Swamp Thing (USA) di Scott Snyder

[Azrael]

Preview: Swamp Thing #10

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[Un Fumettaro]

oddio, torna per la centesima volta...

cmq pollici in su per Francavilla

[Azrael]

It's the return of Anton Arcane. As if the first arc wasn't bad enough for Abby and Alec, they're about to get a lot worse. And let's not forget it's a reunion for Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla!
Swamp Thing, Anton Arcane, Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla. Swamp Thing fans are in for an extra treat this month.

The Good
For some reason, when DC revealed the return of Swamp Thing during BRIGHTEST DAY and it was announced he'd have his own ongoing AND when Abby showed up, I just never really thought about Anton Arcane making his return. Anton is bad news, plain and simple. The fact that he's related to Abby makes it worse. We just got over the first arc and while there might have been the notion that perhaps Alec and Abby could get a moment to catch their breath, Scott Snyder will make sure that won't happen.

And then there's Francesco Francavilla's art. How many times have I gushed over what he can do with a pencil and colors. He adds a different feeling to the his work and even though I've enjoyed the art in the previous issues, I wouldn't want to imagine this one without Francavilla.

As for the issue itself, we do get a little background. For those who have no idea who Anton is or even if they don't know a lot of the past history, Snyder makes it all accessible. There is a bit of the calm before the storm but you know it's going to be a brutal one. As beautiful as Francavilla's art is, it also has that feeling of foreboding discomfort in that you know something bad is about to happen.

The Bad
This issue might have been a tad light on the action but that is completely acceptable because of everything we get in the story and art to make up for it.

The Verdict
Each issue of SWAMP THING gets me more and more excited. You can see how much thought Scott Snyder is putting into the character development. With what he's done with Alec Holland, the Parliament of Trees, Abby and so on, you know he gets the characters. You get a sense that he gives it all deep thought before beginning each script. Swamp Thing is in safe hands with Snyder. Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy have been doing a great job with the art on the series but seeing Franecsco Francavilla's art is a treat. He adds a different level to the story telling and you almost get creeped out despite how great everything looks. I was a pretty big fan of Swamp Thing before but this series continues to make me a bigger one each month.

5 su 5

Da CVine

[V]

francavilla immenso e adattissimo ad una serie del genere 

[Azrael]

While the argument can be made that the entirety of this current run of "Swamp Thing" is a tribute to everything that has come before, there is no question Yanick Paquette's cover for "Swamp Thing" #10 is completely dedicated to the wonderfully creepy creativity of Bernie Wrightson. Echoing Wrightson's take on the same issue number from 1974, Paquette updates the monstrous matchup between Swamp Thing and Anton Arcane marvelously while maintaining the spirit of Wrightson's composition.

Naturally, the cover spoils a bit of what goes on in the pages of the book, but Paquette doesn't deliver any art inside this month's installment of "Swamp Thing." That duty falls to Francesco Francavilla, who handles all of the art chores save lettering. The opening page is all black and shades of red with only Travis Lanham's creepy dripping dialog boxes straying from that palette. Those boxes are disembodied dialog from Anton Arcane, setting the story for the reader and establishing the timing of the remainder of this chapter.

That said, this issue follows a nine-part tale that included creation of the Rot, transformations of Alec Holland and Abby Arcane and the resulting battle between Swamp Thing and the minions of Sethe. By all accounts, "Swamp Thing" #10 should give the protagonist a chance to breathe in some fresh air, lick his wounds and recover -- except the air is humid, thick and happens to be filled with figurative razor blades. The real threat is the newly-restored Anton Arcane, bent on reclaiming his heir. In this issue, Scott Snyder layers two stories together so tightly that by the end of the issue the two threads are merged, the threat is revealed and Swamp Thing is set to once more struggle against death for a chance at life.

The biggest problem I have with "Swamp Thing" #10 is it's such a gripping read that in order to keep afloat, I had to keep turning pages rather than soak in the luscious artwork from Francavilla. There's a flashback sequence that Francavilla frames with the standard-issue rounded corners, but his composition of those pages transforms them into throwback sequences with visual nods to all the artists who drew Swamp Thing before him, from Marco Rudy to Nestor Redondo.

While I have enjoyed the contributions of Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy to this series, Francesco Francavilla's art takes control of Snyder's story and makes it his own. Under his brush, Anton Arcane achieves new levels of fearsome creepiness, partially due to Francavilla's penchant for rich shadows and implied detail in those scenes. Throughout this issue, the artist truly displays the full range of his abilities, from the lush undergrowth of the swamp to the grotesque creations known as the Un-Men. While I'm certain we'll see more "Swamp Thing" work from Francavilla in the future, I'm disappointed that he doesn't have the opportunity to complete this arc.

