Aquaman Vol. 1: Unspoken Water

Aquaman (2016) #8

by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha (Illustrator)

He's lost his memory. And his kingdom. Can Arthur Curry find the hero within in order to reclaim his throne?

The tides turn for the Sea King as superstar scribe Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Pretty Deadly) and red-hot artist Robson Rocha (Teen Titans, Supergirl) take the rudder to steer Aquaman into uncharted waters. In the wake of "Drowned Earth," an amnesiac Arthur washes ashore on a remote island and ends up being cared for by a young woman named Callie, who's just a little too curious for comfort. And as a lifetime of horror movies has taught us, there's something strange going on in this island village. Aquaman needs to come to his senses quickly...or he might wind up sleeping with the fishes instead of chatting with them.

Collects Aquaman #43-47

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fantasy, Comic Book, Fiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2019

About the author

Kelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.

Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.

Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.

In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.

Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, Aquaman conked his head a few issues ago and now has amnesia. Or something like that, I suppose? I must have missed it.
Regardless, the fact remains that he doesn't know who he is, and (I think) he's presumed dead in Atlantis. <--maybe?



Whatever.
He's washed up on the shores of a magical island and the rest of the story is all about him trying to find out who he is and fight off a mythical god-killer.
I'm not explaining this well, but it's a pretty cool story.



I wasn't sure what DeConnick was going to bring to the table for this character, but I thought she did a good job. It seems like poor Arthur is going to be the new Wonder Woman when it comes to dealing with these old gods over and over, but it makes sense what with him being twisted up with Atlantis and Poseidon.



I can't say this was my absolute favorite Aquaman storyline, but if you consider that I enjoy the stuff where he's doing things with the Justice League and I'm not a HUGE fan of the god-storylines...? Yeah, this wasn't bad at all.



Nice art & cool introduction to new characters. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to what happens next.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kelly Sue DeConnick and Aquaman: neither are usually good to read and it turns out they’re just as bad together!

Superhero comics are by and large soap operas with tights and masks and, like all soaps, DeConnick’s resorted to the hackneyed “amnesia” trope for her first Aquapants arc. Arthur Curry’s washed up on the shores of a distant fishing village with the unlikely name of Unspoken Water. He must rediscover his identity with the help of the resident water witches.

So Arthur’s real good in the water, he’s wearing an aqua belt and Aquaman’s colours, he does the sonar thing to talk to sea creatures, and he can breathe underwater - but none of this raises any red flags as to his identity?! He’s also surrounded by people who can do water magic who you’d think would know all about the King of the Seas and could suggest to him that he might be Aquaman! The whole setup just seems so dumb and contrived.

Meanwhile Mera’s stuck in Atlantis being asked to remarry and all the time pining for Arthur – real strong female protagonist there, Kelly Sue! The new character, Caille, is a bargain basement Maleficent and the story follows the unimaginative archetypical structure of “superhero punching monster” for a dull finale. The feeble mythology is of the dreary sort DeConnick bored readers with in Pretty Deadly.

Robson Rocha’s art is very skilful at least and I thought the book looked superb despite the dreary script. All the crashing waves though made me feel like I was reading an extended Old Spice commercial! That’s a trend I’ve noticed with this title – Aquaman consistently gets quality artists and utterly horrible writers! Dan Abnett’s Aquaman was unreadable but Stjepan Šejić’s art was incredible. And even though this is a “Volume 1”, it’s still the Rebirth numbering, collecting issues #43-47.

I hoped Aquaman, Volume 1: Unspoken Water would be a half decent read but, unfortunately, the title remains tedious and instantly forgettable flotsam.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This is as just as interesting as DeConnick's time on Captain Marvel and Pretty Deadly, as in, not very. Aquaman has amnesia now and hangs out with these old gods that are pretty much faceless. They have zero character. Not to mention DC's already got enough gods for Kelly Sue to play with with both the Greek and New Gods running around. The story was very decompressed, taking 5 issues for what could be contained in one. Mera (who is way more interesting than Aquaman) is barely to be found. For some reason, DeConnick has turned Mera into someone needed to be married off instead of the badass, self-confidant hero she is. Oh, and Aquaman gets tattoos just so he can look like Jason Mamoa. How long before he dies his hair black as well? Robson Rocha's kinetic art is the best reason to check this book out.

