Swamp Thing #3
Vertigo/DC Comics
Writer: Andy Diggle
Art: Enrique Breccia
Price: $2.95

Rating: 4 stars

Three issues into the newest installment of the Swamp Thing series by Vertigo, I am still jolted by the joy of reading a horror comic that really works. From the unflinching look at Tefe?s destiny to the living skeleton that is Alec Holland, not to mention John Constantine?s gallows humor, each page flows with ease. Writer Andy Diggle and artist Enrique Breccia harkens back to the compelling story telling of Alan Moore?s run on the series, but with their own twist.

Issue three finds Tefe in conference with Dr. Destiny, learning about the antithesis of the green called the red. Using his red gem of power, Tefe taps into a world previously unavailable to her. In the meantime Abigail is reunited with Alec, and she is not amused. Having to deal with Swamp Thing being untethered from his human counterpart has put the world at jeopardy, and its fate rests on these few individuals. To save humanity, Alec must be reunited with the being Swamp Thing, and Tefe must hold her own, without surrendering the red.

As each issue builds, I find myself having a harder time waiting the month between to see what happens next. Diggle?s story and Breccia?s art have an unspoken symbiosis that work to bring each page to life. Breccia doesn?t flinch from portraying the sheer horror of the red, and his version of Alec Holland is as creepy as it comes. I hope that Breccia stays on this title because I believe his art is a huge piece of what makes it work. Diggle?s storytelling is the other, and his pacing and sense of the bigger picture feed into the heightened sense of foreboding this book contains.

Readers who are not familiar with the last series titled Swamp Thing written by Brian K. Vaughn may want to catch up on Tefe?s motives and history. I would recommend looking at comic shops and conventions to find this series if you want a little more insight into her. Otherwise, I haven?t had a problem following the book in itself. Readers may also want to grab the trade paperbacks featuring Alan Moore?s ground breaking work on the title.

Fans of horror looking to find a new way to connect to the old school Swamp Thing will find it here. I would also recommend this title to Vertigo readers who are looking for something cool. I do have to caution that this book is definitely not for young children, as it may give them nightmares. Recommend this book to all your friends of appropriate age, and grab a copy for yourself. You won?t be sorry.

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