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Aquaman, Volume 3: Throne of Atlantis

(Aquaman (2011) #3)

Geoff Johns (Writer),

Paul Pelletier (Illustrator),

Ivan Reis (Illustrator),

Pete Woods (Illustrator),

Pere Pérez (Illustrator),

Joe Prado (Illustrator),

Sean Parsons (Illustrator),

Art Thibert (Illustrator),

more…

4.16 · Rating details · 3,131 ratings · 239 reviews

Aquaman, who long ago lost contact with his people, must watch as armies emerge from the sea to attack the surface world. The Justice League answers the call to defend the shores from the invading Atlantean horde. But whose side is Aquaman on? With his brother Orm at the head of the undersea army, will Aquaman stand with his Earth-bound superteam? Or his own people?

Collec ...more

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Hardcover, 192 pages

Published November 19th 2013 by DC Comics

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· 3,131 ratings · 239 reviews

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Start your review of Aquaman, Volume 3: Throne of Atlantis

Dec 15, 2018 Jayson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 100-199-pp, comic-book-trade, comics-dc-new-52, read-in-2018, format-comic-book, genre-folklore-myth, subject-war, author-american, genre-superhero, genre-team

(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: It crumbles characters to complexity by catastrophe and costly concessions: couching cultivation in cinematic clamor.

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Jan 11, 2014 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2014, comics, graphic-novels, fishy, read-in-2016

Re-read 2016

description

I mainly decided to re-read Johns' entire run because I made my teenage son to read them.
Yeah.
That's right. I forced my kid to read Aquaman comics, because he (like some of you) was making fun of me for my obsession with this character.
So. Since I'm not only his mother, but also an asshole, I picked up all four volumes of this sucker, and plopped them down in front of him.
Me: Read 'em.
Him: Are you serious?
Me: *raises eyebrow*
Him: Alright! Alright! Jesus!

And do you wanna know what ...more

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Aug 20, 2016 Jan Philipzig rated it it was ok

Shelves: dc, family, war, superhero, action, politics

Well, that wasn’t the most organic or convincing story in the world, was it? But I guess that’s beside the point, as long as it results in a war that looks like a cross between the movies Pearl Harbour, 2012 and Piranha. Seriously, where did all the fun and charm from Volume 1 go?

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Jul 24, 2014 Chad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019

Decided to do a re-read after watching Aquaman. Atlantis attacks the surface after some missiles inadvertently hit Atlantis. There are so many great character moments interspersed between epic battles. I loved Superman and Wonder Woman's first date. It was delightful. Amanda Waller trying to recruit Black Manta to the Suicide Squad. How great was that? Cyborg's sacrifice. Theirs so much to love. Johns masterfully reconstructed Orm's character. He's actually a good king protecting his kingdom. I ...more

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Jun 07, 2015 Bookwraiths rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library, graphic-novels-dc, graphic-novels

Damn, Aquaman is a total badass! What the hell alternate reality am I living in?

I have to admit I've never been an Aquaman fan. The whole talking to fish thing wasn't very impressive, but Geoff Johns has worked miracles with this character. The story here was gripping, action-packed, and emotional; the art, meanwhile, was truly breathtaking, doing justice to every one of the great DC characters as well as the undersea world itself.

For whatever it is worth, I'm a huge fan of this Aquaman, as most ...more

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Apr 18, 2014 Sam Quixote rated it it was ok

I get it now - Geoff Johns is the comic book Michael Bay! Do you like massive, loud action scenes strung together with a nonsensical “story”? Look no further than Throne of Atlantis, this summer’s blockbuster (s)hit!

Ok, this whole review is going to look into why Throne of Atlantis is one big DUUUUUH so it’s going to be packed with spoilers - if you haven’t read this yet and you’re just looking for a yay or nay review, my answer is: if you’ve enjoyed New 52 Aquaman so far, you’ll like this; if ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Eli rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, dc-comics

Another good volume in this series!

