Well, here we are again, Aqua-fans. After several miniseries featuring our favorite human/Atlantean hybrid, Jeremy Adams is here to pick up the reins for a new ongoing series. I was more than excited to see this series announced but couldn’t help but wonder if it would sink or swim. Picking up from the events of Absolute Power, Adams’ first two pages in Aquaman kick the door down with a mission statement of what this book is all about.
DC
Adams brings us in close to reestablish everything we know and love about Arthur Curry/Aquaman, but isn’t shy in stating that this book won’t be afraid to do something different. As a fan, it’s refreshing to see since Aquaman’s titles were somewhat similar tonally from the New 52 through the Rebirth eras with Geoff Johns and Dan Abnett at the helm. This isn’t a complaint as these were the books that made me a fan. We also got some different takes from Cullen Bunn, Kelly Sue DeConnick (love that run) and Ram V. It’s the second splash page where Adams tells us as readers to buckle up as Aquaman is going to be taking on kaijus and eventually become known as The God Killer.
DC
If these two pages aren’t enough to sell you on a new Aquaman series, I quite frankly don’t know what will. Throughout this first issue, John Timms absolutely flexes as he lays down some of the crispest lines I’ve seen in some time – I got Dan Mora vibes from some of the line work and that is definitely not a complaint. Timm’s emotion that comes through in character beats is rivaled only in the scale and scope of the action scenes. Rex Lokus elevates Timm’s art with a mix of colors that reflect the tone of Adams’ script, be that cooler tones for quieter moments or bombastic bright colors for action scenes. All I know is that I’m excited to see this entire team explore more of the DC Comics universe’s underwater world.
Two small things that caught my imagination reading had to do with Aquaman’s supporting cast. One, I’m stoked to see Jackson Hyde, fellow Aquaman and ex-Aqualad, make an appearance and I hope we get more of him. And two, I’m somewhat hesitant about Arthur taking on Mera’s hydrokinesis powers after Absolute Power. Although I’m excited to see her mentor him, I am kind of sad to see one of the things that made Mera stand out be taken from her. I also can’t help but wonder how much of Amnesty Bay we’ll see in this book. It was a focal point of previous runs but it looks like Adams will be turning the focus more towards the depths of what Aquaman’s side of the world has to offer.
Besides slapping my eyes upside the head with the first two pages, Adams sets up some truly exciting things in this first issue. Although Arthur would rather be out superhero-ing instead of playing politic as King, he may have gotten more than he wished for. A magical artifact that has seemingly been erased from memory shows up to throw the biggest possible wrench into Atlantis’ gears by making it disappear. This leads to Aquaman seeking the help of the Justice League to try and figure out what the heck happened to his kingdom and family. These events lead to a final page that made me say “oh no” out loud and then wonder “what does it mean?!” It’s truly hard to not try and spoil anything but you’ll see when you get there, reader.
Aquaman #1 sprints out the gate with a familiar but fresh feeling. Jeremy Adams is crafting something new and exciting while John Timms provides art that matches the scope of the spectacle. If Adams and the team can keep it up, this run will shape up into something truly special.
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