Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Paul Pelletier

As the ‘Death of a King’ arc reaches its penultimate chapter, this issue effectively serves as a deep breath before plunging headlong into what should be an epic finale. The story alternates between flashbacks and the present day, providing us with the chilling origin of the ‘dead king’ and casting some major doubts over Arthur’s assumed right to sit on the throne of Atlantis.

Geoff Johns has always had a knack for epic storyline set pieces and dramatic ‘reveals’, and while this issue has its fair share of those, it also features some quieter, character-based moments as Arthur finds himself coming face-to-face with the reality of his past. The writing is top notch, as should be expected from this title by now, and there’s a genuine feel throughout that this arc will have major ramifications for the future of the character.

Pelletier also excels here, handling both the massive moments (several of the splash pages here are poster-worth in their own right) and the character-based ones (Arthur’s expressions, ranging from his initial distrust of Vulko to his shock at what he’s being told, are pretty much perfect) with consummate ease. This is an issue that is jam-packed with storyline developments, and one which paints the initial five chapters of the story in a whole new light.

Oh, and if that weren’t enough for you, the icing on the cake is that – with the story having skipped six months ahead – we’re now treated to Arthur with a full, glorious beard. Yeah. Bearded Aquaman. That’s what we’ve been waiting for, folks.

Aquaman has been undoubtedly one of the most brilliantly consistent titles in the New 52, however it remains to be seen if the title can stay afloat (ho ho) when Johns leaves the title at the conclusion of this arc. I’m remaining quietly optimistic, but whoever takes over the writing duties has some massive shoes to fill, that’s for sure.

[Edit: I just remembered that the new writer is Jeff Parker. So I’m immediately reassured.]

Rating: 8.5/10.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
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