DCU Comic Book Reviews

AQUAMAN:  SWORD OF ATLANTIS #52

You Can't Fight City Hall

July 2007

Written by Tad Williams

Layouts by Shawn McManus

Finishes by Walden Wong

Cover by Mario Alberti

Synopsis

Arthur, along with Topo, Lorena Marquez, Tempest, and Cal Durham have returned to Sub Diego only to learn that Black Manta has taken over the city.  They find police chief Alonzo Marley trapped in glass container with barely enough water to survive.  When they go to rescue him, they fall into a trap set by Black Manta, who demands the presence of the real Aquaman.  This angers Arthur, who punches Black Manta.  Cal Durham then creates a diversion and they are able to escape, momentarily.  When they regroup, the learn from Cal’s girlfriend that Black Manta seems to be interested in the old naval station that had sub along with the city.  Arthur, Lorena, and Cal decide to investigate.  On Ymirsheim, Jimmy Lockhart and Elsa Magnusson of the Windward Home and Dan Dorrance of the Sea Devils are being attacked in a mysterious tunnel they had found.  Suddenly, they are rescued by creatures from Neos.  It seems they had stumbled upon an entrance to Dyss.  Elsewhere, Arthur and the others reach the naval station.  Black Manta is waiting for them.  In San Diego, Arthur’s father is being held at Tri-Dent Industries and questioned about his son, who Dr. Curry thinks his dead. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I am still having trouble warming up to the Williams’ run on Aquaman.  There are small bits and pieces in each of these issues that I like, but for whatever reason the parts are not adding up to a satisfying whole.  A good part of this may be due to the small role Arthur Joseph has been taking in this series.  Lately, the book has come across as more of a team-up book with Cal, Lorena, Tempest, and Topo and potentially with Marley in the mix.  It almost seems as if Arthur is being pushed into the background.  This really is noticeable in this issue in which the storyline becomes a little bit more focused as we learn about Black Manta’s possible plan and we are given tantalizing plot developments dealing with Dyss, which relates back to Narwhal and to Topo.  But as you can see, these plot points are not directly related to Arthur Joseph.  This is a book about Aquaman and as such he needs to take center stage, especially given the fact that he is new and replacing the original Aquaman.  I always feel that one of the keys to any book is the addition of a good supporting cast and Williams has done that, but I think he might be going too far with them.  Aquaman needs to be defined. 

For the first time since his introduction, Topo’s ability to release ink was not part of a joke.  In this case, Arthur uses the ink as a way to hide their escape.  It was a very clever moment that I really liked. 

Williams is certainly using the history of the current Aquaman series to great effect by bringing back a plot line and a character that had not been seen for some time.  It is these little touches that add to a character’s history and the vast richness of the DCU, showing how things are connected or how life continues even when a character is not shown on panel. 

Comic Connection

Police Chief Alonzo Marley first appeared in Aquaman, issue #28 (May 2005).  The attack by the Marauder to obtain SPAWAR occurred in Aquaman, issue #23 (December 2004)

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