The Swamp Thing, Vol. 2: Conduit

The Swamp Thing (2021)

by Ram V (Writer), Mike Perkins (Artist), John McCrea (Artist)

The new guardian of the green is faced with his greatest challenge as a bio-agent has been set off in the Kaziranga wetlands. Swamp Thing’s new avatar, Levi Kamei, has been summoned to these dark forests. However, this time he’ll be without any powers of the green. To make things worse, he’ll be hunted down by the villainous Suicide Squad, led by Christopher Priest aka Peacemaker. Will Levi be able to embrace his past and regain Swamp Thing’s powers, or will he be captured by Task Force X?

Collects The Swamp Thing #5-10

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2022

About the author

Ram V (Ramnarayan Venkatesan) is an author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India. His comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated Indian comic series, Aghori. A graduate of the City University of London’s Creative Writing MA, he has since created the critically acclaimed Black Mumba and the fantasy adventure series, Brigands.

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After coming to terms with being selected as the Avatar of the Green, Levi Kamei is thrust into the deep end of things as he is forced to deal with even more threats than before. From the old wars in London to the dark forests of Kaziranga, Levi may have to survive them all without any powers from the green. On top of all that, he’s now being pursued by a new Suicide Squad dedicated to hunting him down for a reason that benefits both Amanda Waller and the mysterious Prescott Industries. Levi already has a connection with this company and will have to come to terms with the ghosts of his past before all is said and done...

Ram V and Mike Perkins just keep the amazing Swamp Thing stories coming with an incredible follow-up volume that's even better than their already wonderful first one. This team somehow delivers a consistently compelling Swamp Thing tale, even with a crossover with the Suicide Squad shoved in the book for a couple of issues. V manages to continue to build Levi as a compelling Avatar of the Green, with his origin as Swamp Thing finally being revealed. I know some didn't like how V dragged out this reveal, which is fair, but I found what we got here to be immensely satisfying.

The regular creative team is also joined by one of my favorite artists, John McCrea, for a fill-in issue that segues the series into the Suicide Squad crossover. McCrea’s a longtime collaborator of Garth Ennis (who I am a massive fan of) and it’s great seeing him fill in for superhero books like this. And the fact the issue he does is a war story in old London is just perfect. He does a truly wonderful job at bringing Ram V's complex script to life. This first issue of the volume works so well because Ram V somehow manages to perfectly tap into the political climate of England at the time, and then in turn use that to tie into Levi’s development within the Green. I found it to be a great use of real-world history that also manages to push the story forward in an interesting way, but it's definitely a YMWV situation.

And even though I’m stoked this series is getting 6 more issues, this admittedly would have been a great place to end the series. Hope this eventually gets the OHC treatment too because Mike Perkins’ (and John McCrea’s) art deserves it, and this probably reads even better altogether. And colorist Mike Spicer, as always, does impeccable work on the colors and makes Perkins' work look as stylish as ever. The colors pop more than they do in some of his other work, and he manages to make Perkins' lines look even more lush and gorgeous than they usually are. Even the layouts are still innovative throughout since Perkins is constantly pushing his limits with every single page, but his art especially shines in the action scenes.

I would recommend this to any Swamp Thing fans and even any comic readers in general. I get why some don’t rock with the lyrical writing style Ram V uses, but I really do think he’s one of the best writers in comics nowadays and this is some of his best work yet. He’s been on a roll as a late and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon. His already great script is helped out by beautiful art from all the talented artists involved, and I couldn't be happier about this series getting a third arc.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve tried and I just don’t think I’m a SWAMP THING guy.


Sorry, my marshy friend.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram V's amazing Swamp Thing run continues here in what should have been the end of the story, but is actually the second of three collections because DC commissioned another six issues since it was doing so great. Well deserved, if you ask me.

This second collection sees Levi tackle the Suicide Squad, before heading into a final confrontation with his brother and Prescott Industries as they attempt to use the Green for their own gain (which never goes well, as past Swamp Things will tell you).

