Broken Frontier

The plot thickens on land and sea, as Aquaman continues to probe the mystery behind the patent on his DNA.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the news of writer Will Pfeifer’s departure from the book. Worse yet I wasn’t too thrilled about John Arcudi replacing him either. I didn’t think this was a good move on DC’s part, since Will was instrumental in creating the subtext of sinking San Diego into the ocean. I was just getting into this storyline before it was announced that he was leaving the book for greener pastures elsewhere. Fortunately for me I stuck with the title despite the change in personnel, and after reading this issue it’s starting to pay off.

The payoff here is embroidered into several interesting storylines developing with the start of this story. From the looks of things, Aquaman is going to have his hands full in the future. Not only is he in the midst of continuing his crusade to trace the origins of the patent on his DNA, but it appears that Black Manta is being pressed into the situation as well. His appearance here is brief, but he is seen chatting with two representatives from Progene Tech. The conversation between them is vague, but there is strong indication of Black Manta’s involvement in Sub Diego down the road. But his involvement in the sunken city’s affairs is nothing in comparison to the trouble brewing in Atlantis. Lorena and friends traveled to the fabled city last issue as representatives from Sub Diego, but their arrival was greeted with very little enthusiasm. Tempest refuses to acknowledge them, and Aquaman’s son Koryak begs Lorena to take him back to Sub Diego so he can speak with his father. To top that off, the former sea king is seen talking to journalist Esther Maris in her apartment and that leads to an intriguing moment on the very last page. I think there will be tons of fireworks next issue.

I think it’s safe to say that writer John Arcudi is quickly becoming a more than adequate replacement. The quality of storylines and diverse character interactions continue to impress me with each passing issue. If I do have one small complaint, it would be how quickly Esther Maris is becoming a vital cog in Aquaman’s life. I thought her role in this issue was rushed too quickly and there could have been a bit more of a build-up, but that’s just my opinion. Beyond that, the story flowed really well and like always the artwork of Patrick Gleason is rock solid. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite artists and I look forward to every issue he works on. I can’t wait for his up-coming work on the Green Lantern Corps series starting in September, and there’s no doubt that will be rock solid from beginning to end!

So if you like the continued level of quality superhero stories DC is currently putting out, then I suggest coming onboard this title. Aquaman’s current role as protector of Sub Diego continues to be effective, and I am curious to see where they go with the concept. So far the stories are abundant and I am sure there will be much more to come.