Review: Swamp Thing Vol. 4- Seeder

Quick Summary

Pros: The story told here is entertaining and full of suspense. The villain is interesting and has a lot of promise. Other new concepts, introduced here, bring a lot to the series in general.

Cons: In some places, the art does not go well with the story.

Overall: With the last chapter of Swamp Thing’s life in the past, this volume harnesses that fallout and uses it to push readers into the future. Numerous characters and concepts introduced here are tremendously compelling and give readers plenty of reason to come back for more. Plus, the main storyline is downright interesting on its own. If you have been enjoying Swamp Thing thus far or are looking for a good place to jump in, make sure to pick up this volume.

Story

Like Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones (Review) before it, Swamp Thing Vol. 4: Seeder starts a new and compelling chapter in the life of Alec Holland while also telling an entertaining story all on its own. Here, writer Charles Soule, questions Swamp Thing’s humanity and digs into the morality of his immense levels of power. He also introduces a number of new characters and concepts which have already proven to be interesting. All of this also happens in a storyline that is packed with suspense. Overall, this is a great start to a new era for Swamp Thing.

(spoilers start here)

Seeder starts out with Alec Holland questioning his humanity. He has already been separated from his body, yet now his actions force him to question the morality of his position. In addition, disturbing and violent thoughts from the Green further reinforce that Alec is not comfortable with the path he is now taking.

All of this debate raises some questions, regarding ethics and morality, that are already proving to be very interesting. Does the immense power Alec possesses require him to devote himself as a force for good? Can human lives be, potentially, sacrificed in order to ensure the future survival of the environment? None of these concepts are fully explored, yet all of them have the potential to develop into even more interesting plot threads in the future.

The rest of the volume sees the introduction of new characters and concepts. The new villain, Seeder, is incredibly mysterious, while still very compelling. His character seems to be rooted in altruism, yet with a strange twist of darkness. Plus, the “Whiskey Tree” storyline he brings to this volume is great and add plenty of suspense to Swamp Thing’s life. I’m looking forward to seeing what more will happen with this character, especially once we discover what his motives are.

Also introduced in Seeder, are potential plot threads surrounding the new character Capucine and the old character Anton Arcane. Capucine’s story digs further into the history of Swamp Thing’s connection to the Green. It also adds a bit of more traditional action to the series. Meanwhile, like always, Anton’s presence immediately adds horror to the book and his potential return immediately got me interested in seeing more. No matter how you slice it, this book brings a lot to the plate and gives me plenty of hope for this series.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork throughout Seeder is a little bit mixed overall. In most places, it looks a bit above average. Kano does well in providing creative layouts and gives the characters a solid level of detail. However, there are also places where this particular art style does not flow well with the subject matter. This is specifically noticeable when the story takes a darker turn, which the art style is unable to fully replicate. The end result is a book that looks alright overall but suffers in a few key places.

Continuity

Swamp Thing Vol. 4: Seeder continues the story from Swamp Thing Vol. 3: Rotworld- The Green Kingdom (Review).

The story here continues in Swamp Thing Vol. 5: The Killing Field (Review).