V's story continues to be chock full of themes like heritage, responsibility, and growth (both literal and figurative). Levi's command over his powers and his acceptance of his role as the Swamp Thing helps him come to terms with his role in saving the world, even as he begins to realise that he's screwed up his human life as well, but there might just be time to fix it.

Pulling in the Suicide Squad is a nice touch, since it'd be easy for this series to be taken out of the DC Universe without some kind of link. Some of the best Alan Moore Swamp Thing issues were the ones where Swampy interacted with the other DC heroes, so it's good to get a similar vibe here. The events in these issues are also referenced over in the Suicide Squad title as well, so well done on the continuity.

Mike Perkins continues on art, and is a perfect fit as before. The level of detail he packs into the more abstract scenes like those set inside the Green make every page feel dense and powerful; I'm constantly in awe that there are some artists that manage this every month without a break, and Perkins is near the top of that list.

Swamp Thing continues to be one of DC's best titles right now, thanks to gorgeous artwork and a well constructed story that never forgets that, at it's core, it's about one man against the world, and himself.

[David Palazzolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ram V and Mike Perkins continue their run on Swamp Thing firmly introducing the Green’s newest avatar, Levi Kamel, to the wider DC universe as he battles the Suicide Squad. Their aim is to try to capture him for an off the books operation for Prescott Industries, the spiritual successor to Alec Holland’s nemesis the Sunderland Corporation. In the best Swamp Thing tradition the story is is not merely a superhero slugfest but a moody, atmospheric tale of hide and seek with a surprising amount of empathy with the antagonists as a whole.

The end of the story sets up for the final arc in which we have the confrontation between all the major players duking it out—Levi, his brother, who has shrouded himself in his own power and is now renamed himself Hedera and Prescott Industries who now steps into the sunlight, revealing its own connections to the Green. The fight is as violent as it is emotionally wrenching as the brothers bring their family drama to the confrontation.

A final note: Originally this was to be the ultimate end to the story, but we have been granted the miracle of six more issues to come so there will be a volume three

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depois de um primeiro volume espetacular, estabelecendo o indiano Levi Kamei como o novíssimo hospedeiro do Verde e, portanto, novíssimo Monstro do Pântano também, o escritor Ram V e o desenhista Mike Perkins dão uma esfriada no caldo neste segundo e, aparentemente último, volume do personagem. Aqui a trama gira em torno de um novo reino para gerir o mundo, um novo parlamento, o Parlamento das Engrenagens, que se referiria às tecnologias e à industrialização do mundo. Extraindo elementos do Monstro do Pântano anterior com a ajuda do Homem-Florônico, o chefe de uma corporação industrial se torna esse novo avatar. Mas precisará enfrentar Kamei e a avatar atômica Trindade para se estabelecer neste posto. Paralelamente, Kamei também irá por em pratos limpos suas diferenças com seu irmão. O Monstro do Pântano também se encontrará com o Lanterna Verde para evitar uma invasão botânica extraterreste na Terra. Embora o primeiro volume tenha me chamado muito atenção pelo horror e pela trama intrigante e bem orquestrada, esse segundo conseguiu me perder várias vezes. Uma pena.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ram V is really chugging forward on this iteration of Swamp Thing and I'm really loving the expanse of the lore here, as well as what seems to be a plan for the future.
Highlights:
- We start off with a brief adventure involving Constantine (how do these two always seem to be linked? LOL) and using the Green to help save an innocent from a soon to explode bomb.
- Peacemaker and the Suicide Squad are dispatched to gather up Levi and bring him in. We are led to believe that Waller wants to use him for Task Force X, and that's the last thing Levi wants.
- There is a pretty epic battle between Swamp Thing and Parasite that is made even crazier by the fact that Parasite has been feeding on the Green.
- We get to find out about Levi's past, including how he was involved in Prescot getting in control of the environment of his homeland. AND we see how his brother Jacob has also seemingly been chosen by the Green, as well as their fight and Jacob's possible death.
- AND OF COURSE... it wouldn't be a Swamp Thing comic without Jason Woodrue SOMEHOW making himself known and directly in an opposing line, which will lead to the fight yet again.

