Swamp Thing #20 Review

Writer Charles Soule continues to impress by creating a unique tone for his run on Swamp Thing that is decidedly different from what came before. This version of Swamp Thing still plays up the horror of being a man-salad obsessed with the Green, but there’s an underlying sense of humor that makes it a fun read. A fun DC book? Have our prayers been answered? With Soule’s snappy writing and pitch perfect pencils by Kano, it would certainly seem so.

Even better than this being a good Swamp Thing book is that it’s also a good Superman book. Imagine that! After Swampy gets fear-gassed by Scarecrow -- causing his powers to make killer plants attack Metropolis -- Supes shows up to defend the city. And man is this Superman a joy to read. He feels like the Big Blue Boy Scout we’ve been sorely missing as he steps in to help some firefighters and use his powers to save innocents, not without a bit of creativity.

The best part is how he interacts with those around him: he’s just a shade naive but ultimately good-intentioned when talking to the firefighters, and he offers Swamp Thing some inspiring advice that could only come from a guy raised in humble Kansas.

But for as glorious as Superman’s cameo is, this is still a Swamp Thing book at heart, as evidenced by the creepy-ass dream sequences that shed light on the conflicted hero’s state of mind. Kano is an excellent fit for these images because he shows off how good he is at standard superhero fare, only to surprise you when the imagery suddenly turns nightmarish.

I just have to add that Soule handles writing Superman so well that I wouldn't mind him taking over Action Comics; I hear they need a new writer on that one. Although there is a catch: there are two instances where Superman uses "God" as part of an expression, which sounded out of character to me. Does Superman believe in God? I'm not sure, but that question can definitely spark some interesting conversations.

Joshua writes for IGN. If the Powerpuff Girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, then he is surely made of ketchup, pizza, and lightsaber replicas. Follow him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com