Twins Alec and Walker Holland have a reputation around town. One is quiet and the other is the life of any party, but they are inseparable. For their last summer before college, the two leave the city to live with their rural cousins, where they find that the swamp holds far darker depths than they could have imagined.

While Walker carves their names into the new social scene, Alec recedes into a summer school laboratory, because he brought something from home on their trip—it’s an experiment that will soon consume him. This season, both brothers must confront truths, ancient and familial, and as their lives diverge, tensions increase and dormant memories claw to the surface.- Goodreads

This graphic novel was too short. It ended way sooner than it needed to and it took too long to get to the heart of the story.

There is a lot of good meat in this story but it just skims everything including the relationship with the brothers. In all honesty, their relationship does not really add anything to the story other than showing how different the twins actually are. It isn't really needed. I expected much more drama between the two or at least more history. None of that was actually there.

The artwork was fantastic. It was colorful, detailed and followed very well with the story. I couldn't have asked for better artwork.

Overall, I was expecting something much more detailed from Maggie Stiefvater. Her Linger series are one of the first books that introduced me to fantasy. I was expecting something else with this read.

2 Pickles

REVIEW: Swamp Thing Twin Branches

Twins Alec and Walker Holland see their father cheating on their mother. They are sent to Louisiana to live with their cousins in the swamp and this move starts to cause tension in their relationship.

The art by Morgan Beem is beautiful. At one-point Alec’s experiment goes wrong and even that was drawn beautifully. There are also silly touches like when Alec was wearing a t-shirt that just said “Ironic Band Shirt”. The entire book is in shades of green which fit Swamp Thing so well.

Alec is diabetic and has an insulin pump and monitor. I loved the relationship between the two twins. The way Walker reminded Alec to check on his blood sugar and take care of him during the times he was too distracted to care for himself was so sweet.

The book also included a ton of information about plants. I feel like I learned things, but it was part of the story so it didn’t feel like I was reading a text book.

This will be a welcome addition to my classroom library.


Creative Team:
Written by Maggie Stiefvater
Illustrated by Morgan Beem
Colors by Jeremy Lawson
Letters by Ariana Mather

I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thank you DC Comics for giving me the chance to read this one early.
This was weird. I am probably at a disadvantage because I know next to nothing about Swamp Thing. I don't know the backstory, the current story, nothing. I really didn't know what I was going into.
So this story has twins, Alec and Walker Holland, who are sent to stay with their aunt and cousins for the summer. Walker is Mr. Popular, he can make friends anywhere. He likes to party and live life. Alec is an introvert and a scientist. He's obsessed with his research regarding plant feelings. Walker tries to pull Alec out of his shell, to have some fun.
I don't know how I feel about Alec. As a fellow introvert, I can definitely sympathize, but he seemed to take things to the extreme. It was like he didn't try. I just felt kind of distant from his character.
There was also a lot of science plant stuff in here which I didn't always understand, or found the most fun.
There was a lot of weirdness in this story and I don't know if it was good weird. It was kind of like, what's going on? And just to put it out there, I would side with Alec's cousins about what happened to the dogs. You don't mess with dogs. Alec could have shown a lot more sympathy about that.
The art was okay. It was its own style, which I didn't hate. The colors were good too.
The ending was very weird, almost off the rails strange. It probably wouldn't have come as much of a shock if I actually knew things about Swamp Thing. That was probably my number one problem.
This comic was strange, weird, and I'm not sure I loved it. I should have had more Swamp Thing knowledge before I read this.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5
Weird.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is a beautiful graphic novel. Great illustrations and a great story. It is definitely a deep and darker story. It was really cool that there were facts about plants throughout and each fact was unique to what was happening at that point in the story.

For me the story needed more Swamp Thing. It is a great introduction to him but I wanted more. It is a great read for teens and dealing with feeling like the odd one out and trying to fit in.

Great for ages 13+ and definitely worth a read for all!

I really enjoyed this new comic book series by Maggie Stiefvater. I loved the duality of the swamp thing and the fun illustrations. Great new series!

Swamp Thing is a character I’m quite unfamiliar with. Atmospheric, eerie, and injected with a whole lot of Maggie, Twin Branches made me want to look into previous stories and check out the current TV show. I hope we get more from this character (and Maggie!) in the line.

Plus, the colors and page usage are to die for. Pick this one up, out now!

I am a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater however I think this graphic novel will divide her fans, sadly I am the side of ones who did not enjoy this comic. The art was interesting as well as the overall concept but there was definitely a lack of dialogue which didn't help to explain the characters thought processes and the story in general. Sadly I couldn't gel with this graphic novel at all, it just seemed to miss it's mark.

Swamp Thing: Twin branches was an interesting read. I can't say I enjoyed the storyline or the graphics but I do think it will go over well with readers. It was certainly a weird tale that had some interesting turns and I always appreciate originality!

These books in the DC realm can be a bit adolescent, so beware when you read they are meant for teens. However, this one is another great read - if you aren't busy during the lockdown and want something quick and fast-paced to read, this is it.

This was an okay read for me. I think that the story was interesting enough but the pacing for me was off a bit. However, I did like the characters and think it is worth reading.

