DCU Comic Book Reviews

AQUAMAN #4

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

May 2003

Written by Rick Veitch

Pencils by Yvel Guichet & Joshua Hood

Inks by Mark Propst & Sean Parsons

Cover by Yvel Guichet & Mark Propst

Synopsis

After his encounter with Rodunn, Aquaman and Sweeny are heading back to the lighthouse when Tempest appears out of the ocean.  Tempest tells Aquaman that Dolphin and Cerdian are being held under house arrest under the new regimen, heading by Hagen.  Tempest wants Aquaman to reclaim the throne of Atlantis, but Aquaman has had enough of political intrigue.  Tempest decides to show Aquaman Atlantis and casts a spell that transports their bodies into fish.  They swim through Atlantis, where Aquaman learns hat Mera is being kept drugged while Hagen rules the kingdom.  When Aquaman gets a closer look at Mera, Hagen senses the fish are not what they seem and send out barracuda to get them.  Aquaman implores Tempest to reverse the spell, but Tempest can’t do it while trying to swim away from the barracuda.  Meanwhile, on land, several of Hagen’s men have found the inert bodies of Aquaman and Tempest on the sand.  They are about to kill Aquaman when Sweeny returns, using her car to scare them away.  At the moment, the barracuda swallows the Aquaman and Tempest fish.  Aquaman channels his watery hand and it detaches to grab hold of Tempest’s staff to counter the spell.  Back on land, Aquaman decides to raise an army and take back his kingdom.  The Lady of the Lake, however, tells him that his new power cannot be raised in anger.

Review

This was a very necessary issue, but one I did not care for all that much.  Part of me was hoping that Aquaman really would leave Atlantis behind and we would get more stories of Arthur at the lighthouse with Sweeny and McCaffrey.  I suppose, however, that Aquaman being unable to swim in the ocean would limit the types of stories one can do.  So, this issue begins the story arc to get Aquaman back under the water.  I understand the necessity of Aquaman learning how things have changed in Atlantis and what Hagen and the other sorcerers have done, especially to Mera.  I am just a little put off by the fish.  To be honest, I can’t think of any other possible way for Aquaman to learn about his old kingdom, but the fish just seemed so … hokey, stupid, or whatever else.  Okay, I thought of something: have Rodunn tell Aquaman what is going on.  After all, Rodunn was supposedly a general; he would know what Hagen and the others are up to. 

I do like the ending with the Lady of the Lake.  To me, it makes perfect sense that she would be upset at Aquaman raising his hand in anger (you gotta love the double meaning in that phrase).  The Lady has struck me as being, perhaps not a pacifist, but certainly not one to give into anger.  I am not quite sure what the Lady is referring to when she says Aquaman raised his hand in anger during his battle with Rodunn; hopefully this will be explained.  It will be interesting to see what the Lady means by the poison chalice and how this will affect Aquaman’s attempts to get his old kingdom, if indeed this is the direction they are going to go. -- MRB