Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Aquaman #2

By Garth the geek
October 26, 2011 - 20:25

Here is my problem with Aquaman: with issue one being as close to perfect as one could hope, how could issue two possibly hold up?

In addition, I enjoyed how Geoff Johns attacked the idea of Aquaman being “nobody’s favorite super-hero” head on. Johns didn’t hide from the fact that Aquaman has become the butt of everyone’s joke over the past few decades; he accepted it and used it to progress the story. But as much as I loved and appreciated this, too much can quickly become old and stale.

With these thoughts playing in my mind, I walked into the comic store both anticipating and fearing the second issue.

So how did issue 2 hold up? Really well.

The idea of Aquaman being “nobody’s favorite hero” was touched upon slightly, but it was the creatures from the Trench who took center stage. And a hero can only be as good as their villain. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. The Fantastic Four has Doctor Doom. But who does Aquaman have? Seriously, who does he have? Well, now he has the Trench. And these things are freaky, all teeth and appetite.

I remember walking along a secluded road in Greece, and there were these fat, green locusts in the middle of the road feasting on something. Suddenly a car came along and flattened a bunch of them. Other locusts emerged from the side of the road, hopping to the center to begin eating the ones that had just died. It seemed… wrong… And that’s what the creatures of the Trench are like - when one of their comrades falls, they don’t register it as a loss, they view it as a meal.

In addition to the creatures from the Trench, Johns also focuses more on Mera. I don’t know how she was before the reboot, but here we have a strong female character learning about the surface world and wanting to try all the crazy things that surface people do, like “using pieces of wood to slide down frozen water.” She also clearly understands Aquaman’s worth and harbours some resentment toward the treatment he receives. One simple line, “They should be bowing before you,” really resonated with me.

Long story short: I don’t know how long Johns can keep up this pace, but I’ve officially been converted. No longer do I view Aquaman as a joke; he kicks ass, and I’m telling anyone who will listen. Hell, I even picked up the second printing of issue one today with the sole purpose of lending it to my friends and saying, “Here, read this, and then go buy your own.”

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12