Aquaman: Andromeda

DC Black Label Originals

by Ram V, Christian Ward (Inker)

Deep in the Pacific Ocean sits Point the spaceship graveyard. But it’s not only ships that sit at these dark depths. There’s a structure never made by human hands. And that structure seems to be…waking up. The crew of the experimental submarine Andromeda have been chosen to investigate this mystery. But they aren’t the only ones pursuing it. The master pirate Black Manta is on the hunt…and anything that attracts Black Manta attracts Arthur Curry, his lifelong foe, the Aquaman! But heaven help them all when the doors of the mystery at Point Nemo swing wide to admit them…Collects Andromeda #1-3.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Superheroes, Fantasy, Science Fiction

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2023

About the author

Ram V (Ramnarayan Venkatesan) is an author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India. His comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated Indian comic series, Aghori. A graduate of the City University of London’s Creative Writing MA, he has since created the critically acclaimed Black Mumba and the fantasy adventure series, Brigands.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this so much more than I actually did.
It's not bad. It really isn't.
But the premise just doesn't live up to the hype.



If you're really hankering for an Aquaman horror story, then...yeah. Go ahead and get this.
But as far as an amazing story goes? No.
It's ok at best.



I kept waiting for something to emerge story-wise to blow my mind or to connect deeply with Aquaman, and it just didn't.
It's a horror story from the deep but it wasn't anything to really do with Aquamn except in the vaguest way. Yes, he is a part of the story. Yes, he is the solution to the story.
BUT.
It could have been anyone...fishy?
I don't know how to explain it but it wasn't a good Aquaman tale.
Worth reading but not worth collecting -imho.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark story

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the total is somehow less than the sum of its parts.



An R-rated watercolour sci-fi horror story set at the bottom of the ocean with Our Man Arthur Curry looking grody and covered in coral facing down some kind of eldritch terror creature while the lives of a scientific expedition from the surface should have been a slam dunk and, while I enjoyed the murky art for the most part as well as the morality play aspects ultimately it felt like AquaBro was a tertiary character in his own adventure and, as others have observed, the insertion of Black Manta into the proceedings just felt kind of pro forma.

I do hope we get another Black Label Aquaman story someday, but it shouldn't be a sequel to this one.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. Picture an underwater horror movie starring Aquaman and you have an idea of what to expect. Great to see Aquaman in a Black Label title getting the deluxe format. This is the type of story that fans of Aquaman will like, and even reader that don't normally care for Aquaman may like too.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay. If this wasn’t an Aquaman story, I think it would’ve been better. I didn’t see the need really for this to be an Aquaman book, outside of the fact that they were in water. I liked the concept of fear and the ocean though and the art was phenomenal.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first great Aquaman story.

Ram V has been one of the great comic book writers of recent years, and has been searching for that one breakthrough story to prove it. His Swamp Thing looked to be that work, but in proving to DC itself that he could do interesting Swamp Thing, he got into the material perhaps deeper than readers could follow, because the thing is, Ram is a lyrical writer, who doesn’t necessarily travel along narrative pathways. He instead chases the memories of his stories. He plunges deeply.and which character better suited for such storytelling than Aquaman?

Aquaman has been waiting for this moment. Forty years ago he was reduced to the idea of “that guy who talks to fish,” and he’s been digging his way out ever since. And a lot of writers have simply chased after the notion that he’s not just a superhero, he’s king of Atlantis! And in chasing that, the superhero becomes lost, the character is lost, and all you get is another power fantasy.

Ram finds an Aquaman who isn’t even entirely in focus, but a dream of an Aquaman that emerges from the kind of stories you find in movies made by Christopher Nolan or James Cameron, Denis Villeneuve, the big visionaries. So that’s what you’ll find here. That’s the kind of storyteller Ram is.

One creator finds his voice. One character finds his legacy.

[Matty Dub · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good horror story that is Aquaman adjacent. V and his collaborators add some dark secrets to Atlantis’ past and in Andromeda, those secrets are back and a group of scientists have to contend with them. Aquaman does happen to show up and help at the end but it really isn’t his book. The result is a well crafted psychological horror tale taking place in the ocean’s murky depths and some cool new elements added to Atlantis’ mythology.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. Backstory and ending with art were the best parts.

