Black Manta has invaded Amnesty Bay in a giant mech, leaving Aquaman, Mera, and the rest on their back feet. Spoilers for Aquaman #54 follow.
For the past couple of issues, Aquaman has hit a bit of a bump in the road. Not much has really been happening and the charm of the previous arc has been lost. There’s been an unclear path forward, but the solution to that I guess is going full anime and bring in a mech. Given the heavy fantasy elements that have been incorporated into the series so far, the newly added sci-fi elements could’ve been jarring, but are surprisingly not. While action-packed, this issue brings the series closer to where it was during the first arc.
There’s really no reason that Black Manta having a mech should work. He has always been a relatively grounded villain for Aquaman, so to take that away from him and essentially put him in an anime (something I admittedly love), it shouldn’t feel right. Yet, it does in this issue. It’s something new being done with Manta and it’s done in a way that also builds the character’s backstory, mainly by having the mech A.I. being based on his father. This adds an added layer of pathos to how Manta views those around him, basically showing he has no redeeming qualities.
The issue also dives into more of the backstory for Black Manta, demonstrating the relationship that he and his father had. This is then tied into the new origin of both characters as shown in “The Others” storyline. By doing so, it really develops Manta’s hatred for Aquaman in a much more substantive way, while also building his ruthless nature. Manta obviously loved his father but also learned his ruthless ways from him. This is the most that Manta’s backstory has ever been explored and it’s done so effectively without ruining the mystique of the character.
The art in the issue is kind of where the issue falls flat though. It’s not bad, not in the slightest, but it doesn’t feel as inventive or unique as it has felt in previous issues. Robson Rocha draws the main story of the issue while Jesús Merino handles the flashback pages of the issue. While it’s fun to see Rocha drawing this epic mech, these portions of the issue don’t really flow all that well. The final few pages are where Rocha’s art shines the most because the fantasy elements sink back in, setting up a kaiju/mech fight. Merino, on the other hand, has the same problems. His art doesn’t really flow as well as it could. Some of it just feels awkwardly paced. Both Rocha and Merino’s linework is very clean though and looks well done, it’s just their pacing feels slightly off.
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