Aquaman (Vol.8) #52

"Out of Darkness" by Dan Abnett, Vicente Cifuentes, Juan Castro, and Guy Major.

When last we left Aquaman, he was being crushed underfoot by the villainous Scavenger. He's tricked out in a giant mech-suit, but of course it takes more than that to defeat the Sea King:

While Aquaman tries to find out about the Scavenger's connection to John Payne (aka Dead Water), back at Spindrift Station, Mera is trying to contain the aforementioned Dead Water, who has burst from the containment tube Aquaman left him in:

Using one of the seawater ducts, Dead Water escapes. Aquaman continues the fight with Scavenger, demanding to know what he knows about Payne. Naturally, Scavenger isn't interested in helping out, driving Aquaman to lose his patience and simply reach into the mechsuit and pull his foe out by the face:

Left with no other options, Scavenger fesses up to how he knows Payne. A while back, while doing some deepwater work for hire, Payne and his sub hit a patch of "strange water", a section of the sea connected with strange phenomena. Finding themselves stuck with no way out, Payne and his crew turned on each other for survival. Payne made it out, but disappeared without a trace after that.

Before Scavenger can continue, Dead Water arrives, leaving Aquaman to fight him again, ending with the Sea King ramming his trident through Payne's chest. This leaves Scavenger in the hospital, with Aquaman asking to be informed if/when he wakes up, since the "strange water" is still out there.

Later, in Amnesty Bay:

The End...for now.

With this, this current Aquaman title is no more (once again we Aqua-Fans are denied seeing Arthur get a book past 75 issues!). Nothing to be too sad about, of course, since we will be getting an all-new Aquaman #1 just next month, with Dan Abnett returning as writer!

Abnett had just a few issues to reestablish some of the footing lost during the previous creative team's run. Rather than re-inventing the book, as a lot of writers tend to want to do, he brought back many of the bedrock elements Aqua-Fans liked about this New 52 iteration while adding some new stuff of his own devising. I've mentioned before how much I like Spindrift Station, and Mera's new role as ambassador. I would still like to see her return to her classic outfit, and not just be dressed as a distaff Aquaman--but we have time for that!

Pre-New 52, I never thought in a million years that Aquaman would end up such a major star, but he hit the ground running (thanks to the gangbuster team of Johns, Reis, Prado, and Reis of course) and for the most part never looked back. Now with a major motion picture on the way, the Sea King is here to stay, which is best of all possible news. Looking very forward to Aquaman: Rebirth followed by the new Aquaman series, in just a few weeks!

Aquaman (Vol.8) #51

"Scavenger Hunt" by Dan Abnett, Vicente Cifuentes, Juan Castro, and more.

Aquaman has brought the man inside Dead Water back to Spindrift Station for examination. He's been kept inside a containment tube, with just enough water to keep him alive but unable to transform into the rampaging monster:

This borders on torture, but there's not much anyone can do under a way is found to keep Dead Water from resurfacing. The two members of the FBI working the case arrive, with info about the man--his life to this point, and the news is troubling:

The man, John Payne, has killed twelve people so far, but he has no memory of any of it. It seems as Dead Water he has been exacting revenge on all those people in his life who have crossed his path in a negative way, including ex-wife. The last thing he dos remember is working salvage for a man named Peter Mortimer. Aquaman knows that name, for it is the alter ego of the arch criminal named...The Scavenger!

Aquaman swims to a spot that the Scavenger might be using as an HQ, and after an attack by some henchmen, the Sea King's target arrives, bigger and badder than ever:

Back at Spindrift, Payne is so distraught of not being able to see his son that he begins to cry, despite being severely dehydrated. Unfortunately for everyone, that is enough for the transformation to occur, and Dead Water resurfaces, smashing out of the containment tube. Mera tries to stop it but is slapped down. Many miles away, Aquaman isn't having an easy time of it either:

...to be continued!

