With his daughter taken and missing, Arthur, fueled by rage, immediately heads toward the obvious culprit, his brother, Orm. Spoilers for Aquaman #59 follow.
It’s been a little over two months since the last issue of Aquaman due to, let’s just say, extenuating circumstances, but the series is back now and it really couldn’t have come at a better time story-wise. In comics, two months is the relative maximum that most people are willing to wait for a series’ next issue to resolve a cliffhanger before moving on to something else.
This obviously wasn’t the plan in the first place, but it was fortuitous that this issue came out when it did. And does the issue solve the cliffhanger well? It does while also developing the story even more.
The biggest thing this issue needed to do based on the cliffhanger it was spinning out of was answering what happened to Princess Andy. Many stories make the mistake of leaving this thread dangling for the sake of mystery and when a story does not take place within the mystery genre, it’s often frustrating to read.
Luckily, what happened to Andy is addressed in this issue and it’s exactly what Arthur thought happened, Orm took her. It’s highly predictable, but it makes sense and there’s so much more going on than just the fact that Orm took Andy.
This issue goes a long way in establishing the long con that Orm is playing right now, while also expounding on the fact that he’s a sociopath. He uses his own “son” as a ploy to trick Arthur into believing that he wasn’t the culprit, which pushes forth several agendas that he has moving forward.
It’s sick and twisted in a way that very much befits Orm and it showcases the character well. This is never someone who Arthur should trust and yet, he does because he knows just the right words to say. He’s a master manipulator and it shows in this issue.
Back on the land though, we get to see more about what Caille and Aqualad are doing to find Andy and the frustration that occurs. This is probably the least interesting part of the issue, even though there are some great moments for both Caille and Aqualad. This may be a personal thing that I have with Aqualad, but I don’t like how basically every story he’s in revolves around his relationship with Black Manta.
There’s a real lack of variety at this point with the character and it’s disappointing that the team goes into the well of him seeking out Black Manta for help. It lessens the agency of the character and, as readers, you know this will probably backfire in the worst way possible.
As for the art in this issue, Robson Rocha isn’t at his best here. There are some fantastic moments in the issue, such as Arthur storming Orm’s fortress with a crew of sharks behind him, but a lot of the issue feels rushed. His linework isn’t as clean as it normally is. Facial expressions look a bit janky and awkward at times. And the issue as a whole doesn’t feel as cohesive as Rocha’s art normally does. Absolutely none of the art in this issue is bad in any case though, it’s just a notable dip in quality for Rocha’s normally magnificent work.
