The Swamp Thing #12 Review

The Avatar of the Bore

Written by: Ram V

Art by: Mike Perkins

Colors by: Mike Spicer

Letters by: Aditya Bidikar

Cover art by: Mike Perkins, Mike Spicer

Cover price: $3.99

Release date: April 26, 2022

The Swamp Thing #12 takes the meaning of "highfalutin" to even greater heights as Levi returns from his stupor within the Green with the help of his girlfriend and a Holland. Meanwhile, more avatars are spawned from even more ideas.

Was It Good?

In The Swamp Thing #12, Swamp Thing reawakens into a world that may need him more than ever. Unfortunately, as a reader, this issue may put you into a deep sleep from which you may never return.  

Honestly, I almost fell asleep reading this issue. It's bursting with long, slow monologues about the nature of forces that manifest into symbols and how the actions of humanity can create forces as powerful as The Green and The Rot.  

In terms of actual plot development, what do you get? Jennifer brings Levi back from his comatose state in the Green. Jacob, Levi's brother, is now a seed. Harper Pilgrim has recovered from his surgery to become the avatar of Industry(?). Jack Hawksmoor, aka the King of Cities, is learning about the force of Urban Decay. Meanwhile, the shards of glass and ember left over from nuclear bomb tests in the southwest United States have formed a new avatar called Trinity.

Is there anything Ram V won't turn into a force? Where's the avatar of Google and the Internet? Can I sign up to be the avatar of MacDonald's and fast food? I'm down to have a superpower to generate milkshakes and fries at will.

At least the art from Spicer and Perkins is excellent. The visuals are fantastic. The art team is evoking the rotoscoping techniques of past decades for a unique look at the urban and industrial settings. In fairness, the visuals tend to be very dark, but there's interesting stuff here if you study the detail close enough. 

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Bits and Pieces:

 

The Swamp Thing #12 takes the exciting developments and momentum from issue #11 and grinds almost to a dead stop. Ram V seems intent on turning everything that has impacted life and society into a force with its own avatar, and it's presented here with all the energy and drama of a sleeping kitten. Unfortunately, while those developments might lead to a new rogue's gallery for Swamp Thing in the future, it's difficult to care when the story is too dull to keep you interested.

6/10