Here we go! The final showdown with Dagon! The last seven issues have all lead to this moment and…I’m honestly unsure how I feel about it? Since the announcement of Aquaman’s new title under the “All-In” banner at DC Comics, I was super excited to see what was coming for one of my favorite DC superheroes. Once the title launched promising Arthur Curry not only returning Aquaman but also becoming a being known as The Dark Tide and a god killer, I couldn’t wait to see where this title would take us aqua-fans. Eight issues later and, while I’m still enjoying the title, I’m having mixed feelings about the execution.
DC
Following up the events of last issue, Jeremy Adams has everything set up for the big fight against Dagon. But first, one more flashback to when Arthur was a teen and his dad helped him through a tough time. It’s a really sweet moment and I’ve really appreciated them in these first eight issues as they informed where Aquaman was emotionally. The issue then cuts back to the fight against Dagon. Things are already heated and suddenly the aged Garth and Jackson are impaled by Dagon’s tentacles. So that’s Mera, Garth, and Jackson all dead at the hands of Dagon. I know this is comics and they could come back but it feels like a clearing of the board. Dagon then shows his true form – it’s the kaiju Aquaman was fighting in the first issue. After defeating Dagon, we’re left on the last page with what the cover is calling “Justice League Blue” and a promise of the aftermath to be explored next issue.
John Timms returns to close out this first story arc and reminds me of why I was so excited to see him in the first issue. There’s a speed he can convey in all of the fights that really make the pages exciting. There’s also an efficiency to Timms’ line work. Panels can be chock-full of detail like tentacles or strands of hair but nothing ever feels too busy to look at. Timms make’s it all fit in a way that always has me excited to see more.
Jeremy Adams brings Aquaman’s time in The Blue to a close with this final fight with Dagon. During the sweet moment between Arthur and his father, he’s reminded of the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley. While it’s an amazing poem, its use encapsulates my main issue with these first eight issues. As Arthur is landing the killing blows against Dagon, he narrates the poem to the reader. While cool in theory, I found it to not fit with what was happening on the page – it just didn’t match tonally in my opinion and took away from the fight. “Let’s slow down between epic panels of this awesome fight and read ‘Invictus.'” I’d rather have heard more of Arthur’s internal thoughts during this moment that was such a triumph for him personally. And really, that’s my main gripe so far with this title: it can have some amazing and action-packed moments but then will weirdly let off the gas in odd places, slowing the story way down only for it to ramp up suddenly again. It somehow feels both epic, rushed, and slow all at the same time.
Although the story is enjoyable, the pacing issue makes me hesitant to recommend it as a monthly comic to new readers. Adams provides a solid Aquaman title but I wish he would find that spark from the first issue and carry it through month to month.
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