EMPEROR AQUAMAN #22 (DC COMICS)
WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED!
Lolanna has recruited some of Arthur Curry’s greatest foes to take the fight to Atlantis once and for all. A united front might have better success than the past, but this isn’t the same Aquaman they’ve fought before.
After becoming the Avatar of the Blue, Curry’s been making moves to grow his influence galaxy wide! Who will be left standing after they lock fins?
EMPEROR AQUAMAN #22 by Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, & Dave Sharpe (DC Comics) continues “The Tidal War!”
Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest.
EMPEROR AQUAMAN #22 by Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, & Dave Sharpe (DC Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Coming off the heels of the strong lead-in, Adams slows down events to let the impact sink in. In certain aspects, this works well. As for others, it feels as more set-up than letting the moment breathe. The opening shows Lolanna fully embracing her win. The manner in which she holds court conveys her feeling so of winning. The interaction with other rogues walks on very thin ice. It gives her final decree of plans more gravity as events lead to a side quest.
Curry’s team-up with Animal Girl and Swamp Thing leads into a side mission onto itself. Having the avatars of the Green, Red and Blue meeting to choose course gives some fun moments before diving into the mission. Their banter is light-hearted while ushering in some action. While entertaining, it does take away from Curry’s need to return home. Once events wrap with a solid close, the ending takes Curry into more uncharted territory. It is a surprise that readers will need to see how it factors in and plays out. Solid take but felt more of a sub-plot than the actual main conflict piece that was expected.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Timms & Lokus open with Lolanna’s ever growing attack. Her rage is on clear display as victory isn’t satisfying enough. It provides a great lead-in to the main plot point of this chapter. A solid full page image shows Curry being welcomed to the “meeting”. Animal Girl’s reactions embrace the optimism of being a hero. It provides a sharp balance to Curry’s more brooding looks. Timms’ presentation of Swamp Thing is incredible whenever he arrives on page. This can’t be understated.
A bold half panel launches the trio into action. This is complemented by another great half panel showing Swamp Thing assessing the main threat. The main antagonist makes a creepy entrance to set forth a nice sequence of action panels. Lokus’ coloring hones in on the brutal attack needed to end this threat. Using Aquaman’s powers in such a fashion cements how far he’s come in this series. The fallout presents more smaller panels as the trio handles their business. It leads to a great yet puzzling final page. Seeing who’s waiting there raises some eyebrows as the Tidal War concludes its’ latest stop.
FINAL GRADE: 8.4
Aquaman is drawn into an unexpected meeting as Lolanna advances her deadly attack. Adams detours from events to provide a great team-up. Timms, Lokus & Sharpe bring an energetic pace to the art. An excellent read to let readers recover from last issue’s huge launch of the Tidal War.
Let me know your thoughts on EMPEROR AQUAMAN #22 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
