There are a lot of comics out there, but some just stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we take a look at the undersea, superhero adventure of “Aquaman” from DC Comics.
Who’s This By?
“Aquaman” is written by Dan Abnett, an author with a longstanding history of work in comics from both DC and Marvel. The title has been drawn by a large swath of talent with the twice-monthly shipping schedule contributing to the need for lots of different creators. Most recently, artists Stepjan Sejic, Riccardo Federici, and Mirko Colak have contributed interior art to the title.
What’s This All About?
When Aquaman started, the title was mostly focused on the pursuits of Arthur Curry’s struggle to rule the Kingdom of Atlantis, maintain his relationships and protect the Earth as an integral member of the Justice League. The title has subsequently evolved past the premise, now depicting Arthur’s struggle to battle against a corrupt ruler who seized power over Atlantis.
What Makes It So Great?
Abnett has been able to explore what makes Aquaman tick in a mind-bending stretch of comics amounting to years of separate installments that serve to widen the scope of Arthur Curry’s world. With all the new rules and systems streamlining and making the title more accessible, readers are finally able to get the deep dive on Aquaman they have always wanted. At the beginning of the run, Abnett was devoted to exploring the place of Atlantis amidst the state of current politics. Getting the insignificant portion of definition towards the world helps make Atlantis feel more real than ever before. Readers actually get the sense this is a real place with a beating heart and different kind of definition than other places in the DC Universe. After reading this title, you get a good sense of how Atlantis isn’t just Gotham but underwater. Before establishing the great story that will most likely define his run, Abnett spent a long time defining and giving shape to Atlantis.
Readers got the chance to get to know Arthur as a superhero and a king. His loyalty is divided and he has to sere so many different masters. Abnett does a wonderful job exploring his limitless responsibilities and tribulations as a king. Curry ends up with an inferiority complex almost as he is unable to navigate between being a politician, king, and superhero when he lost the throne to a usurper. With the stakes of Aquaman so well established at this point, the title does a wonderful job getting readers in touch with this new journey of Aquaman before Abnett yanked the rug out from underneath and transitioned the series from the traditional superhero comic to the epic, defining Game of Thrones-esque tale that saw him earn the motivation and ability to take the throne back from a corrupt leader.
“Aquaman” #25 was a definitive turning point for the comic truly achieving greatness in putting Curry under a new identity while navigating his amnesia. The scope of the tale grew bigger and artist Stepjan Sejic even altered the art direction with his large-scale realistic and painterly art that reflected this sweeping change to message to readers that Aquaman is in a different scenario. In the ensuing 12-issues and counting, readers are still watching this tale unfold. Abnett is dedicated to making sure this story is not easily resolved within a few installments. The author has built Arthur a fascinating new supporting cast and new artist Riccardo Federici does a tremendous job working within the design of Sejic without feeling like an echo of his previous style.
With the most recent installment of “Aquaman,” Federici and Abnett have ratcheted up the tension between the pursuit of the crown of Atlantis to a fever pitch. The battle between Rath and Aquaman is filled with different elements of magic and vitriol spanning the fate of the entire kingdom. Now that readers are given an even larger scope and arena for the battle and with some of the subplots tying into this epic final battle between Rath and Curry, the upcoming installments are going to be some of the series best yet! Abnett is also telling Mera’s story in the enthralling “Mera: Queen of Atlantis” mini-series which is also likely widening the scope of the comic and setting the wheels into place for stories by Abnett yet to come in this Universe.
Continued belowEven though “Aquaman” has been an essential title in my pull list, occasionally there has been a long storyline and sometimes a new issue will only advance the story slightly. Reading this storyline in a trade paperback collection is likely going to be the antidote for this problem and now that the tale is on its last leg, the “Aquaman” reading experience is going to be better than ever before. This title is built upon sweeping storylines which all fold into each other even before the most recent arc as Dan Abnett’s grand vision of Aquaman and Atlantis is sprawling in nature. It is interesting to note just how much this title has changed as well between issue #25 and everything that came before. When reading this story from the beginning, the change will likely like a welcomed alteration of pace venturing into an even darker, riskier element of storytelling from the creative team.
How Can You Read It?
“Aquaman” is a solid read and is best explored from the first DC Rebirth collection, “Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning” available now on Comixology and in a bookstore near you. The beginning of the new era of the title is in “Aquaman” #25 featuring the ‘Crown of Atlantis’ tale which contains all the information you need to know to get into the series, wherever you start just don’t miss this book.