Received a review copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y'know, I am really happy that house DeFraction is actively writing comics again. Kelly Sue hasn't written any comics in a while, and Fraction's Sex Criminals is perpetually in the state of half-hiatus. I think it's thanks to Bendis jumping ship from Marvel to DC that both of them are starting to do comics more actively again, and I'm glad he managed to change their minds, since both of them expressed no interest in doing any more superhero stuff before. Kelly Sue on Aquaman, Fraction on Jimmy Olsen, all of those things make me very happy and excited about comics.

But speaking of this first Aquaman volume, it's a very Kelly Sue DeConnick book — meaning that if you don't normally like her writing, this won't change your mind. Unspoken Water is very reminiscent of her work on Pretty Deadly and Captain Marvel, it's heavy on mythology, fantasy and introspection. As a fan of Kelly Sue and her writing style I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of Rucka's (and, to some extent, Azzarello's) most recent work on Wonder Woman with its general tone and reliance on mythology. Robson Rocha's fantastic artwork also added a lot to the book, and I'm glad that he did the entire arc without any fill-in artists (an incredible feat these days). But the story definitely doesn't feature Arthur as much as it probably should given that the series is called Aquaman. Other than that, I liked this one a lot, and can't wait to see where it will go from here.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Kelly Sue DeConnick, and I like Aquaman, so you'd think this'd be a slam dunk for me but alas I found the story a little wanting.



Arthur is an amnesiac (always convenient when you want to introduce a fresh love interest but don't want the hero to come across as a total creep) and fetches up on the shores of an island of Forgotten Gods who need him to fight some Salty Old Hag on their behalf (no, seriously, that's the plot) while safeguarding a girl who may be said hags daughter...or not? It's a little confusing, honestly.



Anyway, I guess my main point is that with all the highly publicized stories about how humanity is ruining the world's oceans these days you'd think a skilled writer wouldn't need half-baked creation myths to introduce conflict into the life of the King of the Seven Seas, but there you have it. I'll read the next volume now that this storyline (seemingly) has been tied up, hopefully AquaBro can get back to some soggy Atlantean shenanigans.



PS Oh yeah, he also finally gets all tatted up to look a little more like Jason Momoa in his comics version. I'm fine with it, it's a good look for a dude who spends a pretty large amount of time shirtless.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so cool! It starts with Arthur on a mysterious island having forgotten his memories after Drowned earth and he is with two beings named Wee and Loc and a girl named Caille who rescued her and then we learn of the strange island and him having flashbacks or glimpse of Mera meanwhile she is busy being the Queen in Atlantis and next we have him battling the ocean and seeing the form of other gods, going to another island where the goddess Namma is and her connection to Caille meanwhile we get this retold origin of the world and Father Ocean and Mother salt and how they are connected to Namma and then the final battle between Arthur and all and then the emergence of the old sea gods and such a great moment for Arthur! Its one of the most epic Aquaman arcs and throws so many new things at us meanwhile also telling about the old gods and this massive history and the art is freaking gorgeous!
That scene of the dragon or the one with old gods and fire rituals or them coming together and the way the artist is able to incorporate the water with Arthur as background just wow! Epic stuff!

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

DeConnick’s Aquaman is adventurous, atypical, always amusing, and amazingly authored. Also, all-star artwork.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay; a not very original story, but but at least there -was- a story, which, sadly, is not a given these days. Aquaman has lost his memory and has washed up in a village where he becomes a player and a pawn in a game that has old and new gods facing off. (Namor would have kicked his butt.) Meanwhile, Mera is back in Atlantis pining for her lost love but is being told she has to get married again real fast. I dunno why she's listening to those who're doing the telling... but she's only in the book for a minute. I imagine that I'll lose my memory of the story pretty soon. On the other hand, the art is absolutely fantastic. Brought back fond memories of my trip to the national aquarium.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Sue DeConnick returns to mainstream comics to pen a brand new arc of Aquaman, spinning out of the events of Drowned Earth as Arthur finds himself an amnesiac trapped on an island full of strange men and women with even stranger secrets.

