Swamp Thing #35
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Jesus Saiz
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Travis Lanham
The story of machines gaining sentience has been told a million times before. It's a sci-fi trope that is both adored and loathed. But I don't think it's ever been done like it's being done in the pages of Swamp Thing. Charles Soule is writing one of the most intriguing and downright funny version of a sentient machine. This comes in the form of a new character by the name Calculus. He's not necessarily the avatar of the newly unveiled Machine Kingdom. Think of him more as a spokesperson. And like any spokesperson, he is charismatic.
Every page Calculus is on he dominates. A wheeling and dealing salesman, it at times seems like he's trying to sell Alec Holland a used car. But underneath all of the forced charm and charisma is malice. It's not in his words, but in the beautiful art. Jesus Saiz is able to bring out this cold calcution in a number of ways, but most profoundly in a one page splash close-up of Calculus' face. In it is the reflection of everything it hopes to consume and make it's own.
Swamp Thing is now on an upswing after the fantastic Futures End issue. Now with "The Machine Queen" off to such a strong start, I have no doubt that Charles Soule will end his run with a bang.
F.D. White is a writer currently working on his first full-length comic, "The Fourth Sun." You can follow him on Twitter @fdwhite19
Artist: Jesus Saiz
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Travis Lanham
The story of machines gaining sentience has been told a million times before. It's a sci-fi trope that is both adored and loathed. But I don't think it's ever been done like it's being done in the pages of Swamp Thing. Charles Soule is writing one of the most intriguing and downright funny version of a sentient machine. This comes in the form of a new character by the name Calculus. He's not necessarily the avatar of the newly unveiled Machine Kingdom. Think of him more as a spokesperson. And like any spokesperson, he is charismatic.
Every page Calculus is on he dominates. A wheeling and dealing salesman, it at times seems like he's trying to sell Alec Holland a used car. But underneath all of the forced charm and charisma is malice. It's not in his words, but in the beautiful art. Jesus Saiz is able to bring out this cold calcution in a number of ways, but most profoundly in a one page splash close-up of Calculus' face. In it is the reflection of everything it hopes to consume and make it's own.
Swamp Thing is now on an upswing after the fantastic Futures End issue. Now with "The Machine Queen" off to such a strong start, I have no doubt that Charles Soule will end his run with a bang.
F.D. White is a writer currently working on his first full-length comic, "The Fourth Sun." You can follow him on Twitter @fdwhite19
A Look Inside