[a ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought this was good, or at least the beginning was...aquaman bores me usually, but in this he’s written to be very mysterious. fuchsia coral thrives on his gilded armor, he distantly looms out of whirls of tropical fish. he rarely speaks. i like aquaman much more as the mythic figure he’s portrayed as here bc imo he is a mythic figure...he’s the lost king of a dead civilization, i feel like way more comics shld play into this. put him into the mariana trench or something, i don’t know...

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quadrinhos sobre o fundo do mar com uma pegada de terror sempre tem um grande potencial narrativo. Guardadas as proporções, esse quadrinho proporcionou aventura, mistério, ansiedade e deleite como Namor: As Profundezas e o filme O Segredo do Abismo conseguiram trazer para mim. O roteiro de Ram V é bastante envolvente e vai dissecando as camadas dos personagens apresentados mostrando que todos eles guardam segredos que envolvem seu status atual sob a pressão das águas e da consciência. Aquaman aqui é mais um coadjuvante que um protagonista, como em Namor: As profundezas, e assim ele e seu rival, o Arraia Negra, funcionam melhor: como consequências e não como causas da história. A trama gira em torno de uma equipe submarina governamental que precisa investigar um objeto alienígena que caiu no fundo do oceano, que por acaso cruza caminhos com Aquaman e Arraia Negra. Os desenhos de Christian Ward tem belas cores, mas muitas vezes são confusos, talvez propositalmente em decorrência de a história se passar sob o oceano. De toda forma, esse quadrinho superou bastante minhas expectativas.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5* Cosmic horror underwater.

Good idea to open the Black Label line to characters not being Batman.

Ram V uses Paul W. S. Anderson's Event horizon main idea and shifts the action underwater, another perfect spot for horror stories.
It’s multi-referential (Event Horizon, Abyss, Jules Verne...) and deals with psychological horror fairly well. Like many of this kind of stories the main problem resides in the crew: here 2 characters are sketched and the rest are random victims.

And Aquaman? Well, he seems to be a concept more than the DC character. As a matter of fact neither he nor Black Manta are ever called by their super hero names. Just Arthur Curry and Hyde. An Atlantis king and a pirate. The plot could have been dealt with without the inclusion of Black Manta for that matter. True fans of Aquaman might feel disappointed by Ram V’s allusive way of writing and using the character.

The art now. Christian Ward is not a very good penciler imho but he certainly is a fascinating colorist. The book is visually impressive from a distance but some scenes are confusing and blurry at times. And some are downright very poorly sketched. His Aquaman character design is excellent though.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andromeda is Aquaman going light on the Aquaman. And, honestly, I was perfectly fine with that! We spend most of our time with a submarine crew as they investigate a strange, alien object on the seafloor. Black Manta shows up and the object has both an unexpected origin and an unsettling influence on those who encounter it. It's a little tough to follow everything going on, and Christian Ward's sometimes psychedelic artwork doesn't always help (though it's usually great to look at).

All told, an exciting, often eerie read that really only includes Aquaman because the setting is the ocean. Again: still a very good read!

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Aquaman: Andromeda" starts strong with a promising and suspenseful plot that is well supported by Ram V.'s brooding dialogue and Christian Ward's intense and thought provoking artwork. However, the story implodes before it reaches its intended depth and readers are likely to be left both confused and unfulfilled by the resolution of this book. This book is recommended, with reservations, for anyone who is interested in exploring Ward's artwork, but with the warning that those who have strong feelings about accurate portrayals of oceanography and the physical sciences should stay away.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things should immediately draw you to this graphic novel (provided you are knowledgeable about that world): "DC Black Label" and "Author: Ram V". Both usually mean quality and this is no exception.
A group of military researchers head to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine to explore a possible alien craft submerged deep. Their arrival and initial inspection draws the attention of a kraken, who destroys their surface companion ship. Aquaman arrives and drives off the kraken. One of the researchers sees it and remembers the stories she was told about the King of the Seas.
When the group heads into the craft, she is warned by Aquaman to leave, as this is not alien tech, but Atlantean tech, which is holding back a horrible being from being released on the world. Obviously, it is released and there is a battle.
Where this title excels is in the creation of the atmosphere of the story. You feel the pressure of the unknown deep. You sympathize with the memories of the crew and how it influences their decisions. The threats seem real. The loneliness of Aquaman.... Ram V is a phenomenal writer.

