A dark, operatic horror series set in the Louisiana swamps, DC’s delightfully-macabre weirdfest steeped in biological terror is – despite an early problematic Alex Holland – one of the most one-of-a-kind offerings in comic book TV. 8.7/10.

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While looking into an epidemic in her Louisiana hometown, CDC investigator Abby Arcane discovers that the local swamps hold numerous secrets after her partner seemingly dies and transforms into Swamp Thing.

*Possible spoilers ahead*

Early Thoughts: The first episode of Swamp Thing just released, and – although not as good as Titans or Doom Patrol – it works well. From the insane opening sequence set against foggy Louisiana swamps at night straight out the annals of nightmarish location imaginings, the Gothic horror feel is strong. The (operatic, artfully-dramaticized) scares likely James Wan’s contribution are brutal, gore real, and mystery sublime as the CDC (also an Emory shoutout!) investigates a “disease” outbreak that turns out to be not so much one. This is a vastly different angle and ambition than attempted by superhero TV, and we’re all for it. The slasher feel is real down to displaying its victims in macabric poses as trophies like Jason, Michael Myers, and Ghostface, and crime/mystery aura perfectly (poetically) bleak just as I was expecting it. The characterization is also good with overall-good castings and acting to add a human undertone to all the plant-based biological terror, cinematography. So far, worries include a bit abrasive and early-putoffish Alex Holland and erratic plus too-slow-simmered pacing not giving enough glimpses of the Thing (understand and appreciate having a human side too but balance it better), but I’ll have to give a bit longer to see if they shake out in what’s otherwise a good start for DC Universe’s new swamp-horror adventure.

Review Will Update As Episodes Are Released