With the Parliament of Trees getting involved next Volume, it will be very interesting to see how Levi fits into the previous avatars and their individual missions.
Recommend. Hope DC gives this one room to breathe before knocking it down.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a significant improvement over the first volume in the series, with things cohering much better. The first story is a good piece of horror, featuring John Constantine, after which we are into a story about the Suicide Squad, before we take on one of the evil agricultural corporations that various incarnations of Swamp Thing tend to end up facing. There's a lot of good stuff here about family, with Levi's connection to the Green providing an opportunity for plenty of flashbacks that fill in the backstory. The Suicide Squad parts are effective, too, although this is closer to straight-up superhero action than the horror elements of the first story in the collection. On the whole, things are looking up for the series, and after a somewhat lacklustre start, this shows that it deserves the extension that it got to 16 issues.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The guardian of the Green faces a lot of opposition from his past and present. The interlude in London was fun.

[Bones · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good sequel

[Christopher John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth a read for any Swamp Thing Fan

Worth reading for the context behind vol.3. Ram V. explores some interesting ideas, including hyperobjects. The art is fantastic and the themes prescient. Recommended for any Swamp Thing fan.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Swamp Thing volume left me hanging and Conduit doesn't exactly pick up the thread, starting with an odd one-shot where Swamp Thing and Constantine remove a World War II bomb that's causing bad juju.

Fortunately, the main series continues the thread from the first volume, with Levi Kamei figuring out what it means to be Swamp Thing as he battles the Suicide Squad in an Indian forest. It eventually becomes clear why the battle's taking place (all building towards Prescot corporation taking control of Swamp Thing's endless repository of green knowledge), but the majority of Conduit is just a goofy, inexplicable chase sequence that allows Levi to have several flashbacks to his Indian upbringing.

My main question: Why is Levi's brother Jacob now a semi-Swamp Thing monster? Seems like something I'll need to understand if I stick with this series. It's a heady stew so far, more voiceover than plot, but the art is great and I'm intrigued by the unlikely superhero. In for more volumes.

[Anchorpete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who says you never learn anything when you read comics?

Think what you will about the Ms. Marvel Disney + show, but I learned about the Partition of India, which led to the creation of two independent Nations, India and Pakistan. You don’t learn about this from Elementary School to High School in the US.

In SWAMP THING, VOL 2: CONDUIT , I learned about the Kaziranga Wetlands, in India, and got a very brief glimpse into the culture and life of the people living in a part of it. I wouldn’t have been able to name this region before reading this book, nor would I know what the people were like living there.

Karizanga is a major part of SWAMP THING, VOL 2. The new Swamp Thing, Levi Kamei, grew up in Karizanga before leaving for university and eventually taking on a job for the prescott corporation. Now, as Swamp Thing, Levi returns to his birthplace. The majority of the book focuses on Levi’s regrets. Spoilers, but his actions inadvertently led to his father’s death. His father was part of the local counsel that fought back against Levi’s company, which was planning to develop in the region. The protests spawned out of this conflict led to Levi’s father getting shot.

Levi, as Swamp Thing, faces off against two simultaneous attacks - Amanda Waller has sent the newest version of the Suicide Squad, to burn down the wetlands and capture Levi, all while Levi is facing off against the tremendous guilt he has created by his own actions.

At first, when I read this, I didn’t know if I had the patience to read through Levi’s flashbacks. We have seen it all before, a main character returns back to their indigenous roots and has to face the resentment from their abandoned family members. Writer Ram V does an incredible job tying this particular trope into three different extremely interesting stories:

1- The new Suicide Squad, complete with Peacemaker, takes on Swamp Thing

2- Spoilers - Levi’s brother was also a candidate for the power of “The Green” and has forced the Green to give him powers

3- There is much more to the already complex lore of Swamp Thing. The Green is a single force, but it is made up of individualized voices. Not all of these voices wanted Levi to become the next Swamp Thing. On top of this, Spoilers, the very corporation that caused all of this chaos in Levi’s life is run by a man who is knowledgeable of the Green, and wants to harness its power.

