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thanekosIt's verdant green and wrought chrome, the growth of the earth grapping with the workings of men, the Parliaments of Trees and Gears at war.
In the middle of it is Levi Kamei, previous avatar of the Green, now predecessor to his successive brother Jacob - but still connected to one supporter in the Parliament of Trees, one who favored his approach over Jacob's aggression.
Levi'd been drawn into the war that he'd been rejected for by Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps, who wanted his help in dealing with the Trees' alien allies and their presence in Earth's atmosphere.
He'd helped - and returned to Earth in a fiery crash. He lay dying in extraterrestrial botanical wreckage, unable to draw any more power from the Green - so he asked Hal for a boost, and got it.
On the edge of the conflict's terrestrial plane was Trinity, the radioactive being born in issue #12.
( She watched Levi and Hal fighting the Parliament of Gears. )
In the middle of it is Levi Kamei, previous avatar of the Green, now predecessor to his successive brother Jacob - but still connected to one supporter in the Parliament of Trees, one who favored his approach over Jacob's aggression.
Levi'd been drawn into the war that he'd been rejected for by Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps, who wanted his help in dealing with the Trees' alien allies and their presence in Earth's atmosphere.
He'd helped - and returned to Earth in a fiery crash. He lay dying in extraterrestrial botanical wreckage, unable to draw any more power from the Green - so he asked Hal for a boost, and got it.
On the edge of the conflict's terrestrial plane was Trinity, the radioactive being born in issue #12.
( She watched Levi and Hal fighting the Parliament of Gears. )
thanekosIssue #13'd ended with Levi Kamei, depowered as avatar of the Green in favor of his more aggressive brother, being approached by Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps about the alien plants.
In space, Levi - still connected to the Green via one supporter in the Parliament of Trees, clad in a power ring-created suit - and Hal considered the plants surrounding the Earth.
" They were called here by the Green. " Levi explained.
" By the planet.. this living world. And they're gathering to fight a war. "
" Against whom, Levi? "
" Against us.. our machinations. "
( Levi pivoted from exposition to self-remonstration. )
In space, Levi - still connected to the Green via one supporter in the Parliament of Trees, clad in a power ring-created suit - and Hal considered the plants surrounding the Earth.
" They were called here by the Green. " Levi explained.
" By the planet.. this living world. And they're gathering to fight a war. "
" Against whom, Levi? "
" Against us.. our machinations. "
( Levi pivoted from exposition to self-remonstration. )
thanekosIssue #12'd set up those rooted in the works of man, the Parliament of Gears and Trinity the nuclear elemental.
It'd also brought the current avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei, out of his self-imposed undisturbed exile in that realm.
Back outside, Levi'd come to the aid of Jack Hawksmoor, who'd been investigating the perturbations of Detroit, Michigan.
Before that, though, he'd been at home with his friend-now-lover Jennifer Reece.
He was talking to her about why he'd exiled himself, after the events of issue #10: " I learned at last the temptation of trees. "
( He explained that temptation. )
It'd also brought the current avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei, out of his self-imposed undisturbed exile in that realm.
Back outside, Levi'd come to the aid of Jack Hawksmoor, who'd been investigating the perturbations of Detroit, Michigan.
Before that, though, he'd been at home with his friend-now-lover Jennifer Reece.
He was talking to her about why he'd exiled himself, after the events of issue #10: " I learned at last the temptation of trees. "
( He explained that temptation. )
thanekosThe latter isn't part of the former - because the elemental establishing that Parliament came into himself in issue #11.
He's the Pale Wanderer met in issues #1 and #2, merged with Harper Pilgrim - the man who, foiled in his desire to take the current avatar of the Green for himself, had turned to the defeated Wanderer.
With the help of Dr. Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, he'd had that seeming-desert-elemental grafted onto himself - and the grafts had taken.
The result exalted before Dr. Woodrue and Mr. Pilgrim's employees, coming into his own - he wasn't the elemental of the desert he thought he was.
He was an elemental of human industry.
( He elaborated on that. )
He's the Pale Wanderer met in issues #1 and #2, merged with Harper Pilgrim - the man who, foiled in his desire to take the current avatar of the Green for himself, had turned to the defeated Wanderer.
With the help of Dr. Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, he'd had that seeming-desert-elemental grafted onto himself - and the grafts had taken.
The result exalted before Dr. Woodrue and Mr. Pilgrim's employees, coming into his own - he wasn't the elemental of the desert he thought he was.
He was an elemental of human industry.
( He elaborated on that. )
thanekosThis run - the story of Levi Kamei, chosen to succeed Alec Holland as the Green's avatar - was originally solicited as a ten-issue miniseries.