I had already read about half of this volume through Geoff Johns' Justice League series but I preferred reading it in the context of Aquaman because it makes more sense and it's easier to be empathetic towards Arthur.

Basically the issues that Atlantis has underwater (and trust me, there are a ton) have exploded onto the surface via subtle manipulations of a character I'm not going to spoil. The complexities of Arthur's character have again shown up here. He fee ...more

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Oct 18, 2014 Sesana rated it liked it

Shelves: comics, superhumans

For most of the time I was reading this book, I was greatly enjoying it. It's a big event, but there's a personal element to it, too: Atlantis invades the surface world, forcing Aquaman to choose sides. And there's plenty of cool stuff going on. It helps that Mera remains ridiculously awesome, and that Aquaman's enemy Black Manta has a scene that makes him so much cooler and more intimidating than I ever would have expected him to be. And there's a really fun scene with Clark teaching Diana how For most of the time I was reading this book, I was greatly enjoying it. It's a big event, but there's a personal element to it, too: Atlantis invades the surface world, forcing Aquaman to choose sides. And there's plenty of cool stuff going on. It helps that Mera remains ridiculously awesome, and that Aquaman's enemy Black Manta has a scene that makes him so much cooler and more intimidating than I ever would have expected him to be. And there's a really fun scene with Clark teaching Diana how glasses can be a good disguise. So far, so good.

And then I get to end of the book and something hits me. This whole war with Atlantis starts when renegade naval missiles hit Atlantis. Surely, this had some sort of effect in Atlantis. Surely, there was damage, injuries, even fatalities. Surely. But I can only speculate, because not one single person on the surface side seems to care in the least that Atlantis was attacked, not even Aquaman. At no point does anyone even acknowledge that the events that triggered Atlantis to attack are actually, legitimately terrible, and actually, legitimately something that an actual, totally sane country would go to war over. At no point is there any expression of regret at their losses, or an understanding that maybe the Atlanteans have a right to be upset. Only the lives of humans matter in this book, which is a genuinely uncomfortable prospect when two members of the team aren't human.

Which makes the supposedly triumphant ending that much more sour to me. The current king of Atlantis, Arthur's half-brother Orm, is repeatedly shown to be, in general, a good man, a good king, and has nothing but the best interest of his people at heart. So when Arthur defeats him and takes his throne (view spoiler) and has Orm thrown into a human prison, I can't see it as a victory at all. There's no real attempt to explain why what Orm did was so wrong. In the real world, one country attacking another by firing missiles into what seems to be a civilian area is an act of war, and responding in kind is neither shocking nor abhorrent. Yes, it's obvious to the reader from very early on that the U.S. government didn't intentionally fire those missiles at Atlantis, but how is Atlantis in general or Orm in particular supposed to know or trust that?

It kind of looks like I'm in the minority in even thinking along these lines. Those thoughts really did bring my enjoyment of the book as a whole crashing down. No, it isn't an inherently bad premise, but the presentation is very one-sided. Unless we're meant to think that the Justice League as a whole, including the current king of Atlantis, really doesn't care about Atlanteans. ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Daniel rated it it was ok

Hmmm, I don't know.
I liked some bits of it, but for the most part, it was kind of a disappointment to me.
I just don't like it when superhero comics are trying to be too epic.
On the same note, it felt like there were too many things going on simultaneously.

I know it's a nitpick but I would have preferred if the artist, Ivan Reis, would have remained the artist of the series. The new art was kind of distracting to me, not bad per se, just inconsistent.

Verdict: Unfortunately did not click with me. ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Gavin rated it liked it

Shelves: comics

OK, so this is unprecedented...Geoff Johns has been involved in a storyline I've enjoyed for 3 volumes in a row...oh, and it's AQUAMAN.

description

The only drawback is that this volume includes some Justice League issues that I've already read and apparently didn't enjoy. So Ya, somehow that Origin issue of Aquaman was much more enjoyable, Arthur accepts who he is, meets Vulko (who's OBVIOUSLY drawn in a way that gives away plenty.....) and returns to Atlantis.

