A new Swamp Thing will rise in an upcoming 10 issue maxi-series this March! Spinning out of DC’s upcoming Infinite Frontier event, The Swamp Thing, written by Ram V, with art by Mike Perkins and colors by Mike Spicer, arrives in stores March 2.
Recently, in the pages of Justice League Dark, the current Swamp Thing was killed in a battle with the Upside-Down Man, and Man-Bat is attempting to revive him. Infinite Frontier, coming after recent DC events such as Death Metal and Future State, will be a refresh of the line as opposed to a total reboot, which will see new characters debut and existing ones, such as Swamp Thing, get a fresh start.
Writer Ram V revealed details and artwork this morning on his Twitter account, giving readers their first look at this exciting new Swamp Thing: Levi Kamei, who, according to Ram, is the first Indian lead in a DC Comics. No details on how Kamei turned into Swamp Thing are given, or if Man-Bat was somehow involved, but the solicitation states he is “unable to control his transformations.” Drawing on events and legends from India’s past, Kamei must solve a chain of murders, and come to terms with what he has become. The book will also debut a new villain, who is described as a “supernatural desert legend.”
There is much to unpack in this announcement, but the key takeaway is that Kamei cannot control his transformations into Swamp Thing. In previous incarnations of the character, once a person was transformed—that was it, there was no turning back and in some cases the attempt to restore Swamp Thing’s humanity was a key story point; Ram has introduced this new wrinkle into the character. Swamp Thing is oftentimes a book exploring environmental concerns and that seems to be the case here. The book also has not shied away from real world issues, and with the book drawing on the history of India, it seems it will continue that tradition as well. Finally, Swamp Thing will feature DC’s first Indian lead, a huge win for representation.
When Alan Moore took over Swamp Thing in the early 1980s, he introduced the idea of multiple Swamp Things through history, and Ram and his collaborators are going to tap that vein here. They are keeping the character grounded in the horror and ecological themes that have been the character’s trademark. Ram and Perkins have created a Swamp Thing for the 21st century, one rooted firmly in tradition while also looking forward.
