I love how strange and beautiful this was. The art style was perfect. I really enjoyed the story, Alec and Walker. I also liked the diabetic representation. Maggie Stiefvater always puts out unique work, I have yet to see a cookie cutter story or character and that is impressive.

I would recommend this to my library and friends

This was a strange graphic novel with a fun atmosphere. The things I liked: the illustrations were beautiful, maggie is a master of fitting character dialogue, the plot was super unique and strange, and the characters were quickly relatable. Dislikes: I know this is a graphic novel and the format allows for a story to move fast, but I wanted a little more development along the way. Sometimes the descriptions were vague so it took a while to pick up the direction of the story. Still, I thought it was enjoyable and I would be interested in reading another in the future!

This was the beginning of the beginning of Swamp Thing. It is difficult to review the story and art because there was not enough present to take a strong stance. I think that there were glimmers of a good story and art. I want to know more about the characters and dig deeper into their backstories. I liked what I was seeing with the art and know that there is future potential. The art truly reminded me of Spillzone.

I just want to preface this review by saying I do not normally read Graphic Novels and so I don’t have a lot of background to judge them. I am however, a huge fan of Maggie Steifvater and love her writing. Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is an origin story and tells the tale of twins who ended up on very different paths.

The Holland brothers couldn’t be more different. One the life of the party and at ease in all social situations. The other more reserved and happier in a room of plants than one with people. Alec thinks plants have memories and is working on a way to use that to make better plants. Like any comic with a science experiment, things get weird and Alec progresses down a path that will make him into The Swamp Thing.

This was a fun break from my normal reading. All the graphics are very green, which seems fitting to the story. Since this is a graphic novel, the depth of the plot isn’t what I’m used to but the overall story was interesting and I liked this version to the story of the swamp thing. If Maggie Steifvater decides to do more in this format, I would be interested.

This was an interesting graphic novel. The art was amazing, mostly in greens since the story is based around plants. The main character was diabetic and this was included in the storyline not just about representation which was unique. I like the flashbacks to bullying but think it could have been expanded on more. I really liked the character of Abby and would like to see a graphic novel about her as well. The brother dynamic was really well done. The ending was a little abrupt and I'm not sure exactly what happened but overall I would recommend this.

I loved this book for it creative storytelling and for centering the narratives around plants and their complexities. It's also about the unbreakable bond shared by twins and I really hope there's a sequel!

I'm not one for graphic novels. I don't typically read them but I was excited for this one because I'm a fan of Maggie Stiefvater and the premise of it sounded interesting to me. I went into it with fairly high expectations but was left disappointed. The art is nice. It really fits the atmosphere and tone of the story. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story as much as I was hoping I would. It fell quite flat for me. There were elements that kept me mildly engaged with the story such as the bond between the brothers Alec and Walker but otherwise it couldn't hold my interest and I was left feeling unfulfilled. The pacing was a big issue. It was slow, and I found myself bored often. It definitely took me longer to read it in it's entirety than it should have. I also found it difficult to connect with the characters themselves. That spark just wasn't there. I really, really wanted to like this novel but it just wasn't it for me.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater, 208 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. DC Comics, 2020. $17.
Language: R (22 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Alec and Walker are going to stay with their cousins for the last summer before college, thanks to drama at home. Walker wants to party like there’s no tomorrow, but Alec just wants to continue his plant research, even if he has to start all over. Not even Alec knew how that research would change the summer -- and him -- forever.
Having just finished the book, I’m still not really sure what happened. Stiefvater gives readers things to think about, and she planted in me a desire to go sit in a garden or in the woods for a bit, just to see if I can understand plants better. The shift in how I think about plants after reading the analogies and facts throughout this book is what I like most about it, even if I’m not sure I followed the story very well. The mature content rating is for innuendo.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I went into this knowing nothing about Swamp Thing and I honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I love Maggie Stiefvater and she definitely didn’t disappoint. I think my favorite part of this graphic novel is the characters. They are all well developed and I especially love the brother aspect of the story. I think the inclusion of Alec and his Diabetes is also really fascinating and unique.

