Swamp Thing #31

By Charles Soule, Jesus Siaz, Javi Pina & Matthew Wilson

The Gift of the Sureen has been a pretty solid arc so far for Charles Soule’s Swamp Thing, which really shines over the course of the book. It’s been fun, entertaining and awesome with some brilliant pencils from Jesus Siaz. It once again proves that this series is among the best in DC’s line-up, and if you’re not following this book already then you’re doing it wrong.

This book more than lives up to the anticipation that’s been surrounding the final issue of The Gift of the Sureen arc. It’s been a fun, brief three issue arc that has allowed Soule to craft a compelling storyline that doesn’t feel like it’s overstaying its welcome or being too rushed. The writer gets the balance just perfectly, with a good pace that also ends with a great set-up for the upcoming mini-crossover with Aquaman, which looks like it could be a lot of fun indeed.

Charles Soule has done an excellent job of expanding the mythology in the series that was given life by Scott Snyder. He’s seeded in a new Avatar of the Fungus, and it’s brought a fresh spark of life to the series that works well, and once again is enhanced by some great artwork.

Jesus Siaz’s artwork is stunning as usual, proving that he deserves a lot more attention than he’s currently getting at DC. There are several strong pencils from Siaz on show here and he really pulls off all the stops delivering a great looking book, especially when enhanced by the finishes provided by Javi Pina. Matthew Wilson’s colours add a further layer of awesomeness to the book, creating a good atmosphere that makes this book being one of the better looking titles in DC’s stable right now, as well as the better written, and hopefully this is a creative team that will continue to remain on this book for a while.

The thing that every reader of Swamp Thing will no doubt be talking about however is Aquaman’s appearance on the final page. A prospect of a Swamp Thing/Aquaman mini-crossover has the potential to be all kinds of awesome, as it should utilise a combination of some of the most awesome DC characters with the great writing talent of Soule and Parker. If you’re not reading either of these comics then you’re missing out, because they’re among the best that DC has to offer – a good jumping on point could well be Aquaman #31, which hits later this month.

So Swamp Thing #31 is another great issue of an excellent run. It’s shaping up to be an amazing series and will have fans greatly looking forward to seeing where things go from here. Jesus Siaz is an awesome artist and has produced some stellar pencils for this book, and with the combination of Charles Soule’s writing talents Swamp Thing #31 is a book that you’ll want to have read, especially if you’re a fan of the series.