Review: Aquaman #31
With the respective battle lines being drawn, between the tyrannical despot and the would be former King, all of Atlantis is awaiting the battle to restore not just the balance of the sea, but the hopes and dreams of a threatened populace. The same could be said about a readership that has waited for quite some time for Aquaman to be a hero that can match the expectations of his DC stable-mates. Dan Abentt has certainly made great inroads, along with Stejpan Sejic, who has provided some of the best pencils of the last couple of months. It is a bit of a shame then, that with the first story strokes, we are a little out of our depth.
Aquaman is making a stand, protecting the downtrodden and those at risk.  By doing so, he sets himself firmly in the sights of his enemy, leading to a gang war. Writer Dan Abnett has worked extremely hard on this book. As a character, Aquaman has more than his share of his detractors. If it isn’t talking to fish, riding a seahorse or the fantastically over the top version on the Brave and the Bold cartoon, he has always been a bit of a laughing-stock in the DC universe. Abnett has paid his dues, by toiling within the previous versions and re-hashed storylines. From there, he has steadily built on the idea of a fallen hero rising to the top rather than sinking to the depths. Granted, it’s not the most original of storylines; indeed there is a similar story over in Green Arrow. Whilst it is easy to dismiss the similarities, the difference between the two books are actually staggering. Arrow is about a hero who has failed his city; Aquaman is about a people who have failed their King and are only now feeling the repercussions.
Behind another glorious Sejic cover, lies a panel of art that whilst may not reach the high standards of previous issues, it is a safe bet to say that it is oceans apart from the dire Aquaman annual. Riccardo Federici is the artist tasked with the first issue. I have to admit, I am a huge Sejic fan and not having him on this book is disappointing to say the least. This is of course not Federici’s problem; he after all gets a job, completes the job and moves onto the next project. Federici’s strength may well be that his art is not to dissimilar to Sejic, whose work has created such a stir. That said, Federici is not without some problems; perspective seems to be a problem, with odd poses giving way to odd action scenes. The colors are by Sunny Gho, who again looks to emulate Sejic. Between the pair, they do an ok job, creating a semblance of a house style.
I am sorry to say, that the quality of this book, in comparison to previous issues, ebbs and flows. For a much maligned character to work, you need top-tier creators. Abnett is certainly worth a pirate’s treasure, but he does feel the loss of his artistic partner. This may well have a bigger impact on this book than it does with Brett Booth leaving Titans, the latter containing as it does more popular characters. I am not sure that Aquaman is credible enough for a house style, and with that in mind, DC needs to ensure that the quality remain high. DC must recognise this, due to their belief that the book needs a house style. This issue, and the art in particular for fans will be a drop in the ocean. However, with the drop in quality of the art, couple with an already lacklustre annual may have readers heading for the shallow end and the safety of numerous Bat books.
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
Cover – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Dan Abnett
Art by Riccardo Federici
Colors by; Sunny Go
Cover by Stejpan Sejic
Published by DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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