Hester’s back and he and DeMulder do a fantastic job illustrating Anna–she’s the author of “River Run”–and her life as it all falls apart. Millar might be explaining how she found herself in the predicament of being stuck in her own stories, but it’s not clear. He might be fooling.
Bad things happen to her, page after page, and one forgets the comic is called Swamp Thing. When Alec finally does show up at the end, he’s a stand-in for Millar, the author, explaining to the character why she’s going through such torments.
As a comic about a writer’s life falling apart and her work not even being able to keep her together, it’s quite good. Millar’s rather writerly again and he wears that hat well.
Alec showing up at the end feels forced, like Millar’s now trying to neatly tie everything together.
Messy would’ve been better.
CREDITS
River Run, Chapter Six: Sink or Swim; writer, Mark Millar; penciller, Phil Hester; inker, Kim DeMulder; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, Richard Starkings; editor, Stuart Moore; publisher, Vertigo.
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