First off, I love that this manages to be both an organic continuation from what came before and a brand new starting point all at the same time. That takes some doing, but DeConnick does it really well. She dives into (pun intended) the mythology of the sea and the gods in interesting ways, crafting a twisty and turny mystery that keeps you guessing right to the end and upends Aquaman's world by the end of it. She also never forgets what's going on back home, and the rare glimpses of Mera are tantalising as well as teasing what's going to happen next.

On art is Robson Rocha, who has really come into his own as part of Rebirth and gets to headline the book here as the main artist. He does some hyper detailed panels, and his big, bombastic action splashes are super great. You can see from his process pages in the back of the trade how talented he is, and I'm glad he's getting the opportunity to show it off on a bigger stage.

Aquaman's new direction is great from start to finish. With DeConnick steering the ship and Rocha at the rudder, the seas have never looked brighter and I can't wait to see where we're heading. Is that enough boat puns? Can I stop now?

[Jesús · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly Sue DeConnick does for Aquaman what George Pérez did for Wonder Woman: the character is reinvented as part of the realm of existing ancient myths and gods. But where Pérez fleshed out Diana's place in the Greek pantheon, DeConnick draws more heavily from Celtic myth--with a smattering of other global deities thrown in. But even so, the premise and story arc are closely modeled after The Odyssey (hero is washed up on island, in love with a woman who is not his wife, his wife is being pressed by suitors to remarry, the gods play out their feuds through him, etc).

But it's Robson Rocha's art that truly sells the revised mythos. His panels and characters have the look and feel of old fables and mythical tales, with a touch of horror illustration for good measure. Gorgeous work.

[Chelsea &#x1f3f3;️‍&#x1f308; · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was beautifully drawn, but not quite my cup of tea.

The writing was great! I liked the emphasis on legend and the spirit of the oceans. This story featured an Arthur Curry who'd lost his memory and wasn't aware of his own abilities and connection to the water. I enjoyed Caillie as a character and Arthur's interactions with the people of the island.

I think it would definitely be enjoyable if you're a big fan of Aquaman.

[Cisz Geverink - Strasters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instant fan van artist Robson Rocha. Wat een prachtige art heeft deze storyline. En al ben ik een enorme Dan Abnett fan, ook het schrijven van Kelly Sue DeConnick heeft me absoluut vermaakt. Geweldige verhaallijn weer. Op en top genieten!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Drowned Earth series, Aquaman’s fate is revealed in this new series by Kelly Sue DeConnick. This story begins with the amnesia trope as Arthur has washed up on a remote island, called Unspoken Water, and is saved by a beautiful young woman Caillie. He has no memory of his past and is hesitant about the water. The few island inhabitants are a strange lot and later reveal that Caillie is the daughter of a sea witch who was banished long ago.

The story then moves into a complicated mythology-heavy narrative about revenge. The island inhabitants, not surprisingly, are not what they seem, nor is Caillie. When Caillie and Arthur try to find her mother Namma to end the curse on the island, they get more than they bargained for. Mera had an incredibly small role in this story, and although I assume Arthur has not been missing long, she is being encouraged to remarry as this story has The Odyssey overtones. Later she realizes he is alive, so hopefully, this remarriage nonsense will be put to rest. The end of this volume promises a future battle with Namma, and I would hope it also includes Arthur reclaiming his identity and reuniting with Mera later in this series.

The art was outstanding, with Robson Rocha and Daniel Henriques visualizing DeConnick’s tale in a beautiful way. The water scenes, with waves crashing, made you feel as though you really were surrounded by the ocean. The pages showcasing the ten Gods as they merged between their human form and their godly form included great detail and I spent some time looking up the Gods along with their cultural connections and history. The coloring was vivid and brought the creatures to life as they burst out of the panels. The only minor issue I had was with Loc’s human portrayal, as it was an unnecessary caricature.

