Review: Aquaman #44

By: Shawn Warner

This is the second issue in Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Aquaman run and it feels more like one of her creator owned titles than a part of DC continuity, to quote Seinfeld, “not that there’s anything wrong with that”. In fact its a welcome breath of fresh air and more DC titles could benefit from a similar inhalation of imagination. Bendis has done the same thing to a lesser extent on the Superman titles and Scott Snyder along with James Tynion IV have successfully resuscitated the Justice League to the accolades of critics and fans alike. So you might notice that these are not young up and coming maverick writers, quite the contrary these are prolific, proven veteran creators every one of them with plenty of brilliant stories left to be told. DC has opted for this approach over what Marvel is doing, which is giving young talent a shot on some of their bigger books. That’s the beauty of these two giants, two very different approaches that in turn yield very different results and that can only be good for the medium of comic books as a whole.

Kelly Sue has carved out a significant fan base for herself built on her ability to tell poignant, very often heart wrenching stories featuring extremely deep character work and intensely cathartic resolutions. Her western themed series Pretty Deadly at Image is a perfect example, while Bitch PlanetÂ also at Image maintains many of the same elements it also shows the kind of thematic diversity DeConnick is capable of. She has worked on super hero titles for both of the Big Two, but she has come to be most closely associated with Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers. DeConnick found Danvers’ voice early on her now legendary run and for many fans thatÂ isÂ the voice of Captain Marvel. So suffice to say there are some big things expected from her on Aquaman.

This issue continues Arthur’s quest to find out exactly who he is and perhaps more importantly what is expected of him in this role he finds himself thrust into. However, before we get to Arthur the story opens with Mera longing to be reunited with Arthur, but in the unenviable position of greeting eligible suitors. Kelly Sue immediately captures the pain of Mera’s separation from her beloved, the inner monologue is full of hope, strength and resolve born of lost love, resolve to face what she must. Meanwhile, Arthur is still facing his own set of circumstances in the Village of Unspoken Water, on the island he washed up on when the story began. Still going by Andy, Arthur seeks out the help ofÂ Wee, a sort of shamanic elder tribeswoman. She is not very forthcoming with answers for Arthur, replying mainly in riddles and suggestions of introspection. The dialogue between these two is extremely well crafted, calling to mind the work of Arthur Miller at times with its precision and veiled portents promising a cathartic darkness before the light of resolution. Wee is part Yoda, part Stygian Witch speaking in thinly veiled predictions giving her every word an ominous weight. Arthur on the other hand is full of anxiety and frustration bordering on rage. His expedition for answers is met only with Rubickian puzzles and shadowy references to the power of Namma. She dismisses Arthur with an invitation to meet back up later that night.

The tension grows as Arthur returns home to Callie who still refers to him as Arausio. The pair have a somewhat heated exchange before Arthur departs for his late night rendezvous. What follows is an intense sequence of revelatoryÂ images dreamlike in their appearance. The people of the village gather around a raging fire in ceremonial reverence to some ancient sea gods who apparently take over their physical beings at the villagers behest. Arthur is in for more than he bargains for as events take a dire turn at his arrival. This entire scene calls to mind the King’s Moot from Game of Thrones, where the Iron Born choose a new leader. This is not the first time Aquaman has taken on a George RR Martin vibe, way back in Geoff Johns’ run there was a distinct Game of Thrones feel to the ongoing narrative, once again I must defer to Seinfeld, “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Thematically as well as tonally these two worlds share quite a few elements that is not to imply one is derivative of the other, in fact this is one of the most imaginative Aquaman stories I’ve read since Johns’ prolific run.

DeConnick’s unique approach to this world and it’s characters has already set this run apart from any of its predecessors so much so in fact that I can’t imagine the other Justice League members existing in this world at all. This world seems to have more in common with Neil Gaiman’s realm of The Dreaming or some other fantasy realm. That’s not to say it is completely divorced from the DC Universe in every possible way, it is just such a diverse setting that at this point in the narrative I can’t imagine other super heroes showing up. However, that’s a testament to DeConnick’s ability to create new worlds, invent wonderful environments in which to tell her stories and populate these new worlds with intriguing characters, introduce new species. This is the kind of writing that made me love Star Trek: The Original Series as a child and continue to cherish those stories as an adult. There is a wide-eyed wonder to DeConnick’s writing here that is the stuff of great fiction, not just super hero or fantasy or sci-fi, but all great stories should have that sense of wonder. After all adventure is the key to the best stories. The unknown variable is what propels us on through any story and Kelly Sue has masterfully crafted this narrative to keep us guessing. Although we have answers that Arthur is looking for, the story is unfolding organically for us just as it is for Arthur as the protagonist. I am 100 percent invested in this story already and I have been since the first issue.

Visually, this is one of the most beautiful books to hit the racks in recent memory. Robson Rocha’s character designs as well as the settings are lavishly detailed. The opening page has the look of an Alphonse Mucha poster straight from the Art Nouveau era, the swirling water creating the image of Aquaman could easily be the Green Fairy of Mucha’s Absinthe poster of the later 1890’s. That quality runs through much of the opening sequence, particularly in Mera’s costume design. Her gown seems to transform into blooming roses at times as her and intricately detailed headdress seem to be alive with the bountiful life of the ocean itself. Rocha’s thoughtful page designs and elaborate use of panels bring the feel of an illuminated manuscript to the issue, presenting DeConnick’s narrative in a somewhat more poetic manner than we have seen in past runs of Aquaman. Daniel Henriques does an impressive job inking Rocha’s intricate line work. Sunny Cho’s colors are the perfect compliment to Rocha’s images, you can almost smell the sea air in the hues and tints used to bring this world vividly to life. This is a gorgeous comic book, delicate at times yet bombastic when called for the visuals of this book rise and fall like the breath of a sleeping giant, keeping precise pace with DeConnick’s engrossing narrative.

Overall, this book is as flawless as they come. The story grabs you and pulls you into a world breathtaking in its beauty as well as its potential for danger. The characters are strangely angelic, alien and magnetically mesmerizing. This is unlike any Aquaman story before and for that alone its worth checking out, however there is so much more to this book that its uniqueness. If you haven’t read Aquaman before, jump on now, if you read Aquaman in the past and fell off, jump back on now. This is a new creative team with a new story to tell, jump on now. 5/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer- Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist- Robson Rocha
Inks- Daniel Henriques
Colors- Sunny Cho
Letterer- Clayton Cowles