Definitely check this one out for yourself. Strong recommend.

[Phil Hubbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this 3.5 stars, so I'll bump it up to a 4 here.

I thought this was a pretty good comic miniseries with an interesting premise and story and some wonderful art as well, though at times it could be hit or miss for me.

I really enjoyed how this comic leaned into psychological horror and just how little we know about the ocean. The depths of the ocean are the perfect place to create a story of inescapable horror and psychological distress, and Ram V and Christian Ward do a great job of allowing these feelings to permeate the story. As you read it, you feel as if you're sinking down into the depths with these characters, never knowing what's waiting for you down there until more details get revealed later in the story. This idea of the unknowable ocean also really works well for the character of Aquaman himself. As a personification of the sea, I love how the story doesn't use him as a hero, but rather a mythological figure that's only know in stories and folklore. He's not a character that comes and saves the say out of duty and honor, but rather comes and goes as the tides of the sea. It's a depiction of Aquaman that I didn't know I wanted to see, but one that I would love to see more of in the future. Beyond this, I also loved the new lore/magic that this story added to DC's Atlantis.

One aspect of the story that fell fairly flat for me were some of the side characters. I felt like some members of the Andromeda were fairly flat/one dimensional. While I thought that Yvette and Ivanov were well fleshed out, several of the other characters were fairly boring to me. I also thought that the addition of Black Manta was unnecessary. He was mostly there because he's a villain of Aquaman rather than being a function of the story. I thought that his portion of the story could've been cut in favor of more time with the crew of the Andromeda. Beyond this, I thought that the art was pretty hit or miss at times. While some of the art did a wonderful job at demonstrating the murky depths of the ocean, some of the art/faces ended up being a bit too unfocused at times in the lighter scenes.

So, overall I thought this was a decent story that leans into what I think is a fascinating depiction of Aquaman, but could've used some tightening up of the story and a bit of a change for some of the artwork.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid cosmic horror portrayed through an Aquaman story. The depths of the ocean can be just as frightening as the blackness of space if done right, and it’s done wonderfully right here. The art was beautiful and there was a sense of dread permeating everything. I would have loved to read more, but maybe that’s showing just how solid this was.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool story. I had read the first 2 issues a little over two years ago. It was nice to finally come back to it to be reminded how much I liked those first 2 issues and to read the final 3rd issue. A mysterious craft crashed intro the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at point Nemo, the point which it the furthest from any land. A secret mission is formed to go an investigate. Ram V does a good job with the eerie allure of this secret mission. I also like how Aquaman was presented as a myth or legend that very few know about. Ran V’s writing can be very poetic at times and i enjoyed how he weaved this story together. The pencils had a watery flow to it which I thought worked well with the story as well as the fluorescent water color style.

[TT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to Aquaman, he is somewhat a blind spot for this DC fan. Not because he is the bloke who can talk to fish (a tired joke nowadays), he is a character I can never latch onto, even reading the first volumes of certain runs and never went beyond, despite really enjoying his solo movie from 2018, which is the only DCEU instalment to make a billion dollars. With DC Black Label, which may be the home of mature spins of classic DC characters, particularly when it comes to Batman, they don’t have to worry about continuity with the main DC universe as they standalone stories, which brings us onto Aquaman: Andromeda.

Despite its titular character, who is established as being a man on two worlds in which he is both Arthur Curry, the son of a lighthouse keeper and the King of Atlantis, he is not really the focus. Centring on the crew of the experimental submarine Andromeda, they are assigned to investigate a mysterious structure that is suspected of alien origin and has crashed in Point Nemo: the spaceship graveyard deep in the Pacific Ocean. During this investigation, this disturbance attracts the attention of both Aquaman and his nemesis Black Manta.

Given the presence of its iconic hero and the villain, writer Ram V is more interested in telling a cosmic horror story set underwater and showcased the psychological troubles that the Andromeda crew as delve deeper into the structure. Ram V is a good horror writer as seen in works like Blue in Green, and there are shades here that remind you, where the horror is reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft and movies like Event Horizon.

