Serving as an epilogue to the “Throne of Atlantis” crossover with Justice League, this issue of Aquaman gives readers a new start and promises to move our hero into a new direction. What’s the verdict on this nautical adventure? Take the jump and check the Major Spoilers review of Aquaman #17…
AQUAMAN #17
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciler: Paul Pelletier
Inker: Sean Parsons
Colorist: Rod Reis
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price – $2.99
Previously, in Aquaman: Our hero has successfully repelled an invasion of the surface world with the help of the Justice League, and now is recognized as king of Atlantis. However, the decimation brought on by the Atlanteans has created mistrust among humans for Aquaman, and members of his own kingdom are doubtful of his claim to the kingdom…
A FISH OUT OF WATER
This issue serves as a nice tie between the recent crossover and lays down some intriguing hooks for the next few issues, which is what comic book epilogues are designed to do.
We start with an appearance by the Sea Devils, which overjoyed the Silver Age geek in me. The team of ecologists gets caught in the middle of a dispute between Atlanteans and humans, who have stolen technology from Atlantis during the recent war. Attempting to keep the peace, Aquaman jumps into the fray.
The resulting sequence is all about characterizing Arthur Curry. The attacks of Atlantis have left humans paranoid of Atlanteans and mistrustful of Aquaman in particular. Furthermore, the king is not welcomed by many of his subjects who preferred the militaristic ways of their former ruler. Aquaman is not accepted by either group, and his loneliness is easy to feel by the end of this issue. The last couple of pages give the reader a double-splash page of just who Aquaman feels the most kinship with. It’s an interesting conclusion and I’m curious to see where the story will go with this.
WETWORKS
I really enjoy Pelletier’s artwork. Aquaman is a book where the artist has to be versatile. There are scenes of action as well as strictly conversational panels. There is pandemonium at sea with a variety of humans and Atlanteans, all in different gear or armor. There are sea creatures at every turn. In short, it’s easy for an Aquaman book to suffer artistically because of the wide range of subjects the artist must depict. Pelletier nails it here, realistically depicting all of the above while never failing to keep Aquaman looking stoic and regal. Well done!
BOTTOM LINE: A NICE HOOK
This issue of Aquaman is an easy recommendation for those who have read Aquaman in the past, were introduced to the character during the Justice League crossover, or just want to know more about the hero in general. It is best described as a “set-up” issue, as many events seem to be foreshadowed in its pages. It’s a good read with fantastic art and well-worth your time. Aquaman #17 gets four out of five stars.
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