Becoming (The Swamp Thing #1) by Ram V.

​I’m not really. fan of traditional superhero fare, but then again, Swamp Thing isn’t all that traditional. Plus, I’ve read and enjoyed Ram V. before. To be fair, the books I’ve read of his were very different–standalone original stories. So this is quite a departure. But he still features an Indian protagonist, and his writing remains the same: very strong and possibly too lyrical for a superhero comic. Just possibly.
Maybe that is just the tone of Swap Thing. Or maybe that’s just the direction Ram V. and the comic universe powers that be wanted it to go.
Either way, you get a moody and brooding creature and the reluctant man behind him. Then again, you can’t blame him, carrying the green mantle is a heavy thing. With so much at stake.
Swamp Thing is likely the most environmentally conscious superhero, so there’s a lot of meditation on that.
And then, there’s the art. This book is Oh Wow striking. The artist did that spectacular of a job. Because Swamp Thing doesn’t cut the traditional supe figure, the art here is by and large above and beyond a typical supe comic. Absolutely gorgeous. By far the most striking Ram V. book I’ve read thus far.
So yeah, good writing, awesome art…there’s much to like here. Even for those who, like me, prefer original stories and characters. Because there’s still a present comic universe – DC Universe – I can’t say I loved it, but it was fun. I’ll read book two.