Broken Frontier

Aquaman is really in the thick of things after the OMAC attack has left Geist dead, and decimated Sub Diego, but can the sea king deal with a new threat rising in Atlantis?

I keep coming back for more every month with this title, and I am convinced that this is such an underrated book. Now amongst the rumors following Infinite Crisis, both Wonder Woman and Flash are being cancelled. Even Hawkman will undergo major changes in the New Year, but I am hoping that Aquaman stems the tide of change. This is such a great title and I must say the character is riding high on a wave of solid storytelling.

This month’s story picks up the shattered pieces in lieu of the OMACs attacking Sub Diego last issue. The surprising turn of events forced Aquaman into a life and death struggle with Geist (now transformed into an OMAC), and the repercussions from that fight open up this issue. Geist’s body is found floating to the surface and if that’s not enough to start things off, Aquaman is pressed into a sticky situation between his ailing wife Mera and his new surface-girl friend. Both women are totally unaware of each other and have been left in the dark until now, and Arthur just blows them both off. He’s so obsessed with policing Sub Diego that he shrugs off Mera’s biting observations and heads back into the ocean to rendezvous with his son Koryak.

Now back in his element, Aquaman rejoins the likes of Lorena and newly appointed policeman Malrey to further discuss the extent of the damage done by Geist. While the trio babbles on, Black Manta (newly recharged) and his troops prepare for a surface assult that will ultimately lead him into direct contact with the citizens of Sub Diego. I am sure Aquaman’s going to love that, but I don’t think that’s going to be half as bad as to what’s secretly going down in Atlantis. All I will say is that it ties directly into the events of Infinite Crisis, and it’s going to be one hell of a whopper next issue.

I think it’s also safe for me to say the current storyline in Aquaman is indeed one hell of a whopper, and it’s being told by a writer who’s done an admirable job thus far. John Arcudi has written close to a dozen issues already, and I can’t really find one fault with his storylines. He’s crafted an intriguing adventure after taking over from the previous writer (Will Pfiefer) and he’s really found his niche with this current storyline. I am looking forward to future storylines from this writer, and I see no reason why he would flop at this point.

Mr. Arcudi is also getting great support from artists Leonard Kirk and Andy Clarke. The tandem has been developing a splendid one-two punch for several issues after taking over in relief from Patrick Gleason. I have often thought of Leonard Kirk as an underrated artist, and his work is solid no matter what assignment he lands here at DC. He previously dazzled fans with his work on Bloodhound (cancelled) and now he’s cutting his chops here with some decent pencils for this series. He’s developing a symbiotic relationship with inker Andy Clarke and the duo can only get better from here.

So if you’re looking for consistent superhero fare, then I suggest checking out the monthly saga of DC’s very own sea-king. Aquaman may not be considered a top tier book like Batman or Superman, but you can bet he sure does act like an A-list hero at the most crucial of times. Just pick up an issue and find out for yourself.