Emperor Aquaman #16 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; John Timms, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The status quo has been reset, and Aquaman is wasting no time establishing himself as a bigger power player in the DCU. With the entire Blue at his command now, the emperor of the seas immediately undoes one of the biggest challenges facing his family – Mera has her powers restored, because his control over water is far stronger than Amanda Waller’s machines. He’s now a more powerful king than ever, and he’s not afraid to act like it – quickly overruling his allies when they worry about his decision to bring King Shark into his allies. He doesn’t trust the vicious villain, but King Shark’s belief that he’s seen a prophecy and only Aquaman can stop it is enough to convince Arthur that the monster can be at least a temporary ally. As he delegates power in Atlantis, he and his allies set out to connect the various kingdoms of the sea to each other – creating a new undersea empire.
There are a lot of interesting subplots here, including Jackson Hyde now learning magic from Arion, but the most intense part of the issue comes when the heroes arrive in a strange kingdom featuring what looks like giant sentient red ants. They’re enthusiastic about connecting with the rest of the universe – maybe a little too friendly, as they pretty quickly make Zan uneasy and are revealed to be not what they claimed to be at all. Adams and Timms do a great job at capturing just how inherently creepy the seas can be, when you get down in the depths, and this issue has a great body horror vibe at times. But while it’s action-packed and shows Arthur at his most bold, there are also some uneasy things about this issue. It’s clear that Arthur’s new power is going to his head a bit, and while he seems to be the same hero he always was, what happens to an Emperor when he stands alone atop the throne? With an old enemy returning, the stakes are only getting higher.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