I thought this issue was a slight step back from the last two, mostly because it didn't feel like a story, just a series of random scenes. There's some good stuff in those scenes, the book just didn't hold together for me as much. Also, I know this is a superhero comic and all, but I wish the artists would tone it down a bit when it comes to Mera's anatomy, it feels like every month her waist gets smaller and her chest gets larger. I hope when regular artist Brad Walker takes over we can get away from the "lad mag" look into something a little less cartoony.

Spindrift Station, after just one issue, has turned into Aquaman's base of operations, akin to the Daily Planet or the roof of the GCPD, and that's a good thing. I have always thought to make Aquaman work as an ongoing headliner, he needed some of the more traditional trappings that some of his other, more regularly successful JLA pals had. SS is a good place to bring in the supporting characters, set up that issue's plot, etc. I hope it sticks around.

Despite any justifiable reasons, I have always liked The Scavenger as a villain and am happy to see him return, even if his plan doesn't seem to be anything more than "I built a bigger tech suit." Nevertheless, I will enjoy watching Aquaman paste him into the dirt next issue, like he always does:

Aquaman (Vol.8) #50

"Dead Water" by Dan Abnett, Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, and Andrew Dalhous.

Some police and FBI agents are investigating a shark attack. The FBI getting involved in that is odd enough, but even more when you consider the attack took place...on the roof of a skyscraper!

The FBI calls in Aquaman, who is currently talking with Mera at Spindrift Station, the newly-built embassy for Atlantis and the surface world. After meeting with the FBI agents, the Sea King determines he has to use himself as bait to lure this "Dead Water" being (who we saw last issue) out into the open. This works, and soon the two are locked in a massive battle in the middle of Albany, NY. This battle is picked up on the news, and Garth wonders if Atlantis should deploy some troops. Mera says to hold off...for now. 

Aquaman plays some mind games with the creature, which sucks him down into a weird inter-dimensional portal that seems to be nothing but infinite blackness. Arthur senses that there is a normal man inside this creature, and has been transformed into this realm he calls The Otherness. 

Aquaman manages to free the man, and brings him back to "our" reality. He insists on bringing the man back to Atlantis to save his life. Meanwhile, Mera delivers her first address to both constituencies, and it goes over like gangbusters. She's comfortable and funny, everyone loves her. Aquaman, a few miles away on his way back to the city, is proud of his partner...even blushing a little when the FBI agents tease him about it.

Next: Scavenger!


Writer Dan Abnett delivers on the promise of his first issue on the series, giving us a solid adventure story that is fun. Aquaman and Mera are back together, with the latter having a new purpose and not just as an adjunct to Arthur. After so many months of forced separation, it was great seeing them back as a team for this extra-long 50th issue. It bodes well for us Aqua-Fans, now that DC has announced Dan will be the regular writer on the book after it starts over with the "Rebirth" event.

I hope we see Mera in her regular garb going forward, and not just in her Aquawoman uniform, but I'm pretty sure we will. In over fifty years of Atlantean shenanigans, I don't think we've ever had quite this set up before--Aquaman free to be a superhero, with Mera handling the royal duties stuff--and I'm very curious to see where this all goes!

Aquaman (Vol.8) #49

"Rising to the Surface" by Dan Abnett, Vicente Cifuentes, John Dell and more.

"This will begin to make things right."

This issue of Aquaman opens back in Amnesty Bay, in the lighthouse home of our heroes. Arthur, Mera, and Salty the Aquadog are enjoying a quiet evening at home. Officer Erika Watson arrives to make sure the town's most famous residents are coming to the annual "Sea Festival." Mera is skeptical, but Arthur assures they will be there.

After an interlude with a prisoner in Albuquerque, which involves a cup of water coming alive and killing him, we're back in Amnesty Bay and the Sea Festival. Then we see the same strange killings take place in other cities, all the while Aquaman and Mera try to have fun at the festival. Arthur has an easier time of it, but Mera struggles ("This is undignified").

The conversation continues on to Arthur's idea to form an Atlantean "mission" on dry land, to ensure better relations between the two worlds--and he wants Mera to lead it. Later that night, Mera decides that she's going to do it, and jumps into the pool hip deep:

This issue is pretty much just one long conversation, and I'm fine with that; it's nice to see Arthur and Mera getting along again. Plus: Salty! Plus Plus: Mera in Aquaman's classic costume!

