Aquaman #9 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; John Timms, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: It’s been a long, strange journey for Aquaman, as his kingdom and family was stolen away from him by the sea God Dagon at the start of this run. He eventually got back there – with several new allies – but found that time had passed. His daughter was now on the cusp of adulthood, and Mera was on the verge of death. After defeating Dagon and becoming the new avatar of the Blue, he was left to bury his wife – and return to Earth. Along with one of the Wonder Twins, Arion, Lori Lemaris, and Captain Nemo, they arrive just in time to see the Justice League in a pitched battle with…Superman? The Man of Steel has been possessed by a demon, and is holding the entire Justice League at bay. But as soon as Aquaman turns up, he’s able to hold Superman off and give the League the time they need in order to exorcise the demon. And just like that, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe has changed.
One of the things I really like about this run is the way it’s dedicated to upgrading Aquaman’s presence in the DCU. Making him the avatar of the Blue is a great way to do that – and the concept of the Blue is a perfect way to expand what’s been done with Animal Man, Swamp Thing, and even Beast Boy over the years. But despite the huge-scale story, this series has some great small moments. The reunion between Superman and Lori is intriguing, and Aquaman’s grief is palpable in quiet moments. There are so many unanswered questions in this issue, such as what Aquaman and Andy’s bond will be like in this new dynamic, and whether Dagon has actually been defeated. But as this issue ends, we get a cliffhanger that throws everything for a loop – and forces us to consider whether anything we’ve seen so far can be trusted. I’m confused, but I’m very intrigued.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
