G. Willow Wilson should be given some kind of award as the ambassador of all ecologically-themed characters. Not only does this Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing one-shot explore Pamela’s personality, it perfectly captures the roots of one of DC’s best horror characters.
The premise of this one-shot is relatively simple. Swamp Thing (referred to as ‘Swampy’ by Isley) and Poison Ivy explore a forest that is tearing apart unsuspecting hikers.
An impressively grisly scene opens the comic, calling to mind Dorothy’s encounter with angry apple trees in The Wizard of Oz. Artist Mike Perkins was a perfect choice. His renderings of the murderous woods are reminiscent of old Vertigo comics, with slightly uncanny coloring choices by Mike Spencer complimenting Perkins’ work.
Swampy and Ivy both sense that the woods are growing more restless, and meet up to explore what might be causing the disturbance. I don’t want to get into spoilers, because this comic is absolutely worth reading yourself even if you aren’t following Wilson’s current run on Poison Ivy. However, I will say that the titular characters end up encountering vivid horrors that combine the influences of H.R. Gieger, ‘70s horror comics and Cronenberg.
Swamp Thing’s characterization stands out as some of the best he’s received in years. His patience as a creature who is one with nature, apart from human concerns and timelines, is illustrated perfectly by dialogue lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. From an artistic perspective, the sinew of muscle and root that comprises his body is macabrely beautiful.
Wilson does a commendable job offering the reader an actual one-shot rather than a continuation of her current Poison Ivy run masquerading as a contained story. You don’t need to have any context to pick up and enjoy this comic. Whereas Wilson usually brings a more fast-paced energy to her writing, this narrative strikes a more contemplative pose. It feels as if the reader is being subsumed into the trees, soil and fog. This hypnotic quality brings with it a haze of melancholy that brings out the story beats nicely.
If there’s one issue I’d raise with this comic, it’s that Ivy doesn’t retain much visual consistency. This was also a problem with a lot of old Vertigo comics. Perkins does a great job of imparting the emotional tone of the writer, occasionally to the detriment of Isley’s character design. I wonder whether that’s a mistake or a choice to unsettle the reader. There’s a chance that I’m failing to pick-up on a purposeful element employed by the artist to catch my attention. Either way, this comic is gorgeous despite some occasionally confusing choices.
Recomended if…
- You are a Swamp Thing fan.
- You enjoyed Vertigo’s golden age.
- You love horror stories set in the DC Universe.
Overall…
I’m sure I’ll pick up this one-shot in future Halloween seasons. It’s one of those stories that packs a punch in a short page-count and leaves you with a genuine emotional response. G. Willow Wilson continues to be my favorite active writer at DC, and I hope she gets more opportunities to write Swamp Thing in the future.
English (US) · 