The JL stuff was still kinda dumb, the reserves ...more

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May 20, 2014 Jedi JC Daquis rated it it was amazing

2018 reread:

I've been rereading my Aquaman comics after watching the movie. James Wan's bigscreen adaptation of the DC superhero got many story elements like plots, characters and even some setpieces from this run.

I liked it before, and I still like it now. Throne of Atlantis is the climactic battle Geoff Johns has been building up since the start of his New52 Aquaman run. It offers some mindless popcorn action and entertainment which is well worth your time.

2013 review:

Geoff Johns has again pro ...more

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Jun 25, 2017 James DeSantis rated it really liked it

I already reviewed 2/3rds of this book with JLA. So I won't go in to great detail on it. I liked the setup issues for the big Throne of Atlantis fight. Just keep in mind shit's about to go DOWN but if you read it in Justice League you might be disappointed.

What I liked: The set up, the war, the brotherly fight. This is everything Aquaman is about. It's truly a amazing arc and one of the best for our young King. The ending is bitter sweet and really sets up the finish for Johns run.

What I didn' ...more

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Aug 11, 2015 Caitlin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: character-aquaman, format-gn, series-new-52

Geoff Johns is making me into an Aquaman fan, and that is a statement I can safely say I never expected to write.

In volume three, Johns brings in a number of different threads that have been building in the previous volumes and sets in motion a war between Atlantis and the “surface dwellers.” The Dead King’s scepter, capable of sinking entire islands into the ocean, has fallen into the hands of some mysterious Atlantean benefactor and when missiles are suddenly retargeted to fall on Atlantis, it Geoff Johns is making me into an Aquaman fan, and that is a statement I can safely say I never expected to write.

In volume three, Johns brings in a number of different threads that have been building in the previous volumes and sets in motion a war between Atlantis and the “surface dwellers.” The Dead King’s scepter, capable of sinking entire islands into the ocean, has fallen into the hands of some mysterious Atlantean benefactor and when missiles are suddenly retargeted to fall on Atlantis, it becomes clear that this person has war in mind. Arthur, along with the rest of the Justice League, must somehow get the Atlanteans not to destroy entire cities in their quest for vengeance and find out who is behind it all.

One of the greatest strengths of this volume is the focus it puts on relationships between Arthur and the other characters. I was particularly impressed by the ties built between him and his brother Orm, the current king of Atlantis. The idea that Orm would have been raised, in common with the other Atlanteans, to both hate and fear the surface dwellers who have repeatedly murdered them and poisoned their home makes perfect sense. It made it easy to understand why Orm would turn to war when the missiles fell on Atlantis. The dichotomy between Orm, the full Atlantean, and Arthur, who has a foot in both worlds, was really well done. And I loved the relationship between Aquaman and Batman. Batman is one of the few who trusts Aquaman and understands that he has to deal with his brother without outside interference. Throughout, the relationships between characters were very well written and compelling. It made the volume an extremely fast read for me.

What makes it a bit of a tough read is the end. (view spoiler)

This Aquaman series is doing exactly what the Wonder Woman one never did for me. It’s epic, compelling and really making me love a superhero I never gave a shit about before. Definitely one of the must-read New 52 series!
...more

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Aug 15, 2013 Chris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dc-comics

Any Aquaman fan knows just how wrong the "Aquaman sucks" jokes have become, but fortunately writer Geoff Johns makes sure that all the naysayers are missing out on another must-have collection. Throne Of Atlantis is an epic story with incredibly detailed artwork, great characterisation and huge action that rivals any blockbuster movie. Oh, and it crosses over with the Justice League series in style!

After an introductory look at Aquaman's early days, the book introduces key characters and delves ...more

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Oct 20, 2014 GrilledCheeseSamurai (Scott) rated it liked it

Shelves: comics, superhero, dc

This could have been...would have been a helluva lot better if it hadn't been a bloody cross-over event.

