The monster that attacked Aquaman has disappeared, but a seemingly immortal man has now arrived in Amnesty Bay. Can there be any connection between the two? Spoilers for Aquaman #53 follow.
Aquaman has stumbled a bit over the past couple of issues. It hasn’t been bad, but it has lived up to the first arc in any meaningful way. It hasn’t been as interesting or as investing, which has created for a bit of a lackluster experience reading it. However, Aquaman looks to be trending back up with this latest issue. It expands the mythos, finally pays off build-up that has been stretched for way too long, and has an air of excitement to it. It’s not perfect as it is juggling a bit too much, but it is a step in the right direction.
As mentioned, there’s a lot going on in this issue, but the most interesting part is the reunion between Arthur and Mera. At this point, they haven’t seen each other since Mera killed him by accident, thus making her several months pregnant. This creates for a tense beginning that swiftly showcases the love that they have for one another. No one would blame Arthur for hating her for what she did, but his reaction to her and his subsequent protection shows how deeply he cares. As for Mera, all it took was three panels. She turns, looks at Vulko and asks, “How’s my hair?” It seems so not Mera, but it’s perfect for the situation. She’s in shock and she reverts to being like a child with a crush. It’s extremely sweet and heartwarming.
But their reunion is immediately interrupted by the arrival of Black Manta in his armored mech. Really, a year ago, when this new creative was brought on, if someone told me that there would be Black Manta mech, I would’ve laughed. Now though, it’s real and it’s awesome. This may just be the Code Geass fan in me talking, but give me a giant mech any day of the week. The problem though, with Black Manta’s untimely arrival, is that it adds more plot into an issue already filled with plot. It makes sense why everything that’s in here is present. Nothing feels unnecessary, but it feels like there needed to be a higher page count to really develop everything as well as it needed to be.
Once again though, the art on this series is fantastic. The fact that the scope of the series has changed drastically in just over a year and the art is still great, shows how dedicated the team is to this series. Gone (mostly) are the fantasy elements that permeated “Unspoken Water” and in is the sci-fi that is heavily present in the DC universe. That’s a drastic change that feels like the art may not be able to change with, yet it does.
Probably the most surprising thing about the art in this issue though is its depiction of Mera. Undoubtedly, it’s probably very difficult to portray a character who is a warrior, a queen, and pregnant without taking away one of those things or seemingly unrealistic. Yet, Robson Rocha manages to combine all of the above into one, creating for an excellent depiction of Mera in this issue.
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