Peace is all the old gods want, but alas, they can’t seem to find. The only one that can protect them though is Aquaman, along with Aqualad. Minor spoilers for Aquaman #52 follow.
So far, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha’s run on Aquaman has been generally great. There hasn’t really been a clear path forward, but that hasn’t mattered. The series has been incredibly enjoyable and brought a different style to the series. That style though is a bit eschewed in this issue for a more classic superhero style. Things do play about a bit differently to separate it from the more traditional things though. However, they aren’t touched on as much as they maybe could’ve been. This is by far not a bad issue, but it lacks the finesse of previous issues.
Probably the best thing about this issue is the refusal to follow a traditional superhero ending. Not everyone is saved. So often, superheroes save everyone who needs to be saved, never making a mistake on the way, thus lessening the stakes. Thankfully, this issue doesn’t do that. It shows a young hero that, no matter how hard he tries, he will sometimes fail. That’s inevitable. Stories like these have made for some of the best superhero stories ever, and hopefully, it’s expanded on in future issues.
The action in this issue is solid as well. Arthur truly begins to feel like Aquaman again in this issue, trident and all. While this is something that hasn’t been necessarily missing from the series, it’s enjoyable to him back at it again. Arthur has always been an incredible fighter, so it’s always good to see a story show that off. Plus, even Aqualad gets some good sequences throughout the issue, giving him time to shine.
The problems with this issue stem from the action-heaviness of it. There are excellent ideas here, as well as twists on the superhero formula, but they aren’t given time to marinate. The action is the focus of this issue, giving way to the character moments that would’ve pulled out the most emotional impact. This creates for a lack of emotional tension toward the end of the issue. There’s an opportunity to explore the emotional fallout from this issue later in the series, but it isn’t done here.
Yet again though, Robson Rocha kills it on art duties. Despite the story ranging into more traditional superhero elements, his art stays true to the style established. The action throughout the issue feels very much like most superhero books but has the fantasy style that he’s been doing for the past year. The monster being fought in this issue isn’t simply a giant sea creature, it’s a monster. It’s almost more fitting to be in the pages of Justice League Dark than Aquaman, which helps this issue. The design of the creature alone helps the action of this feel more exciting that it may have otherwise been. This is all thanks to his excellent linework, and the inking by Daniel Henriques enhances it perfectly.
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