$oss' Pull-List Reviews 4/18/12

Saga #2

Alana, Marko and little Hazel find themselves being hunted by the galaxy's most feared bounty hunter. No, not Bobba Fett. I'm talking about The Stalk.

Fiona Staples rocks out some of the craziest character designs in comics. The Stalk is a eight eyed, armless, topless woman with spider legs. Hot and disturbing, just what the doctor ordered.

Saga is worth the read just to check out all the crazy creatures that inhibit the planet in Landfall. Normally this book would be at the top of the pile but it was an outstanding week in comics.

Batman & Robin #8

Peter Tomasi has made Damian Wayne into one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe. As much as I am a Tim Drake fan Tomasi has made Damian feel like the most natural fit to fight crime along side the Dark Knight. 

This issue is chalk full of great emotional exchanges between father and son. It appears that Bruce is finally taking steps to heal the pain and rage inside of himself in order to save his son. Patrick Gleason's work is outstanding as usually. Batman and Robin is now neck and neck with Batman for the title of Best Bat Book.  

Swamp Thing #7

Scott Snyder is really taking his time to flesh out this book. After seven long months and some debating with The Parliament of Trees Alec Holland, or what's left of him becomes Swamp Thing. The transformation process isn't as cut an dry as you would think. Apparently The Parliament isn't very happy about how long it took for Holland to accept his role. Alec spends the majority of the book stating his case as to why he should be reincarnated as Swamp Thing.

I gotta give Snyder a lot of credit for his pacing of this arc. Another writer may have felt pressure to get the books star front and center by the third issue. Snyder allowed the story to come to a boil at it's own pace. When the Protector of the Green finally rises to life I genuinely felt my pulse quicken.

Yanick Paquette is the only artist I would want to see illustrate the transformation scene. Watching Alec Holland's tissue change into leafy greenery is vivid and disturbing. I'm very anxious to see how he handles Abigail Arcane when she emerges from her rotting cocoon next month-$

Panel of the Week: Swamp Thing rises.