AQUAMAN #19

Review by: Metamorphic

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Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Paul Pelletier & Sean Parsons
Cover by Paul Pelletier & Sean Parsons

Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99

Putting aside the pretty but not-really-shocking gatefold cover (come on, it’s not really a WTF moment), Aquaman continues to be a strong, solid enjoyable superhero book.

That may seem like I’m damning with faint praise. It’s not meant to. Aquaman has always had that “joke character” albatross around his neck. But with every issue, Johns has been providing some great action and character work that have added new depths to the character (sorry – had to do it).

This issue, we meet Topo (a nice nod to longtime fans), see scheming from Orm’s allies, continue to search for the Drift with Aquaman and get some very interesting revelations about Mera.

What Johns does so well here is balance out the characters. Everyone gets a moment and in that moment, we get a little more insight into who they are. It’s a bit like Game of Thrones in that sense. It feels epic yet personal. Impressive.

A lot of that credit belongs to Paul Pelletier who, along with Sean Parsons and Rod Reis, really do a great job with storytelling through facial expressions. Look at Aquaman’s half-shadowed face on the first page; that little half smile of someone meeting an old friend and remembering the times they had. That’s a lot of weight to carry in such a small gesture, but Pelletier delivers. He’s equally up to the task in the action sequences.

What I love about this comic is that it feels COMPELLING. It feels like a larger adventure, and it makes me want to read that next chapter – like a novel you can’t put down. As a longtime Aqua-fan who’s seen good and bad and endured the “talking to fish” jokes along with the character, that’s a great thing to get from the book.

Johns really gets Aquaman and his entire mythos. I love what he’s doing and I hope he writes this book even longer than he did Green Lantern.

Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 4 - Very Good

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