DCU Comic Book Reviews

AQUAMAN:  SWORD OF ATLANTIS #41

Over His Head

June 2006

Written by Kurt Busiek

Pencils by Butch Guice

Inks by Butch Guice

Covers by Butch Guice and Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino

Synopsis

Arthur Curry is in the middle of a sword fight with Atsiul and it is not going well.... Three days earlier, Arthur had traveled above water to search for his father amongst the wreckage of the storm.  He was unable to find anything.  So desperate, he searched until he could no longer breathe air.  King Shark saved him and brought him back to the Dweller.  King Shark then felt his debt had been repaid and left them.  Arthur suggested they search again, but the Dweller knows the surface people would not help; Arthur needs to find friends on land to help.  Arthur remembers a great uncle in Maine.  Before they could get going, a representative from Queen Mera wants Arthur to come meet her as thanks for saving them against the Aruti raiders.  At Surfaceman’s Grave (which the dweller refuses to enter), Arthur learns what happened to Atlantis.  Mera asks Arthur to join them but before he can answer, Atsiul challenges Arthur to a duel.  His anger getting the better of him, Arthur agrees.  At first the battle does not go well, but Arthur digs deep into his reserve of strength and fights back and is about to kill Atsiul when King Shark returns.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I am really getting into this book and this story.  It looks as if the new Arthur Curry has the same anger management issues that the first Arthur Curry had.  I actually like this, as it seems the Dweller (whom I am assuming is the first Arthur Curry unless told otherwise) seems to have gotten past that.  Now, we have another Aquaman with the same traits.  But what I like about this so far is that the story can go in some many different ways with so many different plot points hanging in the balance.  All of them are intriguing.  The only question is:  which way will Busiek go with them all?  I liked the fact that the Dweller is willing to help Arthur try to find his missing family.  With the prophecy and all I thought this might have been a bone of contention between the two, but it does not seem to be, which I liked.  I think we need to see more of Arthur before the storm.

What did King Shark see to make him return to Arthur?  It was an odd little moment that I thought was going to be revealed in this issue, but is being saved for later.

This was partly an exposition issue to explain what had happened to Atlantis during and after the Crisis.  Normally I get angry at long scenes like that, but in this case it works because Arthur Curry (just like the reader) would no nothing of what happened to Atlantis. So, yes, we finally learn the fate of Atlantis, but Arthur does at well, so it serves a dual purpose.  Actually a third purpose as it also lays out some of the past for any of the new readers out there.  And, hopefully, there are some new readers out there.

Here is a little tidbit that I find fascinating:  the original Aquaman learned English and took his name, Arthur Curry, from a lighthouse keeper who lived in Maine.  Makes you wonder if perhaps the Great-Uncle discussed about in this issue is in any way related to the original Arthur Curry from way back when.

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