This is the first DC book by Ram V that I have read. I think he has written Suicide Squad, too. I REALLY need to get that book, since I am a big Peacemaker fan. I was very impressed with efficiency with the way that this story was told. Ram V bounces us back and forth between those three story beats and tells the story of one man’s struggle to come to grips with the damage he brought to his birthplace. This book got better and better with each issue. It is no easy task to follow in the footsteps of former Swamp Thing writers: Alan Moore, Scott Snyder, and Jeff Lemire. With this trade, Ram V shows how capable he is in following in their marshy footprints.

[Justin Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This need to effect change - - Sometimes to terrible ends but also to redeem ourselves in the face of nothingness…that is a power altogether human.

So listen…you are not done yet. There is still time to act. LISTEN, beneath the falling snow. There is yet a faint heartbeat.

LISTEN and rise, SWAMP THING…there is still a life yet to be saved.”

Second verse, same as the first. Fuck yeah.

More short arcs. More introspective, vegetative storytelling. More angst. Now with more John Constantine and John McCrea! It was only a matter of time before Johnny and Ram as per usual, writes the absolute shit out of him. And never overuses the “WOT GUV” accent that most people do which is a nice change.

But yeah, this all still rules really hard. Team The Swamp Thing is still parsing out the backstory for Levi in decent dribs and drabs. We’ve got another awesome new antagonist in the form of Levi’s brother Jacob. Also Peacemaker is here too? I think the Suicide Squad crossover stuff might be the weakest here but using it to continue to “put over” Levi instead of just hammer people over the head with brand synergy is definitely the right move.

Again, I just wish I had bought this when I could. It’s too good not to own.

[Nate]

Nice to see John McCrea here, but his art on the first issue clashes with Perkins’ more realistic, gritty style. It’s a good horror-based issue, with John Constantine meeting Levi, and both of them saving a guy whose mind and body are infected by a Nazi bomb. Then, four Suicide Squad members (including Chemo!) are sent after Levi in the Indian forest where he grew up. The present action is interspersed with flashbacks to Levi’s past, specifically his relationship with his dad and brother, who shows up in the forest with different ideas about how humanity should pay for its abuse of nature. This leads to a confrontation back on U.S. soil. Family is the major theme here, and seems to be the major theme of this run (also, notice the biblical connotations of Levi and Jacob). Elsewhere, Ram recalls past Swamp Thing plots of him going up against a corporation set against fairly standard superhero action. While not exactly groundbreaking, this is well done stuff. I'm hoping this run continues its upward trajectory.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the DC Universe firmly has its claws in this one. Now there’s Peacemaker in here, and John Constantine. Fun? Kinda. I mean, Peacemaker is fun as a TV series. But overall, crossovers do take away from originality. And overall, it’s too much of traditional superhero fare for me – a constant reminder of the fact that this is only one aspect of a huge universe and you must read them all to really know what’s going on, only it’s impossible because there is so much of it and it’s always changing and rebooting and….
The writing is still good. And the art still awesome. In fact, the art is the real star of the show here. Plus, I like Swamp Thing, he’s a terrific monster. So the result is a mixed bag, but enough fun was had to potentially read more.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Suicide Squad arrives in India to try and capture this new Swamp Thing. Interspersed with this story is the Swamp Thing's origin. We get to finally see what happened between Levi and his family when he tried to talk them into selling their lands to the Prescott corporation. The final two issues are a confrontation between Levi, his brother with his new powers and the Prescott Corporation who is trying to capture Swamp Thing to use for its research. These stories are fine but I haven't found the series to be nearly as groundbreaking as others have. We'll see how this 6 issue extension to the series is next.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

V's writing definitely improves in this second volume, though unfortunately, it also steps away from horror. Well, after #5, which is straight-up horror, with John Constantine even, but also a little muddy (as V's writing was in V1). We then get a long arc with the Suicide Squad, which is actually great fun, and then a final two issues that return to the idea that this new volume of the Swamp Thing is all about family.

