Aquaman #50 Review: Arthur Returns to the Mainland

Aquaman returns to Amnesty Bay after months away, but life will not be as simple as he hopes it’ll be.

Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on Aquaman so far has been nothing short of great. By starting off with new ground to cover and Arthur displaced, it was the perfect time to change the mythos. So now that the mythos are changed, as are the characters, it feels like the right time to return to the DC Universe proper, which is exactly what DeConnick does in this issue. Most issues like this though would include a lot more action though, but the issue eschews that and goes for character work. By doing this, it’s able to move the story forward and set-up the new status quo.

One of the best parts of DeConnick’s first arc on Aquaman was the fairy tale fantasy styling to it. This was bolstered by Robson Rocha and Viktor Bogdanovic, but her choice to transition away from the superhero side of the character was obvious. For the most part, the pure fantasy stylings get to pushed to the side in this issue, and maybe for the foreseeable future, yet it works well. She’s now combining the fantasy of her own making with the fantasy of the DC Universe, which makes for some exciting prospects. Plus, it’s fun to see gods of any kind being introduced to the modern world.

The best part of this issue has to be the use of Wonder Woman. She and Aquaman are two peas in a pod, so it’s great to see her have a solid kinship together in this issue. This is something that had been explored a bit within the pages of Justice League, right before DeConnick took over Aquaman, so it’s great to see her bringing it back. On the most basic level though, DeConnick simply just writes a fantastic Wonder Woman. I know she’s working on Wonder Woman: Historia (whenever that will be released), but she’d be a great pick to take over the Wonder Woman solo title eventually.

Probably the least satisfying aspect of this issue though is the Mera story. After the reveal of her pregnancy in the previous issue, they do touch on it here, but there’s something about Atlantis that just feels off. Mera, acting as the Queen right now, simply doesn’t feel like Mera. This has nothing to do with her being pregnant, but right now everything surrounding makes her feel out of place in this role. Really, though, this may just be a simple creative choice that isn’t landing for me right now.

Robson Rocha returns to art duties in this issue and it’s a welcome return. Bogdanovic did a great job over the past couple issues, but Rocha’s art fits much more into the story being told here. Rocha manages to take an issue where there is little to no action, just conversation and make it dynamic. Every panel has a different posture for whatever character is featured and, as such, it actually makes the characters feel alive. Rocha also manages to make such a small, intimate story feel epic at times too. He knows exactly when to use wide shots to make it feel this way, so as the issue progresses, the true scope is seen visually.

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