Although Ram V puts effort into the characterisation of the Andromeda crew, each with their own tragic past that eventually must confront in the present, the book’s three-issue structure doesn’t allow for enough time to get to know these characters. Both Aquaman and Black Manta pop up here and there throughout, but it’s only in the final issue that you are reminded that this is an Aquaman comic with the flashback to Arthur Curry’s childhood, which explains the true origins of the alien structure.

Known for his psychedelic art from Black Bolt to The Invisible Kingdom, Christian Ward presents a visually stunning depiction of Aquaman and his world. No doubt that his style can be somewhat alienating to some readers, where there are panels in which he doesn’t bother drawing facial expressions, and yet that is oddly appropriate to a story that is all about exploring the horrific and possibly surreal unknown that Ward illustrates with odd colours and warped panelling. There is something alien towards the classic designs of Aquaman and Black Manta, but don’t expect an action-packed comic.

Not necessarily a bad comic, but you expect better from these creators that having an excellent elevator pitch that is a cosmic horror Aquaman comic, and yet it blurs the line between an Aquaman story and a creator-owned book that would be published by Image. At least it’s better than Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give Ram V credit for trying to stretch himself as a writer here. I think he was trying to push himself beyond his usual work for hire bounds and he has some success. Do we, the reader, get fully realized three-dimensional characters? No, the reader does not. But, Ram V makes a concerted effort to add depth to the scientists, soldiers, and his creation of a more mythic Aquaman.

A vessel from outer space has crashed at the bottom of the ocean leading to the launching of the advanced research vessel Andromeda and its support ship. Not far behind are the navies of multiple countries all rushing in in the hope to harvest advanced tech before someone else does.

The Andromeda's crew is on a mission, but there are conflicts among the crew as to the point of the mission. In some ways I felt Aquaman and Black Manta were shoe horned in to make this a DC Black Label comic instead of pushing it as a more original work.

[James De Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aquaman: Andromeda is a fairly decent horror story that happens to involve Aquaman.

And I think this sentence summarizes my main issue with this story. It could have been adapted in a way that features any other 'water' character and it would have been fine. Replace Aquaman with your own made up, underwater hero and this applies perfectly fine.

Maybe I'm being a bit unfair to this book. My favorite book this year was Ram V.'s 'The Many Deaths of Layla Starr', which I think is a nearly perfect book. So I expected a lot from this book. It just didn't deliver.

The art was also hit or miss for me. When it connected, it CONNECTED (like the panel I've attached above). When it missed, it missed badly.

Overall, this one gets a 5/10 from me in both art and story.

[Will Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite stories to come out of DC's Black Label, Ram V delves into old Aquaman lore and brings a fresh, claustrophobic, horror book that makes you doubt what you're seeing the whole time. Of course, what really makes this story shine is the ethereal, supernatural artwork and colors by Christian Ward. Get this physically if you can, because it's a gorgeous book in its oversized glory!

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great use of color and I thought the art style was really engaging overall. Too bad the story wasn’t.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Комікс «Аквамен: Андромеда», написаний Рамом Ві й намальований Крістіаном Вордом, тепер можна прочитати українською. Творчість цього індійського сценариста мені знайома, адже вже прочитано кілька його робіт: «Низка смертей Лайли Старр», «Болотяна Істота» і «Детективні комікси». Мабуть, його особливістю назвав би філософські тексти й роздуми, які постійно супроводжують сюжети коміксів створені ним. Тому розумів, чого очікую від коміксу.

Глибоко в Тихому океані є місце, де невідоме судно пролежало без руху дуже довго, допоки людство не дізналося про нього. Держави світу часто використовують космічні місії, як привід дослідити це місце. Цю зону в Тихому океані називають Точкою Немо й використовують для приземлення астронавтів, які повертаються на Землю. Саме тут, невідома космічна конструкція «прокинулася» й почала випромінювати сигнали. Екіпаж експериментального підводного човна «Андромеда», що працює на двигуні від чорної діри, також відправляється дослідити та задокументувати енергію, що випромінюється із затонулого космічного корабля. Однак найманець Чорний Манта також отримав власне таємне завдання: забрати все цінне із невідомо об’єкту і вбити екіпаж «Андромеди» в процесі. Та на місце події також прибуває Аквамен, і всі сторони стають свідками чогось грандіозного й більшого за їхнє розуміння.

