Funny how the tide turns (D’oh! Sorry!). When Brightest Day
started, the series was defined by the slow-yet-methodical pace in which
the story progressed. The issues weren’t lacking, but they certainly
make for a better read when you consider the sum of its parts rather
than separate entities. Lately, however? Craziness! Ill fated love!
Eon-spanning battles! Epic debuts! Betrayal! Mutilation!
AQUAWAR!!!!!!!!!!! Not only has the action been ramped up, but the pace
as well. Brightest Day #20 continues this trend, as it briskly
wraps up the Aquawar story and, seemingly, Aquaman’s part in this
series. Considering that this was the meatiest and most built-up story
in the series, the conclusion seemed a bit rushed, but was well-told
nonetheless. Despite the seemingly-hurried pace of this issue, one
aspect that wasn’t rushed was Ivan Reis’ immense art. That’s really the
best way to describe his style, he makes all of his drawn scenes
seem…huge. The sequence of scenes where Mera conjures the intense
tidal wave is a great example of this. So even though the stories are
starting to wrap up, there’s still some White Lantern related mysteries
abundant that us fans are itching to get to the bottom of (Specifically:
What the hell is the deal with the White Lantern ring?). Good to the
last drop.