REVIEW: ‘Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees’ Issue #1

Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 is a one-shot published by DC Comics. Written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Mike Perkins, colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. When people start disappearing within a forest, Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing investigate.

This is a scary story from the beginning that delivers brutal violence. The smooth and slow pacing lets the two nature-based characters move within the forest and sink into the clutches of the branches. It’s a long one-shot that is beautifully haunting. A supernatural slow-burn horror unfolds, with an enemy that seems unstoppable. Wilson gets the tone spot on, matching the hearts of both characters. It has Ivy’s violent outburst of anger and that ancient calmness that Swamp Thing embodies.

And within the dark, cold woods, the mood is bleak. This comic is not spritely and lively, but patient and sad. The ending introduces a third story that, while key to the core of the living, angry forest, is the most natural and relatable part of the issue. It’s a devastating conclusion that is quietly vicious.

Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 explores how both characters try to save the planet. Both are protectors of the Green but have approached it in various ways over the years. Ivy is brimming with rage, harsh and passionate. Although she has mellowed recently, that rage still resides in her heart. Swamp Thing is much softer and calmer but much more powerful. He is incredibly old and speaks with knowledge and confidence.

Ivy and Swamp Thing’s beautifully written conversations often challenge each other’s view of the world. The extended nature of this one-shot allows for deeper conversations that fluctuate as the situation gets more dire. Ivy can get insecure and sad whilst Swamp Thing  demonstrates a rage that would be devastating if unleashed. Some of Swamp Thing’s friends are found in the forest. Other mystical, peculiar beings made of natural materials have also been drawn to the forest.

The description of the sounds and feelings within the forest is fantastic. It falls to narration and dialogue to explain the sobbing and sounds of the trees. There is a serene clarity to the captains, describing a heartbreaking story in a matter-of-fact tone. The reaction from both Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing is the perfect representation of their individual personalities.

The art is magnificent. The forest is unforgiving and unfriendly, even for heroes who have spent so much time protecting nature. A dark quality has been added to the trees that makes them unsettling and horrific, stepping beyond natural. Each panel is a different set of patterns, turning the forest into a labyrinth, and a literal maze at one stage.

Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 shows the changing of the season as all of the leaves fall.  This makes the trees scarier, with the spindly branches that look like bony, reaching fingers. This forest has vines and branches that will reach out and strangle, stab, or smother you. The cold also becomes an important factor by the end of the issue.

The two hereoes also look spectacular, Perkins illustrated both superbly. Swamp Thing fits within that landscape, very rarely harmed or attacked by the teees. The immortal being radiates both strength and compassion. The facial expressions are perfect, with stunning small details that give the quiet, calm being his power. Poison Ivy also looks phenomenal. Although she is just as comfortable among the trees, her humanity is much more prominent. The detail is just as immaculate with Ivy, with emotions ranging from compassion to uncontrolled rage. Even though they are together in that forest, the pages can make the characters feel lonely.

The colors are wonderfully atmospheric. The forest is essentially an extremely light green, mixing with the white snow in the air. These shades can deepen as the figures sink deeper, especially if another being makes themselves known. Swamp Thing’s brown and green mixture stands out slightly, but nowhere near as much as Poison Ivy does.

Ivy’s leafy outfit is much brighter, and the red of her hair is stunning. Her pink skin is also prominent, which no one else in that forest has. The trees are often black, casting shadows everywhere and threatening to submerge the character within them. The lettering is exquisite. There is so much energy and dynamism within the word balloons. It’s also very easy to discern who is speaking. Swamp Thing has an orange word balloon; Ivy’s is green.

Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 is a quiet and creepy horror. This folk horror story is not just ready for Halloween but also for winter. The cold becomes an important factor of the book towards the end, and it has robbed the forest of leaves that may make it more welcoming.

The issue has a haunting atmosphere that is tragic and melancholy. Poison Ivy’s rage sometimes pumps some warmth into the book, and the two characters have fantastic roles to play in the one-shot. Wilson’s writing is sublime, turning the issue into something much more than a superhero book. After all, it’s difficult to find someone to save within this forest.

Poison Ivy/Swamp Thing: Feral Trees #1 is available where comics are sold.