Geoff Johns: writer
Ivan Reis & Joe Prado: artists
The Solicitation
• It’s the first appearance of Atlantis – and Aquaman’s first encounter with Atlanteans! • How will this story of Arthur’s past set the stage for his future? Find out here!
Preview
Why I Bought It
I bought the first couple of issues, and was able to get a hold of some of the remaining issues up to this one. It was a quick, quick read. So, now fully caught up, let's see what happens with this issue.
What I Liked
This should have been issue #1.
I am so serious. It plays on all the story telling techniques that Johns has been giving us and runs with it. It also gives the reader some knowledge about Atlantis, the history, and Aquaman's role.
Every so often Johns has a way of delivering a single issue that just hits all the marks and leaves you feeling thrilled to read the story. This is that comic. This is the one that Johns does so much good with the character and sets everything up so nicely that it makes it feel worth it to the reader to hang a round for a couple more issues just to encounter another one like it. And it feels like Johns is actually telling a story instead of letting the artist take over everything and tell the story instead, which happens in the first fee pages, but then gets to the good stuff.
What I Didn't Like
The art is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But when pages of the 20 page comic focus on Aquaman simply diving into the sea, showing the creator credits, and then him punching a shark (which was cool) and then you are already halfway through the comic? That's a lot of wasted story space.
And it seems like a theme that everyone has encountered someone who is a former Atlantian. Isn't that convenient?
Panel to Remember
I'll go with the Aquaman punching a shark panel.
Quotable
"Welcome to Atlantis, King Arthur. From now on, your life is here." - And this tells me exactly where the story for this series should have started and stayed at during the first year. Not the flashback BS that tends to happen with Johns' writing, but actually telling the story in that perspective. Other books in the New 52 started out "5 years ago..." so why couldn't this one?
Grades
Words: 9/10
Pictures: 9/10
Buy Next Issue: I would so be down with this book and buy it if it stayed in the past. I really would, because that is where Aquaman's story is. Not above ground, sitting in a restaurant and being asked if he talks to fish.
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