot comes into play the panel dividers become black and red and appear to be spreading across the page as if the story is eating it’s way to my eyes!

I felt the story did really well in describing the basic foundation of what the green (plants/flora type stuff) and the rot (decay) are and why they are always at odds. The heroes of the story (Swamp Thing) can manipulate the green (plants), and the villains can manipulate decay.

There is a third force of life that is mentioned in this volume, which is the Red, but not much description of that third faction is in this volume. My husband, Master Betty, says that he read Animal Man volume one and that the red is about animals and the ability to influence/borrow characteristics from animals. So it would probably be a good idea to read along with Animal Man sense they compliment each other so well. The Red and the Green are apparently against one another and each want control of the world, but they work together to fight the rot. This is the same basic principal that has always been throughout the Swamp Thing comics, but it never gets old. There have always been creative writers to take this horror fic to new terrifying levels.

I didn’t expect this comic to be so frightening, but it is! My expectations could probably be blamed on the old Swamp Thing movies or TV show, so boy was I in for a shock when I began to read the actual Swamp Thing comics. Both the green and the rot are chilling to read about! Nature in general takes on a different form in Swamp Thing, and there truly were merciless sections of horror. *shudder* It really takes the primitive fears instilled in mankind and finds a way to throw back the shower curtain of civilization and dump them on you so they can no longer be ignored. The rot has a way of making me scared of the villain no matter who it’s going to be simply because they’re in tune with the rot so they’re probably thinking the same collective nasty things.

This new Swamp Thing is not the same as Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, who was actually a plant elemental and not really an actual person, allowing him to be super powerful and godlike. Although I’m thinking that will always be the most respected Swamp Thing, it’s kind of necessary to start with someone fresh or else there wouldn’t really be much of a conflict to give Swamp Thing that he couldn’t handle with less effort than swatting away a fly. I feel bad for Alec Holland, the new guy, because he is not familiar with his calling to be the Swamp Thing, nor does he seem to be very enthusiastic about stepping up to the heroic plate. This story does an excellent job of gaining my empathy for the hero so that I feel invested in his struggles.

If I had to pick my least favorite thing about the comic, I’d say that there wasn’t much of the actual Swamp Thing in the entire volume, but then again it is a kind of origin story with The New 52. All in all, the art is breathtaking, the story is intriguing and scary, and it is thoroughly informative as an origin story without becoming boring at all. I would definitely recommend it and I plan to pick up volume two when it comes out! You can click the picture above to go to amazon.com and get your own copy of Swamp Thing Vol 1: Raise Them Bones to read and review for yourself!

I give Swamp Thing Vol 1: Raise Them Bones 5 out of 5 hearts!

Master Betty doodled as Swamp Thing.