As I’ve been on an Aquaman and Mera kick lately, I was pleased to receive this advance copy of the graphic novel through NetGalley. It is always interesting to see different author’s and artist’s versions of a character, but of course, there are some adaptations that will be more favored. In my case, it was Geoff Johns’ The New 52 that I liked best, as this story became quite muddled in the middle with the mythology angle. I might look into the aforementioned Drowned Earth series, because all the Aquaman and Mera books I have read have been stand-alone stories, and I want to see them involved in the Justice League as integral members of the team. (Actual rating 3.5/5)

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/08/0...

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5. I never been the biggest fan of Aquaman, but the beginning of this series catch my attention. Unfortunately, in the middle it became too much for me. Too much colorful, but with a drawing style that was not that great, it try to be epic, but ended up bringing lot of invented stuff to fill it and to try to express build a world which didn’t work for me. Too bad because at first, it look like it could have been some sort or origin or new start to an Aquaman series, but for my it was a fail attempt and that won’t be the series that with grip me and that I will continue on.

[RG · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another book where I just couldn't connect with DeConnicks writing.

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up after third issue. I couldn't finish it was so boring. However, the art is solid so 2 for that. Rest? BORING.

[Ma'Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. With this comic, Kelly Sue DeConnick has entered the realm of myth maker. This is far and away the best Aquaman story I've ever read - not that there are many great Aquaman stories out there, lezbehonest, but ... Geoff Johns and Jason Momoa, eat your heart out. And the ART! It's rare that I find myself just staring at the pages and panels of a comic in awe of what they've created visually, but Robson Rocha et al have designed and delivered some of the best original "gods and monsters" (thanks Lana del Rey) I've seen in any book. That's a lot of superlatives coming out of me, and I am *quite* averse to superlatives! Really though, this is visually stunning and masterful storytelling in a neat package. It stands on its own as a single volume - I didn't feel the need to know how Aquaman ended up being puked up half-dead from the ocean, onto a mysterious unnamed island, with complete amnesia. DeConnick manages to avoid pretty much all of the tropes I've come to expect with Aquaman, while maintaining his iconic accouterments and demeanor. Here, he is simply called "Andy" for the most part. There's no dramatic Atlantean political upheaval, no scheming by Black Manta, and not even any silly invitations to make fun of him for having the super-power of talking to fish.

[Amy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the first Aquaman book I've ever read, and I enjoyed it. Kelly Sue's writing is so poetic and lovely, which really elevates this volume. I would definitely check out future installments.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Dan's run but still a fun read.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is without a doubt the most creative and engaging Aquaman story I've seen in years. Most stories lately have always felt derivative and repetitive to me, with Arthur trying to unite and protect Earth and Atlantis while Black Manta or Orm is plotting to take him down. Here, the tone and plot are entirely different, and I was pleasantly surprised by this refreshing take (no pun intended). Kelly Sue DeConnick presents a brand-new mythology of old and new gods, with personifications of water and salt and bloody monsters. It's a rich folklore which offers a lot of possibilities story-wise and character-wise, with those old mystic figures living with an amnesiac Arthur. The story stands out as quite original and interesting, and I enjoyed the tonal and mythology shift in an Aquaman comic. It's well-paced and takes its time to develop the stakes and the characters.
Speaking about the protagonist, I really enjoyed how the "superhero who forgot his/her identity" trope is handled. I first feared that it would be the same story again, and I thought that it was a cheap way to change Aquaman's status quo. Some writers have often tried to change him to make him compelling, sometimes a more moral king, sometimes a more bad-ass warrior. Here it's really well-made and there aren't the usual steps of gaining his identity back. Arthur is completely lost and has no link to his past life. The story is instead about his new life and back-ground of characters. I really liked the lack of usual characters, like Mera, Aqualad or even TV news talking about his disappearance. There's none of that, and the comic is focused on the isolated village. Once again, it's an interesting and compelling take. The characters are original and attaching. Arthur is engaging to follow, even with a blank mind-state, but the stand-out is Caille. I absolutely loved her design, writing and place in the whole picture. She's a welcome addition and I'm eager to see how she'll evolve when Arthur progressively comes back to his past life.
Another break-out is the art. Robson Rocha's pencils with Daniel Hendrick's inks and Sunny Gho's colors are absolutely stunning. I had to stop reading sometimes just to admire the pages. It's superbly detailed and the plot gives a good material for the artists: old gods, a raging ocean and lost islands. Both the backgrounds and the characters are excellent, and specially the designs. The splash-pages are effective and stand-out incredibly well. The atmosphere is unique and fits with the mythological and lost island settings. It's really pleasing to see this title have a decent and appropriate artistic team, with a fitting style.
So, I get why many people didn't enjoy this take. It's really different of what we're used to reading in DC or Marvel, but I like this. For once, we don't have another bland, generic title but instead, a more creative story. I'm intrigued for where it's going, now that the characters are established. If you seek another take on this character, please give this a try.

