DCU Comic Book Reviews

AQUAMAN #26

Retroverse One

March 2005

Written by John Arcudi

Pencils by Patrick Gleason

Inks by Christian Alamy

Cover by Patrick Gleason & Christian Alamy

Synopsis

In Sub Diego, the citizens are afraid of Aquaman and his sidekick, Lorena.  Meanwhile, the old city council members meet to discuss what to do with Aquaman, who has not done anything to help the lives of those living underwater.  Aquaman and Lorena break up the meeting and deal with the traitors.  Meanwhile, in his underwater laboratory, Geist watches what happens, confused.  He swims out to investigate and his quickly captured.  Aquaman declares Geist will be killed, which confuses Geist even more because he does not recognize “Aquaman.”  Suddenly, a school of fish swim into Aquaman’s lair, heralding the arrival of his brother...the Ocean Master, who happens to look exactly like the true Aquaman. 

Review

Regardless of the quality of the story or the art, this was just the wrong, wrong type of story to be telling right now.  Sub Diego as a world and a setting within Aquaman is so brand new, that to turn it up side down in some sort of mirror universe plot will probably confuse the hell out of the readers.  The opening sequence was designed as a feint, to show Aquaman’s “bad” side before revealing that it really is not Aquaman, but someone else entirely (or the Ocean Master, as is the case).  And, regardless of how well it was done, I think there will be some people who will read it, knowing Sub Diego is new and think perhaps the situation is real rather than “not real” and think this is the new Aquaman rather than the evil Aquaman.  Worse, some readers who haven’t been following this title too closely may think that Sub Diego is part of the mirror universe and the sunken city may very well be gone once this story wraps up.  Either way, this is the wrong type of message to get across to readers. 

The other problem with this story is that it offers absolutely no reason why we have suddenly been inserted in to this mirror universe.  We could’ve used just a small tease, something, anything to give us a clue as to what is going on here.  Otherwise, this comes a cross as an “Elseworld” title rather than part of the DC proper that has been mixed because of, I don’t know, magic or even the machine that sank San Diego in the first place. 

Was Geist actually mentioned by name at any point? 

 -- MRB 

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