The news that it was being bumped to sixteen issues, #11 slated for March 2022, came in the same month as issue #9 - the author of Levi's troubles revealing himself, and then being threatened by Levi's brother Jacob, who had power over the Green and a course of wrath to direct it on.
The upstaged villain, Harper Pilgrim of Prescot Industries, exited the stage with Levi's friend Jennifer - and brought down the curtains, triggering a contingency that doused Levi and Jacob in a combination of liquid nitrogen and the " bio-agent " he'd passed along to Amanda Waller before issue #5.
With two problems behind him, he turned to the one beside him - Jennifer, shouting " You won't get away with this! "
( " I already have. " )
The news that it was being bumped to sixteen issues, #11 slated for March 2022, came in the same month as issue #9 - the author of Levi's troubles revealing himself, and then being threatened by Levi's brother Jacob, who had power over the Green and a course of wrath to direct it on.
The upstaged villain, Harper Pilgrim of Prescot Industries, exited the stage with Levi's friend Jennifer - and brought down the curtains, triggering a contingency that doused Levi and Jacob in a combination of liquid nitrogen and the " bio-agent " he'd passed along to Amanda Waller before issue #5.
With two problems behind him, he turned to the one beside him - Jennifer, shouting " You won't get away with this! "
( " I already have. " )
thanekosHe'd only been a man in the shadows previously - the Suicide Squad operation to capture the new Swamp Thing that ended in issue #8 had been instigated by him, and the events that'd culminated in that newly chosen avatar of the Green's becoming had come about through his company, Prescot Industries.
He knew that the new avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei, was an employee of his - and that Levi had a friend, Jennifer (introduced in issue #1), likewise employed. He knew that Levi was confiding his experiences in her - so he brought her in, to lure in the prize he sought.
He, Harper Pilgrim, exposited to her as he waited.
( His exposition was mostly grandiose. )
He knew that the new avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei, was an employee of his - and that Levi had a friend, Jennifer (introduced in issue #1), likewise employed. He knew that Levi was confiding his experiences in her - so he brought her in, to lure in the prize he sought.
He, Harper Pilgrim, exposited to her as he waited.
( His exposition was mostly grandiose. )
thanekosIssue #7'd had the titular character, the avatar of the Green succeeding Alec Holland, remembering the weight of his past through the Nightmare Nurse's surgery.
She, part of the Suicide Squad deployment that'd been aimed at him, had left him to the chemicals of Chemo after he'd turned down her offer to free him from that weight (and the Green too, in consequence).
She and squad leader Peacemaker watched the Swamp Thing finish off Chemo from far off.
( Peacemaker gave the order to wind up their mission. )
She, part of the Suicide Squad deployment that'd been aimed at him, had left him to the chemicals of Chemo after he'd turned down her offer to free him from that weight (and the Green too, in consequence).
She and squad leader Peacemaker watched the Swamp Thing finish off Chemo from far off.
( Peacemaker gave the order to wind up their mission. )
thanekosThe therapist is Nightmare Nurse, a Justice League Dark character who's part of the " capture the Swamp Thing " Suicide Squad mission started in issue #6.
The mission was going all awry - Heat Wave'd seemingly run their target'd down, but then their target'd risen and put Heat Wave out of commission. Parasite was off glutting himself on the strange bounty of the Kazirangan forest they'd lured the Swamp Thing into, and Chemo was just a lumbering blanket effect.
There was Peacemaker, taking full stock of the situation - and the Swamp Thing, the avatar of the totality of plant life that was the Green, on his way to save the forest from the effects of the lure Amanda Waller'd dropped in #5.
( As he walked, he thought. )
The mission was going all awry - Heat Wave'd seemingly run their target'd down, but then their target'd risen and put Heat Wave out of commission. Parasite was off glutting himself on the strange bounty of the Kazirangan forest they'd lured the Swamp Thing into, and Chemo was just a lumbering blanket effect.
There was Peacemaker, taking full stock of the situation - and the Swamp Thing, the avatar of the totality of plant life that was the Green, on his way to save the forest from the effects of the lure Amanda Waller'd dropped in #5.
( As he walked, he thought. )
thanekosIssue #4'd ended on the corporate presence hovering around the edges of the story making a call to Amanda Waller.
Issue #5, a story about a bomb, had ended with Waller dropping a bomb on four miles of forest within the Kaziranga National Park.
Her bomb, the device she'd been given by the company of the man who'd called, was intended to lure the Swamp Thing - currently Levi Kamei, the newly chosen avatar of the Green.
The team she sent was intended to take him.
( They weren't unfit for the task. )
Issue #5, a story about a bomb, had ended with Waller dropping a bomb on four miles of forest within the Kaziranga National Park.
