The first annual of the relaunched Swamp Thing title tears us away from the greater Rotworld storyline to expand and, in some respects, to alter the story of Alec Holland’s first trip to Castle Arcane. While these simple observations may be enough to put a chill down many a comic book reader’s spine, I urge you to give this book a chance.
The tale itself is a bit of a respite from the heavy, depressing reality of Rotworld. The transition to and from the greater narrative is done well, with pencils-and-inks combo Andrew Belanger and Karl Kerschl approximating the lines and layouts of the main title enough that the transition to Becky Cloonan’s work isn’t jarring. Co-writers Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft have penned a script that accentuates Cloonan’s visual style, adding an appealing love story to a creepy but not quite frightening main plot. In fact, the book shines brightest during Alec’s brief encounter with Abigail Arcane.