I'm not going to waste my/your time relitigating what happened previously with this title. It's clear that writer Dan Abnett had one mission: to right the ship, patch the holes, and get it steady in time for Rebirth in a few months. And that he did, so it's on to the next issue!

Aquaman (Vol.8) #43

Comics Wednesday "Gospel of Destruction" by Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, Jesus Marino, and Guy Major.

This opens with Aquaman talking to Mera, who doesn't take too well to being left in charge of Atlantis. In fact, she blasts her beau with her hard water powers, calling him a traitor!

When then flash forward to the present, with Aquaman, Garth, and the rest of the Atlantean wrecking crew temporarily ceasing their fighting to band together and take on the giant creature which just moments before popped out of the ground!

In another flashback, Aquaman goes to visit a temple housing Poseidon himself, who explains who these other "invaders" are, and deigns to prepare the King of the Sea for the fight by bestowing him some new powers, which we have seen on display in the previous issues.

Back to the present, and Aquaman and the gang fight off the giant. They call a momentary truce, and unbeknownst to Arthur, two people of great interest are watching the proceedings: Mera...and her twin sister Siren!

...To be continued!

As anyone who reads this site knows, I am bored to death of Atlantean jibber-jabber, and this issue has too much (read: any) of it. The place is just nothing but headaches for poor Aquaman, so, royal duty or no, if I was Arthur I would just hole up in Amnesty Bay with my super-hot redhead girlfriend and dog Salty and refuse to answer Vulko's calls. But I guess that would make me a lousy superhero.

I still really enjoy Trevor McCarthy's work, and like last month I'm disappointed he's not doing the whole book. If he has such difficulty doing a monthly book, I vote for doing a "Classic Aquaman" fill-in month (someone call Ramona Fradon, or Ivan Reis, or Paul Pelletier, or...) giving McCarthy time to catch up so he can deliver all twenty pages when the story resumes.

Speaking of the story, the addition of Siren is a welcome twist, and solves a lot of story problems if Cullen Bunn chooses to go that route. I'm still dubious about this whole post-New 52 revamp, but I feel like this installment was a lap in the right direction.


For Further Reading:

Aquaman (Vol.8) #42

Comics Wednesday "The Other Atlantis" by Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, Jesus Marino, Walden Wong, and Guy Major.

This opens with Aquaman recalling how a friend of his tried to get him into playing Magic: The Gathering in high school. In other news, I am old:

This second issue contains the back-and-forth-in-time format that the previous one did. After fighting more of these Atlantean interdimensional beasties, we are back with Aquaman Classic and Mera, where Arthur tries to convince his wife that she can rule Atlantis in his absence. He is only marginally successful.

Arthur promises his wife he will be back "before you know it", but as these issues show us, that clearly didn't work out. Back in the present, Aquaman is showing the small sect of people he saved their new home. He is praised for this by them, but Aquaman is dissatisfied. He grimly says that he's going to have to destroy this other world, and its people.

After another flashback, we see bits of these Atlantean "invaders" popping up all over the world, in the most unusual of places, potentially destroying whatever life is already there. Aquaman tries to anticipate these attacks and deal with them, but he's outnumbered.

While dealing with one location, he is attacked by a small band of Atlanteans, sent by Mera. One young Lad looks an awful lot like a certain kid sidekick from continuities long gone(?). Aquaman manages to fend off most of them, except for the aforementioned young man:

Suddenly the ground begins to shake, with giant stone spires shooting out of it. This causes Aquaman and--let's just say it, Tempest--to stop their battle long enough to see what's happening. And it ain't good:

...To be continued!

I found reading this issue to be a very bipolar experience. As I said with issue #41, I love Trevor McCarthy's work--I find it idiosyncratic but also very dynamic and unlike most Aquaman artists that have come before. The flashbacks with Aquaman Classic are wonderfully exciting, and this weird giant monster on the last page has a Ray Harryhausen/Mike Mignola/Paul Pope mashup look that I really like.

