Aquaman #51 Review: No Mantas Anywhere To Be Found

Aquaman has returned to Amnesty Bay and, instead of immediately returning to the superhero life, he helps the elder gods move into the area. 

Aquaman continues its excellent reinvention over the past year with yet another very fun issue. Action and world-building are thrown to the wayside here to make way for some really fun character moments and interactions that haven’t really existed up until this point. However, much like Detective Comics #1009 last week, there’s a tinge of disappointment cause the issue, as it is, is not what the cover is. This is another “Year of the Villain” cover that has used a big-name villain as the draw on its cover, only to relegate said villain to an epilogue sequence. It really feels like bad editorial judgment. 

Thankfully, even though the cover feels a bit like false advertising, this issue holds enough enjoyment to carry you over that hump of disappointment.  there’s a lot going on in this issue, but it never really feels like there is. So much of the issue is focused on the development of the elder gods’ new home, which is used as background dressing for character moments. For example, much of this issue is focused around Aquaman and Aqualad getting to know one another, which leads to some very fun banter between the two. This is something that we’ve seen before in other mediums, namely on Young Justice, so it’s nice to see it play out here. Caille also has a couple of really funny moments that suit the character perfectly. 

We also get to see more of Mera in this issue which is always a welcome sight. Since Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha took over the series, there really hasn’t been much Mera involved. However, when she has appeared, she’s been absolutely fantastic. That continues with this issue with her playing politics better than Arthur ever could. She’s only in a couple of pages, but those were probably the best couple of pages of this issue. 

The only real problem that there is from a story standpoint in this issue is the lack of Black Manta. This really stems from what it seemed like we were going to get from the cover, rather than what the issue actually is. The Black Manta stuff that is in this issue is really good, but it’s not enough to fully alleviate the disappointment. 

As for the art, Robson Rocha yet again crushes it on this issue. So much of his stuff early on in this run felt like it was something out a fantasy novel. Whereas now, he’s having to combine the fantastic and the mundane in a believable way, which he nails. Nearly every panel in this issue has something unique about it in a way that feels realistic, yet believably magical. It’s a fine line to walk and Rocha simply nails it yet again in this issue. 

CHECK OUT: Aquaman #50 Review: Arthur Returns to the Mainland