Broken Frontier

The new Aquaman’s first major battle is met with victory, and in doing so several big revelations come to pass

In light of the sweeping changes that tore through this title in light of the One Year Later event, it quickly became apparent that the Aquaman we’ve come to know would be no more. Those changes transformed the title into a sword and sorcery epic with many more questions surrounding the status of the original Aquaman. We’re now six issues into this newly spawned direction, and I must say the creative team of Busiek and Guice has really found their stride here.

This one opens with the young Arthur Curry clinging for dear life after being gutted in combat (last issue) with the Ocean Master. He’s quickly taken by the Dweller of the Depths to the ocean floor where he can be treated for his wounds. The Dweller is full of remorse, since he blames himself for leading the young Arthur into battle. It doesn’t take the Dweller very long to summon all the power he can to heal the boy’s wounds and send him back into battle. Surprisingly though, the big turn of events to come to pass as the issues comes to a close reveals the whereabouts of the original Aquaman. Now I am not going to play the role of spoiler and spill my guts here, but let’s just say that another layer of questions will only further perpetuate the mysteries surrounding OYL.

Now I don’t know if any of the mysteries answered during the course of this story will give readers the insight they may be seeking, but it will leave you wanting more. At least that’s how I felt about it and I must tip my hat to writer Kurt Busiek for fashioning an engaging story. He obviously understood the usage of story beats and he used this issue wisely to set up the new Aquaman’s status quo as a hero to be reckoned with. The plotting avoided all the contrived clichés often associated with this kind of genre storytelling, and it’s great to see new life breathed into this character once more.

I was also pleased to find artist Butch Guice return to full art duties on this issue. For the past few stories his absence has been duly noted, and although I have nothing against the guest artists that replaced him it’s just not the same. It’s here that we get to see Butch continue his homage to Burne Hogarth and envision Aquaman as a more pulp inspired hero. I love how his characters sprawl and grapple across the page during the action scenes, and Dan Brown’s palate of deeply hued colors help enhance the dynamism of it all.

So for all those readers who may be thinking the OYL concept is a bust, well then, think again. I know that originally I wasn’t totally enamored with the idea of moving one year ahead, but after reading this issue I can see the brilliance of why that decision had been made. This issue had more than enough intrigue and adventure going for it to turn this into a solid read throughout, so I suggest to readers thinking of dropping this title to reconsider. So long live the new Aquaman and let’s hope your reign as hero of the undersea world is a merry one.