DC Comics is home to a multitude of A-list heroes, and while Superman is typically the hero most people think of when it comes to the hero leading the charge among DC’s A-listers, there is one hero whose near-godlike powers give even the Man of Steel a run for his money. Now, this DC legend has just received his most radical redesign yet, one that goes against the very core of what makes this hero who he is, or more accurately, what he is.
DC’s new The Deadman series has been nothing short of exceptional, and that’s no surprise given that the title comes from the creative genius of writer W. Maxwell Prince, artist Martín Morazzo, colorist Chris O’Halloran, and letterer Good Old Neon, the same creative team behind 2025’s delightfully bizarre hit miniseries Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum.
The Deadman #4 just dropped today, and while it continues to follow former circus aerialist Boston Brand as he begrudgingly attempts to protect humanity from evil and deal with an abundance of other poignant peculiarities, the spotlight of this issue was stolen by SWAMP THING. The issue sees the iconic hero join the narrative in its closing pages as he welcomes Boston to “THE GR33N,” and no, that’s not a typo. A fact is made all the more apparent by Swamp Thing’s radical, tech-inspired redesign.
55 Years Later, Swamp Thing Unleashes His Most Radical Redesign of All-Time
Comic Page Comes from W. Maxwell Prince’s The Deadman #4 (2026) – Art by Martín Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran
As teased in the official synopsis for The Deadman #4, this issue follows Boston as he “finds himself flung to one of a few feasible futures in which the forward march of Earth’s phantoms has fallen off…for good.” One of the major twists of this issue is that Boston once more finds himself in his human body, a drastic change from his typical spirit form. Human once again, Boston must contend with some of the freakiest-ever futuristic takes on some of DC’s most iconic faces, including Swamp Thing.
Ever since his debut 55 years ago, Swamp Thing has been defined by his monstrous plant form, typically portrayed as a mass of vines and other plant matter that takes on a distorted humanoid shape. This form also represents the character’s core and his connection to the Green, a cosmic elemental force that binds and animates all plant life across the universe. As most fans know, Swamp Thing is the physical avatar of this cosmic elemental force, and thus his plant-like appearance is exceptionally fitting.
However, in this wild future teased in The Deadman #4, the Green has been replaced by “The GR33N,” a code-leaning reimagining of the classic elemental force, one in which plant life has apparently been replaced by technology. Swamp Thing’s redesign for this title is also reflective of this, with the character’s body of vines and vegetation being replaced by lines of wires, cables, computer chips, and other tech-leaning materials.
Given that plants and technology are somewhat opposite, with one representing nature and the other man-made creations, this is by far Swamp Thing’s most radical redesign to date. It isn’t only stripping the character of his core, but has essentially transformed him into the antithesis of what he typically represents. This new redesign debuted at the end of the issue, so there is still a lot to be revealed, but already, this is one of the most exciting reinterpretations of Swamp Thing to date.
The Deadman #4 from DC Comics is now available to read!