Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Aquaman #15

By Hervé St-Louis
January 18, 2017 - 10:12

It’s Aquaman versus Black Manta and N.E.M.O. again. Will this new fight of the two arch enemies stack up to all of the classic encounters they’ve had in the past? Which one will come out alive?

This issue is the conclusion of the whole storyline started in Aquaman Rebirth and the hero meets with his arch enemy once again. There have been several fights between Aquaman and Black Manta over the years and unlike other heroes and their arch enemies, old time fans know that when these two meet, anything can happen. In one of the best fight ever, written by Geoff Johns, Aquaman lost his hand to Black Manta. In previous fights, Black Manta murdered Aquaman’s son. This is how vicious these things can get when these two meet.

The fight in Aquaman Rebirth #1 was worthwhile with Black Manta destroying the Atlantean embassy. This one is dynamic and deadly but I would not rate it as the most classic encounter between the two characters. What we get is Aquaman bursting the domed helmet of Black Manta and puncturing him a bit. But then Black Manta ends it all with the classic villain escape of blowing up the ship and its crew. That felt like a cheat.



It finally dawned on me that Philippe Briones is inspired by John Byrne, heavily. The entire fight has the kind of kinetic movement one expects from a Byrne super hero fight. The angles, the postures all give away a clear Byrne influence. And that’s why the way Briones draws technology seemed somewhat familiar in the past. If you long for a modern take on Byrne, pick up this issue. I haven’t seen anyone capture Byrne’s energy and signature so well since the late Mike Parobeck. I must say that inker Wayne Faucher's inks also helped make Briones' work much better than usual.

Rating: 9.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12