Swamp Thing #31 *Discussion/Spoilers*

[Ceebiro]

The Gift of the Sureen (3/3)
Charles Soule (w)
Jesus Saiz/Javier Pina (a)
Matthew Wilson (c)
Travis Lanham (l)

This issue opens with Miki revealing "her" true nature. As Avatar of the Grey, she has long ago neglected her duties to leave an immortal yet human existence. "She" offers to show him how to live forever as a man rather than a plant.

Elsewhere, at the false Sureen facility, we see what their game is - to manipulate the powers of the Green for profit.

Back in India, Alec hears Miki's sales pitch. Troubled by her words, he nonetheless decides to accept "her" offer to be an eternal companion. The process requires a transition into an Avatar body before jumping into another host. Alec uses the opportunity to get his body back, and in the process discovers some ways that the Grey differs from the Green, gaining some understanding of why Miki found it so easy to turn away from "her" Avatar duties. He destroys the facility and leaves with his true body.

Back in India, he ensnares Miki and gets the Sureen to perform the transition ritual, putting "her" back in her rightful body while he regains his own. She flies off the handle but he restrains her and threatens to create a new Avatar of the Grey if she refuses to do her job.

In Louisiana, the mansion is currently undergoing reconstruction thanks to the Wolf who was most likely "the top" of the false Sureen's operations and continues to scheme for his personal gain.

Final page sets up the confrontation between Aquaman and Alec.

Thoughts:
There's really not much to say about this issue that hasn't been said about previous issues. This is a creative team that just clicks with the subject. Everything works. The Sureen arc is wrapped up well enough. The revelation of their being other fields outside of the Green, Red and Rot along with Miki being forced into the avatar body will probably have much larger implications down the line.

I'm also very curious to see what Wolf is really scheming at. Does he desire the avatar powers or is he just after wealth?

And finally, it's great that Alec seems to have fully accepted the responsibility of being an avatar and his role as a protector of man and plant. I'm still loving his interactions with Capucine, and can't wait to see how the plays out once Etrigan comes along.

[Enigmatic Undead]

The Avatar of the Grey body that Alec jumps into was pretty cool looking.

[Ceebiro]

Yeah. Saiz and Pina have been pretty great about the various Avatar designs.

[Bruce Wayne]

Soule has been knocking it out of the park with this. As has Saiz, this is definitely the kind of book he was born to draw. I'm glad that he reintroduced the Gray into Nu52 with this issue.

[Arnoldoaad]

Absolutely great.
Easily the best book on DC right now

[HellsRider]

That sneaky sneaky Wolf though I imagine he couldn't have predicted the Grey would be a factor in all of this, but interested to know further his longer term goals. Great stuff on the Grey not only on Alec's experience in the body (which looked really cool) and how it works, but also provided a bit of introspection for Alec with his situation with the Green and look forward to seeing how he undoes what he's done with them. I also like how close Capucine and Alec have become which is nice to see.

Overall another great issue from a team that just clicks and have been doing so for quite some time now. Hope to see The Grey again soon and based on future solicits we'll be getting Bacteria and Metal with the Future's End issue in September so that should be a lot of fun. For those wondering, Aquaman #31 does look to be mandatory for those of us that pick up only Swamp Thing.

[Bruce Wayne]

Pre-Nu52 there was also the Clear from the PAD Aquaman, that represented everything underwater and intended to be analogous to the Green and the Red.

[HellsRider]

Pre-Nu52 there was also the Clear from the PAD Aquaman, that represented everything underwater and intended to be analogous to the Green and the Red.

Interesting. I'm completely new to these sub-forces I suppose you can call them and found The Grey interesting and liked how much about The Grey Soule was able to cover, but I definitely want more and hope more is on the way. The Clear sounds interesting too. Would be kinda cool if this little Aquaman crossover brings the Clear into it in some way.

[Bruce Wayne]

I doubt anyone at DC remembers the Clear.

Mark Millar also introduced the Parliament of Flame, Stones (the equivalent of metal in FE ST), Waves (unrelated to the Clear) and Vapors representing the four classic elements in his run of Swamp Thing.

[HsssH]

I liked explanation on why nobody was aware of Grey's existence. "It" was probably first and only avatar of Grey.

[FishboneX]

I doubt anyone at DC remembers the Clear.

Mark Millar also introduced the Parliament of Flame, Stones (the equivalent of metal in FE ST), Waves (unrelated to the Clear) and Vapors representing the four classic elements in his run of Swamp Thing.

I think they know about it just like they knew about the Grey. Mark Millar expanded the Parliaments, but John Ostrander created the Fire Elemental about 10 years earlier when he revealed that Firestorm was it. Clearly, he isn't any longer, which is a good thing.

[Maxpower00044]

Enjoyable issue. Liked all the "mythos" of the gray, and the avatar's body look really cool. I'm not really happy the book is crossing over with another book that I don't read, but I'll most likely pick it up, because I'm a sucker.

[Ceebiro]

I liked explanation on why nobody was aware of Grey's existence. "It" was probably first and only avatar of Grey.

I did like that gender was fluid to Miki, and how the transition from a human host to the avatar body affected the way it looked.

[HsssH]

Enjoyable issue. Liked all the "mythos" of the gray, and the avatar's body look really cool. I'm not really happy the book is crossing over with another book that I don't read, but I'll most likely pick it up, because I'm a sucker.

Parker's Aquaman is decent read, I doubt that he'll disappoint in this crossover.

[Drz]

A bit hilarious deus ex machina to conclude the arc, but i didn't mind it. Excellent art!