[Felix Zilich · Rating 4 out of 5]

К выходу фильма «Аквамен» издательство DC Comics решили капитально перезапустить франшизу, к счастью, не меняя нумерации. Вместо ушедшего Абнетта в онгоинг переманили из Marvel сценаристку Келли Сью ДеКонник, что выглядело по началу очень сомнительно. Загонять новую авторку в тесные рамки двух выпусков в месяц, редакторы не стали, поэтому первый том получился на диво годным, продуманным и атмосферно написанным. С отличным рисунком команды Робсона Роши, которая до этого работала на «фонарях», но чаще просто на подхвате.

Потерявший память Аквамен приходит в сознание на берегу маленького островка на краю мира, возле рыбацкой деревеньки под названием Unspoken Water. Местные старики дают чужаку имя «Энди», единственная деревенская девушка по имени Кале, хитро ухмыляясь, величает его «Араусио» (Оранжевый). Старики ведут себя очень дружелюбно, но подозрительно, что впрочем совсем не странно, ведь все они - древние морские боги, попавшие сюда со всех концов света. Много столетий назад они поссорилис�� с собственной прародительницей - Mother Salt - и она в наказание изолировала их от всего мира на этом клочке суши. Но только последнее время океан постоянно гневается, рыба не ловится - похоже, Соль наконец требует примирительной жертвы, свой последний калех. Боги предлагают Аквамену в обмен на возвращение памяти выступить перед прародительницей в качестве их посланника.

Напоминает новая история вовсе не обычный комикс про Артура Карри, а скорее «Американских богов» Геймана, что очень неплохо. Много новой мифологии с кельтскими мотивами и вкраплениями из прочих канонов, от индейского до полинезийского.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
My second surprise in as many days. Kelly Sue Deconnick. She of the "if you don't like my politics, don't buy my book" fame, has done what comic readers want comic writers to do. Shut up and write a good story. I must admit, as with Tom King's Riddler story, it was the art that got me over the line on this one. Preventing me from putting Deconnick's book back on the shelf on the writers name alone. Actually forcing me to take it home and give it a go, and I'm rather glad I did. Robson Rocha's gorgeous pencils are undoubtedly the star (though similar credit needs to go to the inker and colourist for not vomiting all over said beautiful pencils with some god awful, gawdy digital ink and colour scheme. But despite the undoubted flaws here, Deconnick did a pretty decent job herself. Yes, the story was longer than it needed to be, and really should have used said length to flesh out this world and the characters a little bit better. Not being overly familiar with Aquaman, I couldn't tell you whether these were new characters, or old. But I can tell you that knowing more about them would have made for a more satisfying story. I'm not sure how long her (or more importantly) Rocha's run on Aquaman went, but I would more than happily continue with this. Definitely wouldn't have expected that when I walked into the library. 3.5/5


OmniBen.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good restart, with a new cast of sea gods: I like Aquaman getting nicknames beginning with "A" because of his "A" on the uniform... I really like the creative team here, especially the art. Kelly Sue scripting works with these great visuals. Rabson Rocha pencils and Daniel Henriques inks combine well with Sunny Gho color art.
Recommended!
Thanks for the loan to the newly remodeled, renovated, and reopened Buckhead Branch, Fulton County Public Library, where I intend to borrow next volume or two.

