Aquaman, #13

[CBR News]

• The finale of "The Others."
• Aquaman pushed to the breaking point!
• Who is Black Manta working for?


Full article here.

[InformationGeek]

It has taken a long time to get here (with an actual month off and stuff), but finally the arc is coming to a close. This should be good and exciting.

Also, Mera is still awesome, getting him out of that funk and all.

[randallt]

I'm really going to miss Reis once he's off the book. Nobody will ever get Mera the way he does.

Regarding the dialogue with the costume, I actually prefer him shirtless. Not in any lustful way but to me shirless with the green pants works. Gives more of a sense of power. Still, it could just be the Reis artwork.

[DebkoX]

Reis leaving is bad, I hope it works though.

[The One and Only]

^Don't worry, Reis may be leaving, but Paul Pellitier will be running with the ball next.

[Desaad]

Looks pretty decent. Aquaman has been unoffensively fun to me.

[Rakzo]

Fantastic preview, I hope Pelletier is able to do a work equally as great as Reis.

[Doctor Voodoo]

^Don't worry, Reis may be leaving, but Paul Pellitier will be running with the ball next.

Technically, Pete Woods and Ardian Syaf got next dibs on interiors, but yeah can't wait for Paul Pellitier... and the conclusion to "The Others". The extra month wait was far too long.

[flottanna]

Ugh I can't wait. I hope that the shipping doesn't mess up. With Hurricane Sandy. I'm going to be dead smack in the middle of it in NJ.

[Karl O'Neill]

I like the quote about under-valuing who Aquaman really is. I think some fans will find it heavy-handed and trite though.

[Flashpoint]

I like the quote about under-valuing who Aquaman really is. I think some fans will find it heavy-handed and trite though.

DITTO. What a great scene in the preview!

Sidebar: I was convinced (as many were) that the Operative's grandson was the traitor working with Manta. But damn if that ship doesn't look Atlantean in origin! Maybe Ocean Master *and* the Scavenger working with Manta???

[Ironman2978]

Ugh I can't wait. I hope that the shipping doesn't mess up. With Hurricane Sandy. I'm going to be dead smack in the middle of it in NJ.

I know the feeling. The only upside is I miss a few college classes and get time to finish my essays.

[Retro315]

I'm not big on the idea of introducing all those Gold Atlantean Relics and then not having them all worn by one person, some evil Gold Submariner guy. But I have the biggest hunch that despite being the "villain" of the next arc, Ocean Master's hardly the grave threat. He's a red herring, and crossing it over with JLA is the biggest red herring of all. Ocean Master, what will we get? Spotlighting Aquaman's brother means we move from learning about Arthur's history, and Tom Curry, and pirates and treasure seekers and sailors and 40s pulp heroes ... and we go to Atlantis and learn about Atlanna, and royalty, or Atlantean politics (more Vulko, no doubt), and learn about Arthur's early days as Aquaman when he was new to the JLA, King of Atlantis and first met Mera. (Wonder if Garth & Tula will be around?)

There's zero doubt we'll see Arthur's first meeting with Orm, their rivalry and Arthur taking over as king and all the resentment. We'll probably see Atlanna's royal tomb. But Ocean Master didn't sink Atlantis 5000 years ago. Ocean Master isn't the evil king of a submarine prison bubble in the Bermuda Triangle. Ocean Master didn't bury the Trench. He's just a traitorous Prince John/Mordred character - the classic cowardly little brother of the King trope.

Dollars to donuts we'll see Aquaman's "Secret Origin of his scale-mail shirt", too. (I'd like to see Waid's "prison uniform" thing stick.)

And yeah, he'll be elevated finally to an A-List threat level just by sheer weight of the creative team and story, but I also bet he'll be sympathetic. Manta isn't sympathetic - Manta could almost be, but then goes beyond the pale (plus Johns went out of the way to mention he might've been a bit of a cut-throat anyway). Ocean Master'll be the Sinestro character here.

[The One and Only]

Well, while a bit of a cut throat, like his father, Aquaman still killed his dad in front of him. So the anger is quite understandable. Although he's gone beyond the pale in avenging him by visciously taking out anyone even remotely connected to Arthur, or just being around Manta when he's P.O.ed.

[mmehshow]

I enjoyed the issue but the ending was sooooooooooo cliche. The villain begging to be killed with the hero telling him no. Cheese. Ah we'll. still a decent arc overall.