Disappointed in the Aquaman/Black Manta fight, found it strange how Black Manta's optic blasts seemed to do little to no damage, but a little pee-stick mini harpoon actually managed to wound him! 

The Aquaman I know has nigh-invulnerability and super strength, attributes that are able to endure pressures at the bottom of the sea; Black Manta is a normal human with fancy equipment.  Guess Johns wanted to portray BM as a formidable foe, but I think he made Aquaman look like somewhat of a pussy here, and pretty much like a coward as they fled away in a truck that happened by during the fight.

Aquaman has always been able to dispatch with BM on a routine basis.  I remember at the end of the Sub-Diego storyline (which btw was a storyline that had enormous potential, but one that in my opinion wasn't explored enough unfortunately), Aquaman man-handled BM, stripping him of his costume and equipment, and leaving him in the lurch amongst hordes of sharks, a poignant reminder that he could kill him at any time, at any moment if he so desired.  Now that fight was underwater, where Aquaman will always have a distinct advantage, but here, even if it was out of water, Aquaman seemed slow, and was hit by BM's optic blasts twice, which probably should've done some considerable damage, but instead a little harpoon sticks him, and he cowardly runs away in a truck that happens by, lame.

The scene I would've liked to have seen was Aquaman like deftly dodging BM's blasts, but if hit being hurt to some extent, but coming back and slapping away the little spear like a badass, then smashing BM's helmet off and putting him in his place as one of the foremost and most powerful heroes in the DCU.  Guess Johns doesn't think so.