Swamp Thing: New Roots #6: Building a New World

The Seeds of Destruction story in Swamp Thing: New Roots comes to a head in issue #6, packing a powerful punch by capitalizing on the many different threads introduced thus far to tell a story with weight and consequence. This isn’t just some filler digital issue, it’s one that any fan of Swamp Thing will want to read.

The first thing this issue does in its opening page is fast forward the story an entire year. After Sunderland’s grave mistake of creating slave labor for harvesting, Swamp Thing has taken the last survivor as his own daughter, naming her Flora and teaching her the ways of the Green. Not only this, Swamp Thing has also devised entirely self sufficient cities to show what the world could be with humanity and the Green living together. This isn’t like the previous issue that all takes place in a simulation either, this is actually happening, and the story benefits greatly from that weight of consequence.

If seeing Swampy interact with his own daughter isn’t enough to entice you to check out this book, the nuclear conspiracy that unravels is almost certain to capture your attention. This is a fast paced issue that seems to never hold back, and while the Sunderland plot line has pushed ahead rather slowly, New Roots #6 pushes the company into tyranny as they attempt to destroy Swamp Thing. This exploration of power, its pursuit and the results is something that will feel familiar in our current situation, and writer Russell uses these themes to remain topical, decisive and insightful without losing the focus on the characters in the process.

Santucci and company help to pull off such a grand story with some impressive visuals, especially when we are able to explore the cities created by Swamp Thing and Flora. There are a lot of opportunities for great work thanks in part to such a fast paced story, and the team takes full advantage of this. Everything from the colors to the letters prove that this is one of the best executed issues in the series so far.

In it’s first six issues, Swamp Thing: New Roots has gone through some ups and downs with regards to pacing and structure. Issue #6 unfolds rapidly, but you can’t help but get the feeling that this ending was a bit rushed. It feels like a story that was waiting in the wings to be inserted at any given time to bring this Sunderland story to a close. One issue to explore these magnificent events is engaging, but it also draws a stark contrast to the five issues that came before, which were much more tedious in weaving the overarching narrative together. This issue is a lot of fun, but looking back, I would have loved for all of them to be this exciting and well plotted.

Swamp Thing: New Roots is a series that goes right to the heart of what Swamp Thing stands for, and while the story can feel predictable, rest assured the end is something you won’t see coming. It’s a wonderful twist that will have you thinking about this book long after reading it.