It’s an all-action issue, minus the epilogue, with Swamp Thing and his ragtag army of plant people and humans fighting against the evil humans and their ringleader. The ringleader’s who I thought it’d be. Ram V knows his Swamp Thing, knows the appropriate, historical supporting cast member to bring in to guest star for effect.

No, not Arcane.

There’s more good art from Mike Perkins, though after a while—fairly early on—it’s unclear why V needed the plant people other than to give the previous issue a supporting cast. They’re pointless this issue, both dramatically and in the action. In fact, they distract from Swamp Thing action.

Even with the comics canon-heavy reveals for the finish, it’s a mostly accessible Swamp Thing: The End, a nice homage to the character from before—I’m very murky on Swampy continuity these days and V makes sure you can read it after an extended break. There are some unanswered questions, but they don’t matter to much. There’s solid character drama from V in the scenes, it just never amounts to anything.

The issue’s also missing a final splash image to establish some things, which is a bummer, because there’s not just a missing dramatic beat but also some potential for an awesome Perkins page.

It’s too long for two issues, but also too short. V needed another one to get the pacing right, or he needed a single double-size or size-and-a-half to finish it up in one. The story’s rushing through its plot—especially with the big opening reveals—only Perkins draws it calm, not anxious. Similarly, even when V’s doing a big dramatic scene, the writing’s pretty chill.

But small complaints about a decent Swamp Thing comic in 2021.

It never occurred to me Mike Perkins would be such a great Swamp Thing artist. There are a handful of ways to really nail Swamp Thing, with Perkins doing the passive movement thing—Swamp Thing’s branches sway in the wind (and he has branches to sway). Perkins’s art is excellent overall, but his take on Swamp Thing is very nice. Classical and very nice.

Similarly, writer Ram V goes for a wordy but concise Swamp Thing. There are occasional interludes—presumably about how, in a future after he’s destroyed the planet for humans with plant life, Swamp Thing is now making his own plant creatures. All except one—Indigo—who has a different style of word balloons and seems ever ready to reveal a familiar secret identity, based on how he chides Swamp Thing with such fervor.

Of course, I haven’t read a Swamp Thing comic in a decade and so maybe Indigo’s a regular. The dialogue’s the more concise part; there’s a chance the narrated plant creature physiology stuff will turn out to be a twist next issue, but V and Perkins seem to have a fairly good handle on the comic.

Swamp Thing and his band of (unknowing) children are roaming the planet looking for humans. Not clear why yet, though it never occurs to Swamp Thing the humans might be looking for him too.

The post-apocalyptic setting is good, the characters have enough attitude to compensate their shallowness, and the Perkins art is awesome. It’s a perfectly serviceable Swamp Thing comic, something I’ve been missing for ages.