Love love love this book! So much so that I had to get it into my hands in print as well. Maggie Stiefvater has been a long time favorite author of mine and with this new graphic novel she did not disappoint! Twins Alec and Walker decide to spend their last summer together before college with their cousins after a situation with their parents leads to their separation. One twin loves science and plants and the other twin is the partying type. Both are going through their own pain during this time and struggle to communicate. Add to that an experiment gone wrong and the brothers are going to have a summer that will change the way they know things forever.

'Swamp Thing: Twin Branches' by Maggie Stiefvater with art by Morgan Beem is a YA graphic novel about the origins of DCs Swamp Thing.

Alec and Walker Holland are twins, but very different. On their last summer before college, they go to visit cousins in the country. Alec brings a school experiment along but Walker is more interested in socializing with the locals. When Alec's experiment seems ruined, it turns up in unexpected ways.

I always sort of refer to these as alternate histories, and it's really interesting to see where new writers take the known characters. In this case, I really liked what was done with Alec and Walker. The art was also pretty unique and I enjoyed it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Update: I finally got the full copy to download and loved the story. Very interested to see what happens next and how this stuff mutates. Thank you for the review copy NetGalley!
Now it's 4 stars :)

Loved the artwork and the bit of brief story that I was able to review and will be looking to order this book for sure.

Only giving it 3 stars at the moment since I was not able to review the entire story.

Twin brothers Alec and Walker Holland are sent off to spend their last summer before college with their rural cousins after catching their father having an affair. Alec, the studious one, buries himself in a lab where he continues working on a project that takes everything in him - a bit literally - to keep going, while Walker hits the social scene. The two brothers find themselves diverging this summer, with tensions and memories forcing their way between the two. And the swamp... well, that's just waiting for someone, isn't it? Maggie Stiefvater is an amazing YA writer, and Morgan Beem has a nice list of comics illustration to her credit. She creates an eerie atmosphere with her green and murky artwork, giving Maggie Stiefvater's creepy storytelling a wonderfully oogie vibe. I'll be honest, the story dipped for me a few times when Alec gets caught up in his botany discussions, but the overall storytelling is strong and macabre; very American Gothic.

Real talk: going into this Swamp Thing origin story, I had almost no knowledge of the character. But I know that I love Maggie Stiefvater, and the creepy weirdness of Swamp Thing seemed to be a perfect fit for her. Sure enough, this has been my favorite of this DC origin comics for teens so far! Since it's out, I been recommending it on Hoopla through virtual classroom outreaches. For teens who like superheroes and don't mind a little plant-based horror. 4 stars - I really liked it!

Thank you NetGalley and DCComics for an early access to Swamp Things. What I love about graphic novels is the illustrations and how it takes you into another world. I am obsessed with the illustrations and the color choice that was used. The main character is very relatable as I can relate being attached to books. I loved the suspenseful ness of not knowing what exactly happens with this certain plant is injected into a body. The ending really shocked me and I loved it! I highly recommend!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A short and sweet tale of twin brothers and a science experiment -- with beautiful illustrations and a poignant narrative from Maggie Stiefvater. I don't know anything about DC characters, but I still enjoyed the story. I'm not the biggest graphic novel person, so while I enjoyed the illustrations, I tended to glance over them and continue on. The ending was too abrupt for my liking, but otherwise I loved this beautiful bite-sized story!

First I want to thank Netgalley and DC for providing me with the e-arc & physical copy of Swamp Thing: Twins Branches for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Swamp Thing: Twin branches was such an exciting reveal for me. As someone who is a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater and a DC lover, the two comings together was honestly a dream come true. With the absence of the second book of the dreamers' trilogy this year, having something from Maggie to read this year was super exciting for me.

As much as I love DC, I was never familiar with Swamp Thing so this entire world was completely new to me. The basics behind this story are twin siblings alec and walker holland, early on you notice the key differences between the two brothers and what familial issues the two are undergoing. Swamp Thing: Twin Branches touches briefly on bullying, adultery, and trying hard to fit in.

One of my favorite things about this graphic novel is the plot interwoven with the plants. And as the author who literally created the most breathtaking forest literature – in my opinion – Maggie was perfect for this role.

This graphic novel is gorgeous. The illustrations are so different than what you expect from a DC graphic novel yet I felt that Morgan Beems' art style fits the uniqueness of maggie's storytelling perfectly. For a short graphic novel, the story is stunning, I didn't expect a finished plot nor super intriguing characterization. Yet in the shortness, Maggie and Morgan deliver characters that aren't easily forgotten.

The downside of this novel for me was the ending, it came so quickly. I wish it would have been left on a better cliffhanger than it was, leaving more to the imagination would have been more ideal than the abrupt sequence of events at the end.

Overall Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is a wonderful and quick read. It has all the vibes The Raven Cycle has intermixed in its gorgeously colorful pages.

𝘼𝙨 𝙖𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀-𝘼𝙍𝘾 & 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝘾 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚.

A love story wrapped up in a tale about plants. Brothers Alec and Walker are different as night and day, but they are tied together forever as twins. The summer before college changes them forever when Alec's experimental plant research accelerates.

So DC Comics kindly sent me a copy of Swamp Thing: Twin Branches for review and I was actually pretty excited since it would be firs comic ever that I’d be reading. I’ve seen plenty shows/movies based on DC Comics but I had never actually taken the time to read a comic.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches revolves around to twin boys (young men) who go and stay with their aunt after they catch their father in a very compromising position and must now lean on each other more so going forward.


This was definitely a good mix of humor, laughters and plenty of plant facts that having me wishing I had a green thumb!