Swamp Thing #5

I'm surprised that isn't Swamp Thing instead of Alec Holland.

Well, it's been a few weeks and now it's time to read Swamp Thing #5!

A man named Professor Robert has headed into the Amazon Rainforest. His guide leaves him at the boundary of the Terena Peoples. The Terena's main concern seems to be that they aren't speaking Old Portugese to them. Yes, I know it's actually spelled 'Portuguese' but the Letterer who did the following panel spelled it without the second 'u'.

Mystery solved! This language everyone has been speaking is Old Portugese [sic]!

Professor Robert opens up his shirt and exposes his chest full of The Rot. Flies fly forth from his flesh and enter into the ears of the Terena! Their necks snap and they follow Professor Robert into the forest with their heads on backwards.

Back in America, Abby and Alec are on their way to the Deadlands. They've stopped off in a convenience store for some snacks and when they leave, they come face to face with Bloody William and his new friends he's made at the slaughterhouse nearby.

Throw some grass seed at him!

Alec gathers his power and destroys all of the Rot creatures with his branches and vines. He also captures William by trapping him in the branches of a tree Alec grew beneath William. William bitches and moans that his chlorophyll allergy will kill him but Alec seems to think he'll be fine. I don't know why he thinks this. Because he's a tree doctor?

Alec and Abby then have a touching moment where they describe the dreams they had as children. Alec used to see a girl made of bones. And Abby would see a boy made of leaves. Both were warned of the dangers of the other. And even though the warnings seem to be screaming at them, they decide to ignore them.

How poetic! Kissing amidst spilled peaches and blood.

Apparently this is the wrong thing to do! William begins laughing and calling them idiots! And Alec suddenly gets red flecks in his green eyes. Perhaps he's caught the Rot? But even worse, Professor Robert and his Rot Henchmen have stumbled into the Parliament of Trees with torches and are ready to set the whole place on fire!

This issue of Swamp Thing is good enough to let it climb the rankings by one rung. I'm also going to break my comic book reading pattern and read the next issue immediately!