Swamp Thing: Green Hell #3 Review

   

Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Doug Mahnke, Shawn Moll
Colors by: David Baron
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Doug Mahnke (cover A)
Cover price: $6.99
Release date: March 21, 2023


Swamp Thing: Green Hell #3 ends the dystopian horror story to a close as the Green and the Red join forces to eradicate humanity. Only an aging warlock, a living ghost, and a now-mortal Swamp Thing stand in their way.
Is It Good?

Give credit where credit is due. When Jeff Lemire decided to finish this story, he finishes big. Swamp Thing: Green Hell #3 swings for the fences and beyond with an edge-of-your-seat finale delivering big action, big stakes, big emotion, and big developments.

When last we left Swamp Thing, Constantine called him out of retirement to stop a joint operation between the Red and the Green to wipe out humanity over its mistreatment of the Earth. Miffed at the betrayal, the Green cut off Swamp Thing's connection to their power and reverted him to a still-green-but-mortal state.

Now, Swamp Thing chooses to fight to protect the remaining humans while Constantine and Deadman visit an old-but-embittered ally, Maxine aka Animal Woman. It's a fight to the death against overwhelming odds and makes for an exciting finish.

Lemire is a master storyteller, so it's no surprise that this mini-series started and ended even stronger. Swamp Thing's emotional motives are crystal clear, the hero's challenge feels overwhelming, and the twists (more than one) deliver surprise punches to elevate the issue further. This is what exciting, serious drama looks like.

More importantly, the story resolves with a new status quo for most of the characters, including the Green and the Red, leaving the door open for new stories in the future.

Doug Mahke's art is very good in this issue. There are a few panels where the inks look a bit rough, but that could be a deliberate creative choice rather than hasty work. Still, the overall visuals are gritty and dark, which means it works perfectly for a dystopian end-of-the-world final fight for survival.




About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Swamp Thing: Green Hell #3 ends the mini-series with big action, big stakes, big emotion, and a big conclusion that changes the Green and the Red as we know them. Lemire's writing is mesmerizing, and Mahnke's art is top-notch.

9/10