Her bomb, the device she'd been given by the company of the man who'd called, was intended to lure the Swamp Thing - currently Levi Kamei, the newly chosen avatar of the Green.
The team she sent was intended to take him.
( They weren't unfit for the task. )
thanekosIt's a detour from #4, which ended with the Suicide Squad being aimed at the titular character.
He, Levi Kamei, was unaware of that manipulation by the man who employed him in his human life - but was aware of his manipulation by the Green that had chosen him to succeed Alec Holland as its avatar.
Once again, that plane of plant life drew him out of his human body and into a green one - this time, in London.
There, Constantine had also been summoned - by someone he knew personally.
( He was her last resort. )
He, Levi Kamei, was unaware of that manipulation by the man who employed him in his human life - but was aware of his manipulation by the Green that had chosen him to succeed Alec Holland as its avatar.
Once again, that plane of plant life drew him out of his human body and into a green one - this time, in London.
There, Constantine had also been summoned - by someone he knew personally.
( He was her last resort. )
thanekosIssue #3'd had Levi Kamei, the newly chosen representative of that unification of plant life, and his friend Jennifer pulled into it in their quest to understand what was happening to Levi.
There, they'd met others long steeped in that realm - he'd met Poison Ivy, and she'd met the Floronic Man.
Now, Levi was meeting Alec Holland, his predecessor - and learning about " the contagion " spreading in the Green.
( Jennifer, meanwhile, was under the Floronic Man's eyes. )
There, they'd met others long steeped in that realm - he'd met Poison Ivy, and she'd met the Floronic Man.
Now, Levi was meeting Alec Holland, his predecessor - and learning about " the contagion " spreading in the Green.
( Jennifer, meanwhile, was under the Floronic Man's eyes. )
thanekosIssue #2'd ended on the protagonist, Levi Kamei, acknowledging his connection to that force encompassing (and composed of) all plant life.
Issue #3 began on him, having once again slipped back a freshly constructed plant body to his lived-in human one, following his friend Jennifer's desire to help him.
She had access to an MRI machine - and he was in it.
( He was wary about what could happen next. )
Issue #3 began on him, having once again slipped back a freshly constructed plant body to his lived-in human one, following his friend Jennifer's desire to help him.
She had access to an MRI machine - and he was in it.
( He was wary about what could happen next. )
thanekosIn issue #1, his transformation into a new Swamp Thing'd taken him in his sleep to another elemental being, the Pale Wanderer.
That one'd taken time out of his violence in Arizona to take Levi under his wing.
He'd torn Levi's grown-from-cacti body apart - Levi awoke, human again, back in New York.
( That was not the end of his troubles. )
That one'd taken time out of his violence in Arizona to take Levi under his wing.
He'd torn Levi's grown-from-cacti body apart - Levi awoke, human again, back in New York.
( That was not the end of his troubles. )
thanekosIt's a miniseries - originally solicited as ten issues, then extended to sixteen - that doesn't waste any time engaging the reader.
Issue #1 starts with the protagonist - Levi Kamei, this run's titular being - already in the throes of his becoming.
Its dialogue is expository, because you can't pitch a reader headlong into a setup without giving them things to grab onto - but it's naturally so, ruminating monologues and complacent bantering.
( Also, on Levi's part - unburdening. )
Issue #1 starts with the protagonist - Levi Kamei, this run's titular being - already in the throes of his becoming.
Its dialogue is expository, because you can't pitch a reader headlong into a setup without giving them things to grab onto - but it's naturally so, ruminating monologues and complacent bantering.
( Also, on Levi's part - unburdening. )
alicemacher
"Probably the best thing that Alan did for the SWAMP THING series and for the comic book field in general was to increase people's awareness of the writer's contribution. With a few exceptions, no other writer in the history of comics has generated the attention and respect that Alan has. In a visually-oriented industry that has always been dominated by its graphics, that's a considerable achievement."
--Karen Berger, Letter column in this very issue
( 'It is our retirement, Abby [...] born of the Earth as payment...' )
Swamp Thing: Loose Ends (Reprise)
Sep. 17th, 2018 02:42 pmalicemacher
The Swamp Thing's come home to kick ass and absorb animal carcasses... and he's all outta animal carcasses.
( 'I think I'm having some kind of flashback... Oh jeez. This... this is real.' )
Swamp Thing: Wavelength
Sep. 15th, 2018 09:36 pmalicemacher
Rick Veitch assumes writing duties in a Kirby homage (by way of Jorge Luis Borges) co-starring Metron and Darkseid, and sneaks in a preview of his own run on the title.
( '...Abby, what are you and Constantine...?' )
