Written by Jonathan Vankin
Art by Marco Castiello; Vincenzo Acunzo; Barb Ciardo; & Sal Cipriano
Cover Art by Ardian Syaf; Vicente Cifuentes; & Ulises Arreola
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for August 2011, the opener for this three-part mini-series begins in London with John Constantine receiving an ‘invitation’ to find the Swamp Thing at Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens. An ominous plant attack sends Constantine scurrying to Gotham City seeking Batman’s help. Constantine easily dispatches a Gotham taxi carjacker in his effort to locate the Dark Knight.
After conferring with Commissioner Gordon re: a mobster’s bizarre tree-related death, Dick Grayson’s Batman has a volatile run-in with a surly Constantine. In Zatanna Zatara’s presence, Constantine advises Batman of the mystical link between Swamp Thing and the long-dead Alec Holland. Yet, what environmental chaos is ensuing if a resurrected Holland and the Swamp Thing are now separate beings?
Note 1: Despite his central presence on the cover, Superman isn’t in this issue.
Note 2: Artist J.G. Jones produced a variant cover (its image isn’t available here).
REVIEW:
Impressively bolstered by its artwork (including a stellar cover image), writer Jonathan Vankin smartly resurrects aspects of Constantine’s old link to the missing Swamp Thing. This issue certainly conjures up an intriguing mystery re: the Swamp Thing’s fate. Vankin also delivers some spot-on dialogue, especially as Constantine’s chemistry with Dick Grayson’s skeptical Batman and resentful ex-flame Zatanna hit the right marks. This Batman’s simmering impatience and lack of familiarity with Constantine, in particular, is darkly humorous. Combining a solid storyline with top-caliber art, The Search for Swamp Thing # 1 is very much a fun read.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Spanning eight pages, there is a dubiously forgettable Justice League team-up with NBA star Blake Griffin and racecar driver Carl Edwards in a Subway comic book promotion. DC Design Director Creative Services’ Jim Fletcher pitches a single-page “DC Nation” column heavily hyping the 2011 Green Lantern movie. This issue’s tie-in ads are virtually all Green Lantern-related.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
