Swamp Thing Premiere Thoughts

I have been a long time fan of Swamp Thing. I have the original series and the entire Alan Moore run on the characters, and I’m always looking for more stories about him. So, I was super excited that they were making a TV show about him and James Wan was involved. I am a little worried that they cut down the number of episodes for this first season, but let’s just talk about this one episode.

I love the atmosphere and tone that is set up. It reminds me very much of the Alan Moore run, specifically when he introduces the character John Constantine. I don’t know why, and I’m not sure if they will ever introduce him into this show, but that was the kind of vibe I was getting. I think this tone matches the character well.

So far, Crystal Reed is doing an amazing job as Abby Arcane. Sure, I would have been delighted if she had mostly white hair with a streak or two of black like in the comics, but it is more important to get down the personality of a character, which I love. Props to her! Andy Bean as Alec Holland was pretty good. They admittedly don’t give him a lot of time, seeing as how the main character is supposed to be Abby, which is fine. I think they give us enough time with Holland to get an understanding of what he is as a person. I loved the scene where the accident happens and the transformation begins.

Speaking of which, so far we have been told that this show will embrace the mystical and supernatural. It is interesting to see how it starts off more scientific. Granted, the character was originally believed to be the result of a lab experiment gone wrong. This might also somehow tie into the fact that Avery Sunderland is somehow involved with everything going wrong in the town. No, they don’t actually reveal him as the villain in the premiere, but if you’ve read the comics, you know he is the bad guy. It actually would make sense if they start believing that everything is scientific, but really it is The Green responding to Avery’s actions in the swamp.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Very atmospheric, some great characters introduced, and looking forward to the next episode!

VERY different from the superfine DOOM PATROL, which is a good thing.

Scary, with what looks like practical effects, and horrifying results.

Thumbs up.