DCU Comic Book Reviews

AQUAMAN #18

American Tidal, Part IV

June 2004

Written by Will Pfeifer

Pencils by Patrick Gleason

Inks by Christian Alamy

Cover by Alan Davis & Mark Farmer

Synopsis

While concerned citizens help scared dogs return to the water, Aquaman and Lorena investigate the cause of the earthquake and the creature within the gears.  Aquaman senses that the creature is being controlled.  Those that control it are watching Aquaman and decide the must die.  Suddenly the creature comes alive.  At first, Aquaman is about to fight it, but then he realizes it is not one creature and using his telepathic powers, orders it to split apart, destroying the creature in the process.  From the bits and pieces, Aquaman is able to use his telepathic powers to determine what they know, which is the identity of a man living in San Diego, right along the new coast line.  Aquaman, with Lorena following him, decides to pay this man a visit...

Review

This was another good issue.  This story arc just keeps getting better and better.  At first I thought that the focus of the story would be on the tragedy and how the survivors are coping with their new physiology, with the reasons for the earthquake not important to the overall story.  It looks, obviously, like I was wrong.  Part of me is annoyed.  I think I would like to se more of what is going on in the depths of San Diego and how these people are adjusting and how Aquaman is helping them to adjust.  Yet, after reading this issue, I am now wondering what was going on and what these people are thinking and even these people are.  Maybe as the story goes along, we can learn what is happening to those living underwater. 

It was only one page, but it was by far my favorite part of the issue.  It was the page where the guy’s pet fish swim together and stare out at the sea.  At only four panels, it was quick but it was also subtle (I was looking at first at the background, expecting something big to come out of the water).  And when the man asked if they were waiting for a friend, I had a little chuckle.  Besides the small little joke, however, what I liked about it is that this scene, combined with the scene where Aquaman finds the man, exemplifies Aquaman’s common stance that everything is connected.  He is the king of the oceans not because of his heritage, but because of his ability to tap into all of the living creatures.  More than anyone, Aquaman knows that all things are connected, mostly because he is at the center of it.   -- MRB

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