Book: Aquaman #4
Written By: Geoff Johns
Art By: Ivan Reis and Eber Ferreira
Cover By: Ivan Reis
Published By: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Rating: 
Its nice to see that Geoff Johns is capable of wrapping up a storyline in less than six issues. With Justice Leagues first arc nowhere near its end even four issues in, its a good reminder that Johns is indeed a very talented writer and is capable of some truly great material. This month takes us to the end of Aquamans battle with the monsters of the Trench, a mysterious, unexplored region of the sea near the ocean floor. Its with a sigh of relief that I closed this issue; the creatures from the Trench were not great enemies and starting to get boring.
Theres also some underwater action and its great to see Aquaman in his element. It seems that Johns will be dividing between the surface and the depths somewhat equally, so hopefully the book wont get bogged down by elements from either environment. Aquaman as a character is all about balance and it should be reflected in the creative approach.
While its nice to see the Trench story dealt with so quickly, there is a lack of satisfying revolution. Johns is content to have Arthur handle the problem promptly and in a handful of pages. Those looking for an epic battle may find themselves feeling disappointed.
Each issue there has been some reference to Aquamans pop culture identity and this month also has similar flourishes. Despite saving the day and rescuing numerous hostages, one of the firemen mutters I still dont like him. As a token of gratitude, Arthur and Mera are given a dog that belonged to one of the victims and its jokingly suggested it should be named Aqua-dog. This type of humor is nice, but it is getting on my nerves slightly. Its as if Johns is trying to anticipate the mockery of Aquaman haters before it happens. Not every single issue needs an instance of someone mentioning how Aquaman has traditionally been regarded as a silly character.
As ever, the talented Ivan Reis inspires no complaints when it comes to the art. The underwater sequences were drawn exceptionally well, still managing to keep things exciting and interesting despite the relative lack of interesting things located at the bottom of the ocean.
The upcoming issues tease at further exploration of the history of Atlantis. Johns excels at building mythologies and I get the feeling Arthur will be tied to the legend of Atlantis the way Diana has been linked with the Greek myths over in the Wonder Woman title (which is also a great book that you definitely should be reading). Every issue of Aquaman so far has been an enjoyable experience and it seems that things will only get better. The New 52 Initiative has had its share of missteps, but Aquaman is an argument in its favor. This is definitely a comic to follow in 2012.
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2 Comments
As a long time Aquaman fan it’s great to see the character being portrayed so prominently not only in his own book, but in Justice League as well. This was a great review and i wholeheartedly agree with many things said. It’s good to see Johns finish a good story in a few books while tying all the loose ends found thoughout the first issues. Aquaman’s strength and ability to hold his own is also very nicely presented, although a more extensive battle with the Trench would have been much appreciated.
Great issue and I cannot wait to see where this series goes.
Great review!
Yeah the lack of a real fight disappointed me about this issue overall I guess I’m disappointed I wanted more action not just a display of aquaman’s powers and constant put downs got annoying last issue