With Abigail rescued, Alec Holland thought he’d defeated the Rot, but the war is only just beginning, as an old enemy returns. Check out DC‘s official description for the awesome Swamp Thing #10:

• The deadly return of ANTON ARCANE!
• This is the beginning of a new chapter in the SWAMP THING saga and a perfect time to start reading!

Scott Snyder‘s Swamp Thing has been one of my favorite books of the New 52 (it’s in my top three) and issue 10 is no exception. It’s not as action-packed as recent issues, but the suspense doesn’t ebb for a minute. Abby returns Alec to the swamp to recover, while, in voice-over, Anton reveals some disturbing events from her past and elaborates on her relationships with both the Green and the Rot. The sequence is fascinating on its own, but Anton’s presence dramatically increases the fear factor as it makes an encounter inevitable

I didn’t think anyone could give Yanick Paquette a run for his money on this book, but dang if Francesco Francavilla isn’t just as good. Unsurprisingly, his work here also carries a sense of suspense similar to what he contributed to Snyder’s run on Detective Comics. But where ‘Tec was full of simmering anxiety, ST radiates absolute terror. His simple color palette and heavy shading also recall the horror comics of the 50’s and 60’s, of which Swamp Thing is a direct descendant.

DC’s solicits aren’t lying: issue 10 is a great jumping on point for new readers. As good as Swamp Thing is, it’s far from a top-seller, having ranked 40th on Diamond’s list for April. Now’s the time for us to change that. Go pick it up. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

5/5