Unfortunately, parts of the issue seem not to be drawn by McCarthy, or at least less so than the rest. To my eyes those pages are very off-putting in their stylistic inconsistency, almost cartoony. And just at the point where DC is trying to sell this "bold new direction" of Aquaman, the last thing they need is not have McCarthy handling the whole book. I know too well how tough deadlines can be, but I would have rather seen Aquaman come back a month later after Convergence than deal so soon with fill-ins. In the days when comics were a quarter, fans had to expect "M. Hands" sometimes showing up on the art credits. But now that comics are $4 a pop, creators are not so easily substituted. If you're selling me on the new Aquaman by Cullen Bunn and Trevor McCarthy, then by Neptune's Beard I want Cullen Bunn and Trevor McCarthy.

On the writing side, at some points it seems like Aquaman is either lying to Mera or willfully stupid. She is completely correct about running Atlantis--some members of the upper guard tried to assassinate her just a couple of issues ago--and for Aquaman to dismiss her fears so off-handedly does not paint him in the best light. Also, and I know that I harp on this every few years, so for those of you who have been reading the Shrine for years, you must be sick of this--but, why oh why does every Aquaman writer feel the need to drag Arthur back to the Atlantean throne, only to (inevitably) have him have to take off on a mission, causing the whole "My citizens are mad at me for being a half-time king" again and again and again? Steve Skeates was using this plot seven Presidential administrations ago! For some reason, Aquaman writers just don't want to keep him being a superhero--even Geoff Johns, who has done so much for the character(s), spent months and months giving Aquaman all the trappings of a classic superhero, to which comic fans---many more than expected--responded enthusiastically, only to have him back in Atlantis by the time he left the book. Somebody bring in The Spectre and have him step on these water-breathing crybabies and be done with it already!

Despite that long rant, I am still enjoying this new iteration of Aquaman. I continue to have faith that this dark path will end up being worth it, and my enthusiasm for McCarthy's work has not dimmed. But as I said last month, I am wondering, was this trip really necessary?

Aquaman (Vol.8) #41

Comics Wednesday "Terra Incognita" by Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, and Guy Major.

In St. Louis, a castle surrounded by tendrils of black goo suddenly rises up behind the famous Arch, and starts grabbing people and dragging them inside the castle stone walls. Luckily Aquaman is there to stop it...wait, is this Aquaman?!?

After freeing the innocent civilians, Aquaman stands outside the darkened door, beckoning for those inside to come out. Suddenly he is face-to-face(to-face) with a small army of nasty looking creatures. As the Sea King prepares for battle, we flash back to an indeterminate time ago, when the Aquaman we're more familiar with is racing through the ocean with Mera and members of his Atlantean guard. We see that he discovered a similar structure on the ocean floor, and that it also attacked our heroes!

Flashing back to the present, Aquaman takes on the rampaging beasts, ending the fight with a heretofore unknown power: by slamming his trident on the ground, blocks of ice shoot up out of the floor, killing all but one of the monsters: 

Back in Atlantis, in the past, news of similar attacks across the seven seas are coming in. It appears the beings living in these structures are beings from another civilization. Mera calls it an invasion, but Vulko--dragged out his cell, Hannibal Lechter-style--says he's been studying what's been happening, and this is less an invasion than an extermination.

Back in St. Louis, Aquaman is greeted as a hero by the locals, but the good cheer is interrupted by some Atlantean warships, who are here to arrest their former king. Before that can happen, Aquaman shows off another new power: teleportation!

Another flashback shows us Aquaman proposing to Mera, which she accepts. We flash forward once more, and we learn that it's been three months since the Sea King last saw Atlantis, or Amnesty Bay. Having teleported to the Amazon, Aquaman is greeted by some of the very people who he promised he would destroy to save Atlantis:

...To be continued!

