SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read ANIMAL MAN #17 yet and do not wish to know what happens, stop reading this post now (major spoiler alerts ahead!)

You may have already read our “This Just Happened” post about GREEN ARROW #17. But with so many exciting things happening in the DC Universe this week, we couldn’t resist a bonus installment of this column today!

From the creative team of writers Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire and artists Steve Pugh, Timothy Green, and Joseph Silver, ANIMAL MAN #17 serves as the first part of the grand finale of the “Rotworld.” In this epic crossover, the two elemental sides of life in the DC Universe – the Red (animals) and the Green (plants) – come together for the first time in order to defeat the Rot (check out our “5.2 Reasons to Venture Into ‘Rotworld’” for more information!).

In “Rotworld: War of the Rot,” Buddy Baker (a.k.a. Animal Man) and the other agents of the Red have come to the castle of Anton Arcane to end the war against the Rot once and for all. As Animal Man and his allies battle “rotted” versions of the Justice League, Frankenstein bravely squares off against Wonder Woman and loses his arm in the process!

Just when it seems like Arcane and his Rot army will win the fight, the Green arrives at the castle. Swamp Thing, a man-bat serum-infused Batgirl, and other citizens of Gotham work together to take down Superman and a Rot army made up of various villains of the DC Universe.

The battle rages on and there is only one way to stop it. Animal Man and Swamp Thing must join forces and confront Aracane! But, Animal Man hesitates leaving his friends behind, severely outnumbered. As Buddy Baker decides what to do, Sheperd and his army come to the rescue!

With the arrival of Sheperd, the agents of the Red find new energy and begin to fight back against the Rot like never before. Medphyll, a Green Lantern rescued from a “rotted” Metropolis is among those agents. But this Lantern from space is not prepared for the Rot and all its power. In the midst of the battle, he is decapitated by the Rot!

Without a Green Lantern on their side, all hope seems lost for the agents of the Red. But Medphyll’s ring has a mind of its own and finds a new owner amongst the warriors: Frankenstein!

Below, take a look at the tragic death of Medphyll and his ring’s declaration that Frankenstein is worthy of the mantle of Green Lantern. Will Frankenstein accept the ring and the responsibilities that come with it? And what horrors await Animal Man and Swamp Thing if they infiltrate Arcane’s castle?

Place your bets in the comments section and find out what happens next by reading the rest of the finale of “Rotworld” in ANIMAL MAN #17 and SWAMP THING #17, in stores now.

“So we're finally here - the moment Jeff Lemire and I have been building towards since day one on these two crazy books we're writing, ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING.

To say this is the culmination of our year long stories on these books would be an understatement. This moment is the culmination - the Rot, Arcane, The Hunters Three all have led us here - but it's also the start of something even bigger. Because in Rotworld, you'll get to see the DCu completely transformed by the Rot. You'll see which of your favorite heroes and villains survived the Rot's invasion (not many, we're afraid). And you'll get to see which have been overtaken and transformed by the Rot. You'll get to see Gotham, Metropolis - this is the whole  DCu, but rotten.

Swampy and Buddy will face impossible odds, and will have to bring everything they've learned over the past year to bear against the figureheads of the Rot in this world. They'll travel by land, sea and air. They'll meet friends and enemies transformed. And most importantly, at the end, they'll come face to face with their own greatest fears about themselves. This story will push them like nothing you've seen, and when it's over, both books will be forever changed.

It's been a wild year in for these characters, and we can't thank you all enough for all the support. It means the world to all of us on ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING. And we promise, the best - and wildest - is coming right now, in Rotworld."

The Rotworld prelude begins today in ANIMAL MAN #12 written by Jeff Lemire with art by Steve Pugh and SWAMP THING #12 written by Scott Snyder with art by Marco Rudy!

We asked the editors of both titles to share their thoughts on this epic storyline.

SWAMP THING editor Matt Idelson says, “This story is insane in its scope, yet has a humanity at the heart of the struggle. It’s like “127 Hours” but with monsters!”

While ANIMAL MAN editor Joey Cavalieri concludes, “Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder have embarked on a project that will make fans’ dreams come true, if they happen to dream about desiccated, horribly misshapen, shambling creatures of decay with their insides on the outside and the pervasive gray clouds of dread that follow them everywhere.”

“The Rot has won. The End is here.

Rotworld is the biggest story I've been a part of since I started writing for DC Comics. If you've been reading both Animal Man and Swamp Thing (and if you haven't you should start right now!) you'll know that Scott "Swampy" Snyder and I have been building and planning this story for over a year. It's massive in scope and it will have lasting consequences for both The Baker family and Alec Holland.

This is the DCU, obliterated and consumed by The Rot. It's a sprawling post-apocalyptic saga with only heroes and villains with some connection to The Red or The Green left to fight. I think readers will be surprised to see not only Animal man and Swamp Thing but dozens of characters from throughout the New 52 universe involved in the story. Some of them already lost to The Rot others will appear in surprising ways.

The whole Rotworld story wouldn't be possible without the amazing artists we have working with us. Yanick Paquette is killing it on Swamp Thing and I'm lucky enough to be working with one of my favorite artists Steve Pugh, as well as my Animal Man Annual collaborator Timothy Green II, both beautifully colored by Lovern Kindzeirski.

Rotworld is a true labor of love for all of us, we're working hard to create a really special story and we hope you come along for the journey. But stick close, you never know what might be lurking out there in the Rotlands...”