Its what I hate most about Marvel and DC, and why I often find myself giving up on their titles. Why cant we just have self contained stories? Why? WHHHHHY?

I remember when cross-overs were saved for something special. When it was actually an event. Now its just a money grab to make us buy other titles.

Fuck you.

Anyways.

Phew.

After all that...I enjoyed it well enough. I just wish it was all in it ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Jesse A rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-it-up, graphic-novels

Another very solid volume in a very solid series.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2019 Anthony Sicoli rated it really liked it

Shelves: dc_comics, aquaman

Score: 4.00 out of 5
Grade: 80% (A-) | Great

If you wanted bigger and better, you got it! This volume sees Aquaman teaming up with the Justice League to take down his brother, Orm, and his attack on us land-dwellers. The art was fantastic at displaying the scope of this threat, we get to see some great moments between various pairs of characters, and the conclusion sets up future installments for endless possibilities. Although this volume largely sticks the landing, there is some pacing issues wh ...more

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Apr 05, 2014 Mike rated it really liked it

Shelves: found-via-goodreads

Seriously, is Johns getting someone to script his outlines here? It's almost as if the dialogue doesn't suck, and the pacing is quick and sharp, avoiding a lot of the depressingly momentum-arresting monologuing that infects nearly everything he touches.

Aquaman's brother is either the most centred, charming rogue or he's a total snake in the grass narcissistic asslicker, and he's got my attention either way. Either way, the Orm-and-Artie prelude was much better than the Diana-and-orange-tabbie-w Seriously, is Johns getting someone to script his outlines here? It's almost as if the dialogue doesn't suck, and the pacing is quick and sharp, avoiding a lot of the depressingly momentum-arresting monologuing that infects nearly everything he touches.

Aquaman's brother is either the most centred, charming rogue or he's a total snake in the grass narcissistic asslicker, and he's got my attention either way. Either way, the Orm-and-Artie prelude was much better than the Diana-and-orange-tabbie-without-nipples prelude in the JL3 book.

I'm intrigued by the downright slimy shit that Amanda Waller is tugging out in the shadows. Let's hope she becomes as batshit as Maxwell Lord or Billy Butcher.

Then we reach the full-on crossover part of this book, where DC decided to print the JL and Aquaman issues in both books. (There should really be a frequent buyers' discount applied to trades like these.)

The initial attack from Atlantis is suitably scary and uncontrollable, if a little reminiscent of Ultimate Magneto's attack on NYC (and probably a hundred other comic book seaboard threats over the years).

But then Aquaman's reactions are laughable. Yes he's noble enough to want to quell a war, and smart enough to approach his bother alone - but as soon as the JL decides that maybe there's a threat of annihilation, Aquaman starts throwing punches?

Cyborg's reactions are actually pretty cool though. I actually had a "that's cool" moment when (view spoiler) I haven't felt that kind of chill in all the Geoff Johns books I've ever read, and I think it works because he actually earned it - the story progresses naturally to a point where this actually makes rational sense.

Here's something that doesn't make sense tho: how does a Wonder Woman's sword stay on her leg? every time I see it not in her hand, it's stuck to the side of her thigh somehow - without scabbard or even a strap it's held under. Are we to believe it's magic, or that her thigh strap is a super-duty magnet?

And Vixen? In the 21st century, we're going to reintroduce a character by the name of Vixen? With smell powers?