Незважаючи на назву, насправді, Аквамен узагалі неважливий для історії, яку тут розповідають. Це єдине, що залишило в мене дивне відчуття від цього коміксу. Привіт, Джеймс Тайнін IV, зі своєю серією коміксів «Джокер», де якимось чином головний герой є Джеймс Ґордон, а не відомий антагоніст. Головною героїнею цього ж коміксу є Іветт Верн, французька морська біологиня з екіпажу «Андромеди». Іветту переслідує спогад нещасного випадку, який стався за рік до її вступу до коледжу, коли вона побачила, як її батько перекинувся через борт рибальського човна й потонув під час жахливого шторму. Це залишило в неї непрості емоції щодо океану та того, яким холодним і смертоносним він може бути. Вона та решта членів екіпажу починають бачити, як травми з їхнього минулого з’являються перед очима на борту цього корабля, що пов’язано з енергетичними випромінюванням, які виходять від затонулого об’єкту.

Сценарист Рам Ві створює «Аквамен: Андромеда» в стилі такої собі народної легенди. Його поетична історія пульсує драматизмом про людей, які є єдиним цілим із природою та богами, що правлять підводним царством. Також він вирішив використати елементи із жанру жахів, що додали зовсім іншого забарвлення, аніж ми звикли бачити в коміксах про Аквамена. Сценарист разом із художником Крістіаном Вордом зображують Аквамена, як давню, жахливу, таємничо-міфічну силу, що ховається під водою. Його очі світяться з темряви глибоководних тіней, а тіло вкрите коралами та водоростями. Цей Аквамен явно прожив довге життя і досяг симбіозу із підводним світом морів та океанів.

Комікс гарно намальований Крістіаном Вордом. Кожна сторінка схожа на умовний акваріум із прихованими драмою і таємницею, багата на деталі, яскраві кольори й заворожуючу атмосферу. Сцени над і під хвилями, мають чіткі паралелі між сюжетними лініями, з теплими й м’якими тонами, що передають дорогоцінну розраду Аквамена на поверхні. У той час, як зловісні тіні підкрадаються перед тим, як спуститися в глибину, щоб зіткнутися з таємницями океану. Підводний човен «Андромеда» — ще одне диво, яке варто побачити, з його футуристичними коридорами та пристроями.

Загалом, комікс «Аквамен: Андромеда» вийшов досить незвичним і, на мій погляд, унікальним. Чим й дав змогу поглянути на Аквамена зовсім з іншої сторони. Можливо, уже таке було в минулому. Але Рам Ві це все зробив у своєму стилі, який імпонує мені. Та ще й такий великий формат із малюнком Крістіана Ворда. Вважаю, що цей комікс має бути у вашій колекції, та ще й від нового видавництва, яке взялося видавати комікси DC.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man when this book wants to look gorgeous, eye catching, and stunning layout and color wise? It can do it in spades, Ward is firing on all cylinders. It's just a shame I didn't gel with the actual plot as much as others. You take out Aquaman and Black Manta, this is basically a underwater horror B movie, one that would come out in like January or February when nothing's out. A argument made for why we are in a golden age of comic art, inking and colors, but as a complete package, V has written better.

[kaitlphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the ship designs and Aquaman's design. Every creative choice in this story contributes to a feeling of otherworldliness.

I would have liked to explore a little more of Aquaman's fear. The reflective narration may have been meant to contribute to that effort, but reflective narration in comics tends to lose me.

[Matt Maielli · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The water remembers.”

Between Ram V’s writing and Christian Ward on art duty, it was gonna be really hard for me not to like this at base. Reads great, looks great — only real complaint stems from the choice to make Aquaman not be the main character.

[Jessica Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is 10/10. I loved it. The story is alright. It's an underwater horror story with a hint of Aquaman, who barely featured in it. He played a part in the final climax and other parts of course, but I felt like he was used more for world building and setting

[Nathan Bissett · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the all time great Aquaman stories.

[Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

✭✭✭½