This run of Swamp Thing has certainly not been groundbreaking like so many previous runs. In fact, it returns to a lot of old ideas, such as a new take on a new Sunderland-like corp. But it's nonetheless a nice blend of horror and superheroics.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing follow up to the first volume.

The opening story stars John Constantine and is a classic Swamp Thing tale of horror, focusing on a big theme of Ram V's run which is "memory". The landscape of the word is shaped by the memory of the past. And the past shapes who we are in the present. And the "Green" remembers it all.

The next story follows the Suicide Squad's attempt to capture Swamp Thing. This story does a good job of showing Levi's growing strength as Swamp Thing.

The final story is of brotherly conflict and a clash of ideals.

The artwork is brilliant and I really enjoy Ram V's writing.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, I really did. As with the first volume, there is good little stuff peppered throughout, but the construction and execution of the story is such a mess. None of it comes together in any satisfying way. After 10 issues, I still don't really know who Levi is other than a Swamp Thing. He's a great big nothing of a character, and this really shines as an example of how not to introduce a legacy character. He is a prime candidate to slot in with other Remember-When characters like the most recent new Punisher.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

I think this series is better to read in the moment but nothing stands out as memorable that I'll think about a month or a year from now. This volume personalizes Levi a lot and makes our new avatar of the Green a much more realized character. I'm enjoying the series and Swamp Thing is always a fun time. The writing's a little slow paced and abstract which both works in the series' favor and against it at times.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the new Swamp Thing is getting better but only incrementally. There is finally some action as the Suicide Squad shows up but its just a small dose. There is some family drama that just isn't hitting. Levi Kamei is not clicking as a character yet. I'm just not interested or invested. Mike Perkins, as always, great artwork. Overall, an average read that does not do enough to bring readers in.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book and an improvement on the previous volume. I found this one more readable and on occasions read issue after issue. The previous one felt a bit like a chore, but this one had a much simpler and better story.
The artwork is good, but I actually preferred some of the art in the other book.
Overall, I’m glad I read this book and am now looking forward to reading the 3rd and final volume!
Would recommend.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonder that is Ram V’s Swamp Thing deepens as he gets to settle into the mythology surrounding not only new host Levi Kamei, but the Swamp Thing itself. We also get an interlude with John Constantine, and an episode with the Suicide Squad, which unsurprisingly, Ram writes as brilliantly as anything else. Onward to the third and final volume…

[Jimmy Fingers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts with rather bizarre choice of John McCrea doing art for whole issue #5 instead of Mike Perkins. Which really breaks the flow as his style is nowhere similar or even good in my opinion and is very cartoony compared to Perkins realism ,visuals and classic creature look. Its not as good as first volume in my opinion but still great read and a just masterfully illustrated.

[Lucy Batson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight improvement over the first volume, in which the Swamp Thing tangles with the Suicide Squad, and we find out more about Levi's past that makes him a bit more compelling. But, also set his brother up as a major protagonist, and it's like, we just met this guy, who cares?

[Mariano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahora sí, este está muy lindo, mucho mejor encaminado que el primero. Más oscuro, más personal, conocemos mejor a los personajes y sus conexiones, el origen del nuevo avatar y el tono general es más onda Totlebem/Biset que el primer volumen. Esperemos que el descenlace este a la altura.

[Dallas Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have qualms with Swamp-Thing having so much action, the main concepts the action represents and often what happens in it, being so figuratively meaningful, makes this a real worth it read!

I'm loving the "Ideas" concept this series is going forward with!
Also the art here is beyond belief!

[Dave Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection does an admirable job of sustaining the momentum created in Vol. 1. It's solid without being special. The issue that features Constantine is an underwhelming use of that character. However, the arc involving the Suicide Squad was quite enjoyable. On to Volume 3.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loving this run of Swamp Thing. It is so easy to say we are living in a golden age of horror comics without acknowledging that the OG is still finding great ways to surprise.

[Mark Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half is a suicide squad crossover event that uses the time to provide a bit of background. Second half gets back to the main plot. All solid stuff with good art, but not quite next level.