And so here we are, with a semi-new Aquaman in unfamiliar surroundings. Generally avoiding whatever spoilers were out there, I didn't know that this version of Aquaman is, in fact, the same one we've been following post-New 52. That was a huge relief, because for a while there I really thought DC and writer Cullen Bunn was scrapping all the good will built up with the Sea King over the last three years, and I hated the idea of all that ground being lost. But, no, while this may be a very different Aquaman than we saw in #40, it is in fact the same guy. And while I'm not thrilled he's on the outs with Mera, I feel safe in assuming this is a storyline that will eventually reunite the two.

Many months ago on The Fire and Water Podcast, I surmised that Warner Bros. would not have spent all this time restoring Aquaman to his classic orange-and-green look only to get rid of all that for the movie version to be seen in Batman v Superman. Of course, I was proved wrong once the first photo of Jason Momoa in costume was leaked--they couldn't be more different. Now, however, I see I was sorta right, but backwards--the movie version of Aquaman isn't following the comic book's lead, it's more like the other way around.

Speaking of how things look, I really did enjoy Trevor McCarthy's art and Guy Major's colors. There's a completely worked out visual style here, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. While I am still am dubious about whether this drastic reinvention was really necessary, I have no such qualms about the art. The addition of McCarthy to the ranks of Aquaman artists makes it three winners in a row since Aquaman #1--Reis/Prado, then Pelletier/Parsons, now McCarthy. I look forward to more of these Aquaman adventures if they're gonna look like this!

Overall, I thought this was a solid start to this new "era" of Aquaman, but it remains to seen whether it will be worth taking such a drastic turn, considering how popular the previous iteration was. In several interviews, writer Bunn has asked Aquaman fans to "give him a couple of issues." Fair enough.

Aquaman #41 Sneak Preview

You can check out ten pages of Aquaman #41 by Cullen Bunn and Trevor McCarthy, available over on DCComics.com now. I can't speak to the story just yet, because this is just a sample. But on the art front, I feel I can safely say that Aquaman once again is the recipient of some truly superb comic book artistry. From Ivan Reis & Prado to Paul Pelletier & Sean Parsons to Trevor McCarthy, this New 52 Aquaman is really on a roll!

Aquaman (Vol.8) #40 - May 2015

Comics Weekend "Maelstrom Part 6" by Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, Sandra Hope, and more.

"Maelstrom" goes out with a bang (several, actually) and starts off with the volcano god known as Karaku descending upon Aquaman, Mera, and the rest:

Atlanna refuses to retreat ("I don't know that direction!"), so her son steps in to help save her life. Unfortunately, he can't do the same for Dr. Evans, who is grabbed by one of the Fire Trolls and is mortally wounded. Aquaman pauses in the fight to speak to Evans as he dies, which gives Karaku an opportunity:

Atlanna still insists that this man is not her son, and is so busy protesting she doesn't immediately notice the thunderous booms that are getting louder and louder. They are caused by Mera, who is using all of her might to form a water creature equal in size to Karaku and do battle, just as Atlanna spirits Aquaman away from further harm:

Karaku falls, crumbling into pieces. As Aquaman and Mera comfort one another, Atlanna is truly impressed at their strength, power, and heroism. But she still denies parentage, and is there to defend her land from these Atlantean interlopers. It's here that Aquaman plays his last, most impressive card: summoning the creatures of the sea:

This finally convinces Atlanna of the truth. With that, Aquaman promises that simple acknowledgment was all he wanted, and he prepares to leave his mother in peace. Using the maelstrom, Atlanna sends her son and the rest back home, with Aquaman promising that world will be left alone.

Suddenly a light flares, and Aquaman's trident--which he left behind--comes through, with Atlanna's signet hooked around it. It communicates with him telepathically that with the signet, his sovereignty will no longer be in doubt to the people of Atlantis:

...The End!

And with that triumphant moment, Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier's extraordinarily successful run on Aquaman comes to a close. As has been discussed before, we wish they could have continued on the book, since they seemed to pull off what seemed impossible: follow Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado. But Parker and co. managed to take the reigns of this book and simultaneously build upon what was there previously while also making their own unique mark on the character. I've heard more than one Aquaman fan say that this era of the Sea King is already their all-time favorite.

