Aquaman #3 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; John Timms, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jeremy Adams continues to do for Aquaman what he did for Flash and Green Lantern, expanding the character’s world but also adding a whole lot of emotional honesty to his stories. We haven’t seen that much of Aquaman’s childhood as a small-town lighthouse keeper’s son, but this issue has a great segment where Arthur questions if his father ever wanted something more out of life. Before his father has the chance to answer, they’re swept into a crisis on a stormy night and Arthur gets the chance to see up-close hows much his father’s work matters. It’s a story he reflects on as he and his new allies head to their destination, having defeated the monstrous Jenny Greenteeth. The strange Atlantean king Arion and the mysterious Lady of the Lake know more than he does about the nature of this undersea mirror kingdom – and they may have the key to defeating the larger enemy.
With Arthur desperate to find his family, Arion fills him in on the larger conflict unfolding under the sea – involving an ancient sea God named Dagon who stole power that wasn’t his in ancient times and now rules this sector below the seas. It nicely incorporates some great, creepy visuals that call back to Lovecraftian mythology. Arion sets about crafting an ancient weapon using Arthur’s blood that could turn the tide – but before he gets the chance, Arthur comes under attack by an army sent by Dagon, and it includes a very surprising figure from the past of the DCU. This story actually has some surprising ties to the current story in World’s Finest, and it’s a great example of how much deep DC lore Adams is using when writing his runs. This book has just started, but it has great character work, great plotting, and phenomenal art – it’s shaping up as one of the great Aqua-runs.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
