Swamp Thing #18

Sure. Live it up while Cliff Baker gets his heart ripped out. Jerks.

Swamp Thing and Animal Man have been sent back in time to fix the world. Animal Man did his thing over in Animal Man #18 and nothing tragic happened at all no matter what I said in the caption to the cover of this issue. So I'm pretty sure nothing tragic will happen in this one either even with the whole "death do them part" foreshadowment on the cover.

As in Animal Man's case, The Parliament of Decay spits Swamp Thing out in the past with about one second left to save Abby's life.

For a bunch of Parliamentary Corpses claiming to want to restore balance to the world, they cut it awfully close here.

But since The Swamp Thing apparently isn't fucking around this time, I guess one second is all he needs.

This is Page Two. I guess Snyder needs 18 pages to depict Abby fucking The Swamp Thing.

Too bad the fucking never happens. Abby and The Swamp Thing realize that Arcane will simply reform. They need to find a way to destroy him and get the Parliament of Decay to choose a newer, fluffier, less aggressive Avatar. Besides, Future Anton Arcane arrives to try to create his Rotworld again and discovers Past Anton Arcane ripped in half. He eats him and heads off to teach The Parliament of Decay a lesson for helping Swamp Thing and Animal Man.

Apparently the newer, fluffier, less aggressive Avatar next in the queue is Abby herself. She was always meant to be the next Avatar of Decay but she abdicated when Swamp Thing saved her from Sethe. That's when Anton was chosen as the Avatar. So for Abigail to accept her proper role as the Avatar of Decay, she needs to die just like Alec died to become Swamp Thing. So Swamp Thing shrugs his mossy shoulders and says, "Okay!"

It really didn't take that much convincing. This is like page three or something.

After killing Abby, Swamp Thing is killed by Anton. I sense a pattern here! Let me see if I can suss out what will happen next? Someone else needs to kill someone else. But who?!

Oh yeah! Abby takes Anton! At least she doesn't look like Howard Stern's Beetlejuice this time.

The Swamp Thing regrows back in the swamps of Louisiana near his Parliament of Seedlings. But the body of Alec Holland is gone, killed by Anton. Swamp Thing is all plant now and ready to take his place amongst the Parliament. Except this Swamp Thing has a choice. He can take root and finish out his days as a member of the Parliament, or he can continue to roam the world as The Green's Avatar. Before he chooses, he has a visitor bearing gifts.

What happens if they engage in sexual activity now? Will they destroy each other, leaving Maxine the most powerful creature on Earth?

Oh. Why am I always asking questions instead of turning pages!

I guess that's about as far as they can go.

After the romance, Swamp Thing chooses to continue to be the Avatar because legs. He has all the time in the world to end up rooted to one lousy spot in the swamp! As long as they're offering, he's going to hit the road!

Swamp Thing #18 Rating: +1 Ranking. I'm excited about Swamp Thing stories without having to deal with Alec Holland's human side! And we'll probably get a few Abby as the Avatar of Decay one shot stories here and there which should be fun. I really like where this comic is headed now.