Sunday, September 2, 2012

Aquaman #12

Kudos to writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis for managing something most of us thought was impossible: making Aquaman into a top-selling comic.

They've done this by largely starting from scratch and exploring Arthur's hidden past, including his long-standing enmity with Black Manta, his association with a mysterious super-team known as The Others, and the origins of his trident.

This issue brings us closer to the conclusion of the story of The Others, as Black Manta discovers an incredibly powerful weapon, and Aquaman must deal with loss and his thirst for revenge.

I like this comic a lot, although it's been pretty deep into the whole revenge / death cycle, as numerous characters are killed without remorse, including bad guys, good guys and animals.

I do think it's a bit unsporting of Aquaman to kill a bad guy by striking him from behind, though I admit it was done to save the life of an ally. Still, the casual way death is handed out in this series is a bit troubling - though certainly the harder edge to the stories may account for some of the success in sales.

A lot of the credit should go to the excellent art by Reis, as he creates hidden lands, mysterious heroes and manages to depict every bubble streaming behind Mera as she speeds through the ocean. Very impressive!

The finale to this series is being interrupted by DC's "Zero" issue event over the next month - after that, we'll see if Johns and Reis really have the nerve to write a final ending to the menace of Manta - or if they find a way to cheat their way out of this corner.

Grade: A-

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2 comments:

Glen Davis said...

I hope at least some of The Others survive. I think some of them have real potential.

Chuck said...

Absolutely agree! Maybe Johns should reconsider killing them so freely...