[Társis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nova fase do Aquaman, arte linda, roteiro interessante, imaginei que renderia mais como lembrou o Guilherme em sua resenha.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that keeps drawing me back to Aquaman is that there is no baseline to follow. While a lot of great people have worked on the book there aren't any quintessential story lines or beats we need to come back to. As a result, writers and artists are free to get strange. They can sink San Diego into the ocean or invent stuff like the trench and the brine and really embrace how strange the undersea world is and insert that into Aquaman's world. The last great example of this was the murky and shadowy Aquaman Underworld arch that let Stjepan Sejic fly his freak flag under water. This arch isn't that good but DeConnick has decided here to play around with sea mythology and along the way does some interesting world building. This is a slower pace than most super hero comics that might alienate some but I liked that she took her time and let the story and characters breath above and below the surface and let the strangeness happen.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of DeConnick for a few years now, but this my first Aquaman book and now I gotta have more! I was worried about starting on an arc about amnesia, but following a character finding themselves turns to be a great introduction for a new reader like me.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I'm really impressed by the new creative team and can't wait to see where the series is going from here.

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was pretty fun. I love old-gods stuff.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Aquaman Vol. 1 through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm admittedly very behind in my Aquaman reading, though I've been doing better about the more recent series. This series caught my attention for a very specific reason; Kelly Sue DeConnick is the author. I love what she did for Captain Marvel, and thus will try almost any series she writes.
Aquaman Vol. 1: Unspoken Water is the latest collected edition for Aquaman (duh) and follows the events of Drowned Earth. So if you haven't read that plotline, you might want to read it first. But honestly, you don't really have to. Just be aware that it starts out with Aquaman having lost his memories.


Aquaman Vol. 1 was a great followup to Drowned Earth. Though like I hinted at earlier, it could also be read as a standalone volume too. It's fairly self-contained, and most of the references in there are explained at least in part. Obviously, there is more of an impact if you know what happened to him before this, but sometimes you just have to jump into a series or you'll never get started.
This volume is exactly what I was expecting for Kelly Sue DeConnick. You can so clearly see her writing style. So fans of hers will absolutely love this (like I did), while people who don't like her writing style has much will not enjoy this one so much (probably).
I really loved the way the story progressed in this volume. The start was nice, subtle, and distinct. From there the pace shifted back and forth, sometimes moving forward rapidly, and at other times giving us a chance to really focus on a specific event. It was the perfect ebb and flow for the story they were telling. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing more of this style, to be honest. But then again, I am a fan of Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing style, so I'm a bit biased here.
I do think that shippers of Aquaman and Mera might be irritated at times here, but just remember that there's no clear indication of any confirmed relationship here. Arthur is simply a man who has lost his memories and is desperately seeking to find himself. Anything else is secondary.
The conclusion to the plot was...intense. And it was beautifully drawn as well, which admittedly did help the impact of what was being shown/told. So major bonus points there. Both the imagery and the truth of what was happening was fascinating and expertly done.
I'm actually a bit sad that this volume is over, but all good things must come to an end. I'll be curious to see what will be next in the Aquaman continuity though, as he has been through quite a lot in the last couple of years.


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew almost as little about Aquaman as he does himself in this comic book (he has amnesia, so basically he knows nothing, including his own name, which is kind of where my knowledge ends apart from having seen Aquaman trailers and the hot mess that is Justice League where he's basically just a hype man for the other heroes), I mainly wanted to read this because it's written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and I liked her run on Captain Marvel for the most part so I was interested to see what she'd do with this character.

I don't feel like my lack of knowledge really hindered my understanding of this comic, I think the things that confused me about this would have confused me regardless of my prior knowledge because things just aren't that clear, Arthur is rescued from drowning and bought to a small village next to the coast where the residents obviously know more than they're saying, but I still don't know how much they knew, and if it really made sense.

I thought the mythology of the sea and the gods associated with that was interesting, and I liked the way Arthur used some of his powers instinctually without knowing really what he was doing, but I didn't really find the rest of it very interesting and some of it was just confusing.

The art was really good, it was generally quite clear what was happening art-wise and the way the water was drawn was really beautiful. Overall, this wasn't really for me, I'm interested to learn more about Aquaman and read other comics of his, but this one wasn't really for me.