Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Aquaman #4

By Garth the geek
January 1, 2012 - 22:35

Aquaman #4 opens with a rescue mission: Aquaman and Mera are following the creatures from the Trench into the unknown depths of the Atlantic Ocean, attempting to rescue the townspeople taken by the creatures as food.

One of the things I've enjoyed the most in Aquaman series has been the interactions between Aquaman and the general populace – at times humorous, at other times almost painful to read, the interactions have helped illuminate Aquaman's general standing in the world. With issue 4, however, Geoff Johns takes Aquaman and Mera into to dark recesses of the ocean. Everything feels cold and desolate and silent. And while Johns eliminates my favourite part of the series so far – human interactions – he takes the opportunity to build upon Aquaman's and Mera's personalities.

As I've mentioned before, prior to the relaunch I had never read Aquaman. I don't know if Johns is building upon pre-established personalities and relationships, or if he's taken the series in an entirely new direction, but whichever it is, Johns makes it work. Aquaman and Mera play off each other well. On one hand, Aquaman respects the creatures from the Trench as living beings. Mera, on the other hand, believes them to be nothing more than mindless creatures that should be wiped out completely.

Aquaman #4 brings about a final confrontation between Aquaman and the creatures from the Trench, and concludes the original story arc. There's also some nice parallels being drawn between the first issue and the fourth, giving this arc (or at least a small part of it) a nice sense of closure.

Oh, and Aquaman gets a pet.

All in all, a fantastic comic that relies heavily on, and succeeds through, character development rather than slugfests and pretty pictures. Not that the artwork isn't impressive – it is. But rather than taking center stage, the artwork simply adds to an already strong story, rather than making up for a lack thereof.

Honestly, one can't ask for much more from an ongoing series. This is one of the reasons I'm happy to be buying comics again.

Rating: 10 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12