The Aquaman Shrine wishes Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, and the rest of the team nothing but success on their next projects. We've seen writers and artists come and go: some good, some bad, some great. The last year and half or so of Aquaman has never been anything but a blast to read, something truly to look forward to each and every month.

Looking forward to seeing what comes next. Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, you have quite a high bar to clear!

Aquaman (Vol.8) #39 - April 2015

Comics Weekend "Maelstrom Part 5: Pacifica" by Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, Sandra Hope, Wayne Faucher, and Peter Pantazis.

Well, Aquaman and Mera have made it through the last portal and finally found who they were looking for, Atlanna: 

Mera uses her powers to defend her and Arthur from the attack, giving him enough time to put a smack down on the hulking brute known as Gontu and get up close to Atlanna. He tells her the startling news that he is her son, and she doesn't take it well:

Atlanna explains (she's going to do a lot of that this issue) that her husband Tom Curry and her first son are dead, at the hands of her second husband, so all this must be lies. She manages to knock Aquaman and Mera out, and has them dragged back to a temple inside a nearby mountain. Inside is a flaming beast known as Karaku, The Volcano God, who is about receive Aquaman and Mera's unconscious bodies as sacrifice! Great Neptune!

Aquaman and Mera wake up just as Gontu is about to throw them in ("Is there some sort of ceremony?" "No, you just jump in.") and paste him again, allowing them to escape alone with Atlanna's right hand man, er, woman, Lanu, who seems to believe that Arthur is who he says he is.

Lanu explains how she of the purple eyes and others like her got there, but before she can go on Atlanna finds them and attacks again. As they run, the maelstrom opens up again and inside it are Tula, Neol, and other members of Atlantean Royal Guard, ready to defend their king and queen. Aquaman tries to settle everyone down, but then Mera points out they've all got bigger problems, literally:

...to be concluded!

Poor Aquaman, to come this far and then be treated like this by his Mom. Let's hope that these two can get this all settled next month, otherwise this Mother's Day is gonna be pretty damn awkward.

Paul Pelletier does another amazing art job here, really selling the fury of Atlanna's attacks. I've said it before, but in particular his rendering of Mera is wonderful, I hope that next issue is not the last we see of him drawing the character. Mera mini-series, anyone? Everyone?

Aquaman (Vol.8) #38 - March 2015

Comics Weekend "Maelstrom Part 4: The Final Gate" by Jeff Parker, Paul Pelletier, Sean Parsons, Sandra Hope, and Rain Beredo.

When last we saw him, Aquaman was tangling with Gorilla Grodd, and both were hurtling through the dimensional portal. It seems that the Sea King could be trapped in another world along with Grodd, except: 

...Mera FTW!

Drs. Shin and Evans arrive, with further clues as to where Aquaman's mother went when she disappeared. Arthur, almost desperate to find her, prepares to teleport to her last known location. Mera asks if he might wait a bit to see if its safe, but of course he says no. In that case, Mera is going with him. 

The trail leads to a Polynesian Island, where a collection of massive statues surround yet another portal. As Aquaman strikes it with his trident, the statues come alive, revealing themselves to be...Fire Trolls!

Aquaman and Mera fight the fire-breathing stone beasts, and one of them grabs the trident away from the Sea King. After Mera separates that one from the others, Aquaman grabs its hand, breaks it off, and touches the trident to the portal. 

Suddenly the Fire Trolls stop attacking, and the portal opens up a whirlpool. Aquaman and Mera take a moment to join hands, and leap in. They arrive in the same place, but a different time. Some locals spot them and call for their leader:

...of course, to be continued!

Jeff Parker keeps the ball in the air for this particular installment, dispensing with the Grodd side story and instead focusing on our heroes. Paul Pelletier and Sean Parsons (with Sandra Hope) do some of their best work on the series to date, like this sequence of Aquaman and Mera taking a literal leap of faith:

"Maelstrom" is proving to a lot of fun, with Parker throwing in wonderful bits of Aqua-History (the Fire Trolls from Aquaman #1!) while giving us a story particular to the New 52 versions of the characters. Another fine installment, this creative team is on a real roll--I'm almost dreading the interruption known as Convergence that's coming down the pike.