4,5 su 5

Da CBR

[Green Hankey]

Numero splendido grazie anche ai sontuosi disegni di Francavilla

[Azrael]

SWAMP THING #0
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by KANO
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale SEPTEMBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
• The mysteries of Alec Holland and Anton Arcane revealed!
• Throughout history, Arcane has slaughtered the champions of the Red and the Green, and only Alec has escaped death – but for how much longer?

[Green Hankey]

 

[Azrael]

So, maybe Swamp Thing wasn't at the top of your list when the New 52 rolled around. It's understandable that, with all the new reboots and origins, some books may have fallen off a reader's radar. With Swamp Thing #10, it's time to correct that mistake. With this issue, you get your second chance to catch up on an amazing book with the start of a new story arc and the reintroduction of one of Swampy's oldest nemeses Anton Arcane.

Although writer Scott Snyder has had hands full with the Night of the Owls storyline over in Gotham and American Vampire, Swamp Thing hasn't suffered a bit. The writer has been able to give the audience a version of Swamp Thing that is recognizable even to the most casual of comic fans by forgoing the years the book spent at Vertigo and concentrating on character mainstays like Abbie, Anton and the Un-Men while blending the mythos in with other like-minded DC titles.

Yet this isn't a glitzy superhero version of the character. The book is still a horror story at its core filled with monster and damsels in distress. Even though Dr. Alec Holland had his time in the spotlight recently with Brightest Day, Snyder shows that Swamp Thing might be better off playing alone. The scribe does an excellent job of balancing the horror elements with the drama and is able to create something unique for readers every month.

The issue paces nicely for the beginning of an arc. The lucky reader gets the calm after the storm of Holland and Abbie finding their way back to the swamp but with the impended dread of Anton in the shadows. There isn't a ton of dialogue in the issue, which is perfect. Snyder captures the characters' voices quickly, and Francavilla is so vivid that too much exposition on the page would be a felony.

Anton carries most of the narration here; the former scientist is so terrifying, the reader can almost smell the sticky blood on his teeth as he talks. Although the title is still fleshing out its characters' background, the relationship between Abbie and Holland is a unique one. These two people rely on each other. It almost seems that the two of them need their relationship to hold onto some sort of dissipating humanity. With the epic battle from the last story arc over, it's exciting to see where the title is headed with Swamp Thing and the monstrous Anton Arcane.

Even with the amazing writing on this title, it would be worth picking up for the artwork alone. Francesco Francavilla has managed to recreate a seedy, horrific, '70s grindhouse film on the page that sets the tone perfectly for the title. The rounded edges of the panels of Abbie and Alec Holland have a retro feel and are paired nicely with the harsh red and blacks of the Anton pages.

The full-page spreads in this book are frameworthy works of art all on their own. Francavilla knows how to use them and even though there were a high number of them in the issue each one is startling piece to enjoy. The colors themselves can create a feeling of uneasiness in the reader. The muted palette of the Alec and Abbie pages is punctured with the heat of the orange-red sky.

Francavilla also knows exactly how to frame a character in the panel; sometimes askew or distant to build tension. This helps the vibe of old horror film and harkens back to the age in which Swamp Thing was created. The line work here is minimal with a heavy, almost brush-like, inking style on top of it. It's reminiscent of Charle Adlard's work over on The Walking Dead. This isn't to say that one is mimicking the other, but perhaps this is DC's best artistic competition for the successful Image title.

Lapsed fans of Swamp Thing get a second chance to jump into the title with Issue #10. A reader doesn't need to be a fan of the character because the talent on this book will convert the uncertain. Swamp Thing is for fans of great storytelling and, starting with Swamp Thing #10, has become a must-read.

9 su 10

Da Newsarama

[Occhi nella Notte]

francavilla immenso e adattissimo ad una serie del genere 

Hai assolutamente ragione!!!
Va messo sulla roba vertigo...

[Azrael]

A sorpresa è uscito l'#11 che era previsto per la settimana prossima 

[Green Hankey]

A sorpresa è uscito l'#11 che era previsto per la settimana prossima 

fatto bene, visto che entrambi i finali sono collegati 

[Azrael]

SWAMP THING ANNUAL #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by BECKY CLOONAN
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale OCTOBER 31 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T+
• Years ago, Alec Holland met Anton Arcane...and the seeds of that encounter created the nightmare that is Rotworld!
• This extra-sized tale of monsters and madness examines one of the greatest rivalries in the DC Universe!

[Green Hankey]

Becky Cloonan è l'amore segreto di Scott Snyder, visto che l'ha voluta per Batman 12 e l'annual di ST 

[Azrael]

Preview: SWAMP THING #11

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