The climax and wrap-up are serious - suitably so for the subject, and exciting in a small way that this promises to expand the threats this new DC world has to offer. I'm still stupidly skeptical that Johns will blow the potential he's built here, because this seems bigger and more intricate than I've ever seen him pull off. But I'll stick around to see whether (a) this gets better or (b) I can cackle with schadenfreude at Johns' next boner. Either way I get to enjoy my comics eh? ...more

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Jan 17, 2015 Leo rated it liked it

Shelves: comics, 2015

What do you know, Aquaman suddenly has a brother. Because, I mean, he hasn't been mentioned once before and and he just appears in this volume and it's like: Oh, hi, bro, you forgot your lunch this morning.
I feel like Aquaman is a different comic in every volume. The first one was very laid back, there wasn't much of a threat anywhere. Even Mera had time to trash a store (don't ask me why) so it's not like they had any pressing matters. The second volume introduced us to a bunch of new people a ...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Kenny rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels-comics, dc, batman, superman

Another excellent title in the Aquaman series Johns. Review to follow.

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Mar 19, 2015 Robert rated it really liked it

Shelves: dc

I enjoy the collaboration of Johns and Reis quite a bit, their bits are the best parts here...too bad I'd already read them as part of the Justice League: Throne of Atlantis compilation. ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Anthony rated it really liked it

Shelves: digital, the-new-52

Another volume of Geoff Johns's Aquaman that I have enjoyed! This time, with added Justice League! ...more

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May 15, 2019 Shannon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-reviewed, graphic-novels, action

Heeeeeyyyyy! Aquaman isn't a joke or sidekick this time around. That alone makes this worth a read.

Better than Volume 2 but not as good as Volume 4 which digs more into Atlantean secret histories.

Watch our hero trounce his cruel brother. See Atlantis go to war against the humans using the sea to drown their cities. See the JLA doubt Aquaman and watch him pushback.

MY GRADE: B plus to A minus. ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Miguel rated it really liked it

Shelves: dc

Fantastic. So far Geoff Johns run on Aquaman is perfect. Tho this volume was not so AMAZING as vol 1 and 2. This time we met the justice league! I liked the dynamic between the members!
Also a lot of things in the past 2 volumes colide in this third volume!

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Dec 07, 2018 Ryan Stewart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-graphic-novels-comics-manga

This is just Throne of Atlantis repackaged with one extra issue (#0) and a Jason Mamoa cover. It’s still a very good story, but know what you’re getting into.

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Nov 17, 2019 Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, library-r, comics, fiction

Not just Aquaman but with the whole Justice League.

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Jan 26, 2014 Angie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics

I am a little bummed about volume 3 of the Aquaman New 52. I started to read it and only the first few pages were new to me. The entire issue is also in Justice League Volume 3... which I suppose makes sense since it has the same title. I still don't get though why Aquaman didn't get a volume 3 all to himself. His comics have been my favorite so far in the new 52. Honestly though I don't understand why the same story ended up in two comics. I would be pretty ticked if I had bought this. I'll sti ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Koen rated it it was ok

"Speechless, or just a little wet I guess" ... Well, that about sum it up, right?? :S

My god, i was really enjoying Aquaman, till this monstrosity popped up... There was little left to the imagination, unfortunately.. It was all over in a flash - wham bam thank you ma'am...
This cross-over didn't need to be a cross-over in my humble opinion... Why couldn't they just deliver a proper Aquaman solo volume.. It would have been better without The JL butting in.

Hope the next chapter will be picking up ...more

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Mar 27, 2016 Drew The Reviewer rated it liked it

Most of this volume was one long showdown that felt way too long. However, the ending was awesome.

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Feb 05, 2021 Natalie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action-packed, comics-and-graphic-novels

I'm late to the Aquaman party. Not just this volume and/or series but late to knowing even one thing about Aquaman. I confess that I just saw the movie a few weeks ago.

I know, I know...WHAT ROCK WAS I LIVING UNDER?

I snagged this after watching the movie. I am not ashamed to admit that it was largely due to that ~~smokin' hot bod~~ pretty face on the cover.

Imagine my shock when I realized that Aquaman looks like this and not this.

description

Image 1: Reality
Image 2. Fantasy

description

I've never preferred blondes. Oh well ...more

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About Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns

2,020 followers

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career ...more