The art is also amazing. I love all the plant illustrations, especially the two dogs and when everything started to take a darker turn. The only complaint I have is that it ended rather suddenly. I wish there was another page or two so we know what happens to some of the characters rather than cutting off after an intense scene. I really hope there’s a sequel!

Thank you DC Comics for the free review copy!

I read this in one go and really liked it! The illustrations were stunning and it was nice to see a rather heartfelt and emotional origin story. Super excited for this to come out into the world.

I ended up dnfing this at 26 pages in, I really liked the art style of this graphic novel. The writing though just wasn't for me, it bored me a bit to be honest. I have read other things by this author and I liked those better,

My kids love graphic novels and really enjoyed this one. The pictures are lovely and both my children read it in one day! So it's a win for my house!

I love Maggie steifvater and was excited at her writing a graphic novel, but I was sadly disappointed. I rlly disliked the pacing, and there was way to many time jumps to let the story run smoothly. This was especially an ending in the climax and final scene. It went so quickly that it left me lost. I really wish this story was longer so that as a reader I could get more involved.
I will say though, that I loved the art style and ambiance created in this book.

I’m not usually a graphic novel fan, but I really like Maggie Stiefvater. This was an OK but I liked the premise, I feel like I missed some things but I can see that it could be a very good series and I enjoyed it

I received an advanced reader's copy of this graphic novel from Netgalley for review.

I'm intrigued! I love Maggie Stiefvater's young adult titles, and this was something completely new for me!

Two twins who couldn't be more different who face many challenges. I loved the artwork and the story was interesting enough to keep me going. I wish the characters were more filled out, but the story made up for slightly flat characters.

I don't usually read graphic novels, but this one got me interested in trying others.

I received an ARC through NetGalley from DC Entertainment, DC Comics. After a parental separation two twin brothers move in with their cousins. Alec and Walker couldn’t be more different. Walker is outgoing and the life of the party. Alec is into science and his experiments with plants. Alec can relate to plants, he likes to take his time, observe and slowly come to his own. In a new place, the two brothers have a lot to come to grips with, learning to live in a new place and make new friends. Meanwhile, something biological is taking over the swamp areas of their new home.

The story was good and the art was very modern. Maggie Stiefvater is a good writer. I felt like I would have liked this more if I wasn’t comparing this to what I thought the Swamp Thing story should be. This was just a good fantastical, coming of age story about family and ones own passions. As a comic book story, this wasn’t what I was expecting. More for fans of Snapdragon or The Witch Boy.

3.5 stars! Art style reminded me of the show Doug but make it botanical! Not my favorite aesthetically but definitely fits the story. You can feel this is a Maggie Stiefvater book, her prose and aura is all over it.

Unfortunately, the plot arc leaves much to be desired and the characters aren't strong enough to make up for it as in TRC. The ending was so abrupt. The brotherhood element still pulled on my heartstrings though. The struggle of growing apart from people you were inseparable from resonated with me. As did the feeling of not knowing how to belong.

I adored this quote though: "Adulthood means you don't have to justify your passions. You don't have to justify your space in this lab. Burn that research if you want. The real experiment here is you."

I'm not a huge fan of comics or graphic novels, but I really enjoyed this one! The pacing is a little slow and it's more plot driven than character focused, but the writing was still incredibly good and the art was fantastic!

I feel like I just need to accept that graphic novels aren't for me. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this. But it didn't grab me and hold my interest. The artwork is beautiful. The story is solid and it's written by an author I have deeply enjoyed in the past. . It reads so fast; it took me about an hour and a half. But despite all that I just didn't care. While I feel like I understand the characters I don't feel like I go the chance to know them and root for them (pun intended). I just don't feel fully satisfied after I finished. And that likely has to do with the nature of graphic novels but understanding that still doesn't change my enjoyment or lack thereof. If you like graphic novels, or DC comics, I would definitely recommend checking this out..

I received an ARC of this graphic novel from NetGalley for an honest review.

This graphic novel is an interesting take on Swamp Thing. I liked the origin story because it is different. The story emphasizes on the importance of family. It also educates the reader on how plants act. That's a plus.
It's an origin story where Swamp Thing doesn't show up until the end. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. I want to see where the story goes.
Fans of Swamp Thing will like this origin story. And the art enhances the story.