The DC Universe app launched with Titans and Young Justice and an open library of DC’s animated arsenal of amazing features. When they teased a live-action Swamp Thing people were skeptical of what it may look like.
Well, I am here to tell you that DC has a hit again with Swamp Thing. Before we go into the episode let us give you a little history on Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing is a creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. The character is a monster that resembles an anthropomorphic mound of plant matter and fights to protect his home, the environment in general, and humanity from various supernatural or terrorist threats. Len Wein came up with the idea for the character while riding a subway in Queens. He later recalled, “I didn’t have a title for it, so I kept referring to it as ‘that swamp thing I’m working on.’ And that’s how it got its name!” Bernie Wrightson designed the character’s visual image, using a rough sketch by Wein as a guideline.
The episode was everything that I thought it was going to be. It was scary, visually amazing, mysterious, and engaging. The episode starts in the swamps of Louisiana. You see a swamp boat out with a GPS computer seeking something. You see the men drop a case with a tracking buoy on it into the water. Then when a mysterious power failure disables the boat, the men are attacked and what you witness next is visually some of the best CGI in any of the DC Universe shows. One of the men gets away and we are taken to the Congo to meet one of the main characters of the show, Abby Arcane. Abby is played by Crystal Reed who is known for her roles on MTV’s Teen Wolf and Fox’s Gotham. Abby works for the CDC and is pulled from her current case to take on this new mysterious outbreak in Louisiana. We find out that this outbreak is happening in her old home town.
While in the hospital looking at the patients we see a mystery man looking at charts who is carted off by hospital personnel. The man says some words to Abby that makes her look into the family of one of the patients. While at the home of one of the patients we see a mysterious plant growth all in the house along with a very eerie sound. Upon investigation we see that same man sawing at the floorboard in one of the rooms. He tells Abby and the officer with her that they are focused on the wrong thing and it is then we see our first real jump scare. The man who we thought escaped the swamp is standing petrified with branches and vines and other plant life sprouting from him.
We find out that our mystery man is none other than Alec Holland. Holland is played by actor Andy Bean who is known from the TV shows Power and Here and Now as well as the movie IT: Chapter Two. Holland explains that he is employed by Avery and Maria Sunderland, who are the most powerful family in the town. He was recently released by the Sunderlands for reasons we were not told yet in the episode, however, we can assume it was because he was getting close to the truth.
After talking to some of the locals Alec and Abby get a lead to where some activity has been with Alec’s findings of the swamp water elements. Alec gives Abby all his research to take back to the hospital to possibly figure something out and he goes to track some of the findings in the swamp. Alec finds a few of the boxes that the men earlier in the episode were placing in the water. Then a light is shined in his eye and he is shot by a shotgun. As he tries to get the boat to go the shooter then sends a dynamite stick into Alec’s boat and he rolls into the water to avoid the explosion.
Alec is then wrapped by the swamp and then we get a glimpse of our main character…The Swamp Thing!
The episode was visually stunning since most of the action takes place at night yes it is a little dark but still, everything is visible so you can see what is going on. Some strong language is tossed around which has become par for the course with these DC Universe shows. JQ gives Episode 1 of Swamp Thing an 8.8 out of 10. I am was never a fan of the monster genre in comics but the series has caught my attention!! Check it out on the DC Universe App.
Swamp Thing premiers exclusively on the DC Universe on May 31st.
Newsdesk 
Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher