DC K.O. is in full swing, with special one-shots already revealing major matchups. This week, Aquaman fights Hawkman in a fight you might assume will go one way, but given Aquaman’s recent power upgrade, it’s far more lopsided in an action-packed issue.
Aquaman #12 opens with our two fighters eyeing each other, then sprinting into a fight. Artist John Timms uses speed lines to amp up the one-on-one battle, with writer Jeremy Adams leaning into the idea that these characters aren’t just heroes but gods. It helps set up some of the twists in the later story, as well as set up the fact that Aquaman has a power level most might not know he has.
Those powers are particularly well drawn by Timms, with excellent color by Rex Lokus, in a scene that uses water in a brand-new way. At least, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a water-controlling character do what Aquaman does here, culminating in a massive wave.
Before all that, Adams does a good job of catching us up on Aquaman and his supporting family’s thoughts on the larger event. It helps set up Aquaman as all-in on the fight because he trusts his friends. Throw in a bit of a MacGuffin to keep tabs on, and there’s enough here for longtime readers of Aquaman to feel invested in a mostly fight comic.
FIGHT!
Credit: DC Comics
There’s also an interlude which continues to show Darkseid working through Booster Gold, in a chapter that takes place before the Wonder Woman vs. Lobo fight out this week as well. It’s a short but entertaining two-part progression of the bigger story, offering this issue up in a classic crossover style.
From there, the story takes us to Hawkman, who gets a power upgrade and a round two with Aquaman. It’s a fun way to amp up the fight after the seemingly concluding blow from Aquaman. Adams and Timms use it to make the reader doubt who could win, sending the two characters into space. Hawkman fans will likely be upset with the results, especially since it seems so easy for Aquaman, but I think it’s done in a way to show that no one will underestimate Aquaman going forward. Plus, it ends on a banger of a full-page splash.
Aquaman #12 delivers a fast, explosive, event-driven showdown that cements Arthur Curry as a force no hero should ever underestimate. Packed with bombastic art, inventive uses of Aquaman’s powers, and a sharp escalation that literally breaks orbit, this one-shot continues DC K.O. with style—even if the matchup feels a bit lopsided.
‘Aquaman’ #12 shows the godlike powers of Arthur Curry
Aquaman #12
Aquaman #12 delivers a fast, explosive, event-driven showdown that cements Arthur Curry as a force no hero should ever underestimate. Packed with bombastic art, inventive uses of Aquaman’s powers, and a sharp escalation that literally breaks orbit, this one-shot continues DC K.O. with style—even if the matchup feels a bit lopsided.
DC K.O. is in full swing, with special one-shots already revealing major matchups. This week, Aquaman fights Hawkman in a fight you might assume will go one way, but given Aquaman's recent power upgrade, it's far more lopsided in an action-packed issue. Aquaman #12 opens with our two fighters eyeing each other and then going into a full sprint to fight. Artist John Timms uses speed-lines to amp up the one-versus-one battle, with writer Jeremy Adams leaning into the concept that these characters aren't just heroes, but gods. It helps set up some of the twists in the later story, as well as set up the fact that Aquaman has a power level most might not know he has. Those powers are particularly well drawn by Timms, with great color by Rex Lokus, in a scene that involves water in a brand new way. At least, I don't think I've ever seen a water-controlling character do what Aquaman does here, culminating in a massive wave. Before all that, Adams does a good job catching us up to speed on Aquaman and his supporting family's thoughts on the larger event. It helps set up Aquaman as all-in on the fight because he trusts his friends. Throw in a bit of a McGuffin to keep tabs on, and there's enough here for longtime readers of Aquaman to feel invested in a mostly fight comic. There's also an interlude which continues to show Darkseid working through Booster Gold, in a chapter that takes place before the Wonder Woman vs. Lobo fight out this week as well. It's a short but entertaining two-part progression of the bigger story, offering this issue up in a classic crossover style. From there, the story takes us to Hawkman, who gets a power upgrade and a round two with Aquaman. It's a fun way to amp up the fight after the seemingly concluding blow from Aquaman. Adams and Timms use it to make the reader doubt who could possibly win, sending the two characters into space. Hawkman fans will likely be upset with the results, especially since it seems so easy for Aquaman, but I think it's done in a way to show that no one will underestimate Aquaman going forward. Plus, it ends on a banger of a full-page splash.
Jeremy Adams sells Aquaman’s newfound god-tier status convincingly
Hawkman fans may feel the fight is too one-sided
Mostly a fight comic, with character beats taking a backseat to spectacle
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