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Aquaman (2016)
Aquaman, Vol. 2: Amnesty
The tides turn for the Sea King as Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Pretty Deadly) and red-hot artist Robson Rochatake steer Aquaman into uncharted waters!
Thought to be dead by the rest of the world, Arthur Curry has retreated to a remote island where he struggles to recover his lost memory and return to his life as Aquaman. But when he finally realizes the truth about his past, what he learns will shake him to his core!
Beneath the waves, the mysterious Mother Shark reveals to Arthur that his origin and history are more fantastic than he ever expected. But his new understanding of himself as a hero and a king pales in comparison to the shocking revelations that Mera shared with him before they parted--news that will change not only their destiny, but the future of Atlantis itself!
Collects AQUAMAN #48-52.
Thought to be dead by the rest of the world, Arthur Curry has retreated to a remote island where he struggles to recover his lost memory and return to his life as Aquaman. But when he finally realizes the truth about his past, what he learns will shake him to his core!
Beneath the waves, the mysterious Mother Shark reveals to Arthur that his origin and history are more fantastic than he ever expected. But his new understanding of himself as a hero and a king pales in comparison to the shocking revelations that Mera shared with him before they parted--news that will change not only their destiny, but the future of Atlantis itself!
Collects AQUAMAN #48-52.
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2019
About the author
Kelly Sue DeConnick
364 books2,239 followersKelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.
Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.
In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.
Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 1, 2021
Man, this volume had a lot of stuff packed into it, and all of it was interesting!
Arthur goes on a trippy spirit journey to regain his lost memories and meets with a being called Mother Shark. She grants him partial recollection, but he wants more and chooses to delve into some dangerous waters to get everything back.
There's a whole lot of spoilers involved in finding out why he lost his memory, but suffice to say, Mera was at the center of it and the reveals are BIG all the way around.
After learning what happened, he heads back to his home in Amnesty Bay with all his new god friends in tow. <--omg there is so much more to the story than that, but I really don't want to spoil anything!
Also, AQUALAD!
And Manta, and Lex Luthor, and some dude I've never heard about that saw some sort of Cthulhu-looking monsters everywhere. <--and apparently they're going to attack and eat us all!
Like I said, this thing was packed to the gills with all sorts of interesting plot twists.
Recommended for Aquafans!
Arthur goes on a trippy spirit journey to regain his lost memories and meets with a being called Mother Shark. She grants him partial recollection, but he wants more and chooses to delve into some dangerous waters to get everything back.
There's a whole lot of spoilers involved in finding out why he lost his memory, but suffice to say, Mera was at the center of it and the reveals are BIG all the way around.
After learning what happened, he heads back to his home in Amnesty Bay with all his new god friends in tow. <--omg there is so much more to the story than that, but I really don't want to spoil anything!
Also, AQUALAD!
And Manta, and Lex Luthor, and some dude I've never heard about that saw some sort of Cthulhu-looking monsters everywhere. <--and apparently they're going to attack and eat us all!
Like I said, this thing was packed to the gills with all sorts of interesting plot twists.
Recommended for Aquafans!
January 17, 2020
DeConnick finally gives us some answers as Arthur gets some of his memories back. I liked this much better than the first volume. DeConnick has started pulling some continuity in from previous runs along with bringing Black Manta back. Manta is a fantastic villain and should always be circling the waters of Aquaman in some regard. I like how she's starting to dig into Mera as well. Mera may be an even more interesting character than Aquaman. The art by Viktor Bogdanovic and Robson Rocha is excellent.
January 15, 2020
An improvement on the previous volume featuring AmnesiAquaman, but on the whole I am yet to be convinced by these stories. Keeping the Old Gods loitering about seems kind of pointless, but there was at least one high point in the scene wherein the conflict between Arthur and Mera is finally revealed.
Oh yeah, Black Manta is back too but he doesn't do a whole lot here apart from set the groundwork for the Volume 3.
Oh yeah, Black Manta is back too but he doesn't do a whole lot here apart from set the groundwork for the Volume 3.
March 30, 2020
A major jump in quaility from volume 1. With aquaman having his memory back he becomes ALOT more fun. On top of that you have his wife dealing with pregnancy, black manta fishing for a new weapon, and last but not least a huge water creature pops up. Fast and fun, I enjoyed it. With a little more depth and emotion this can be something special.
April 22, 2021
Arthur goes to Mother Shark and from there he learns of his secret origins and all that and its epic the way its done, we through little glimpses come to know his full origin and his secret meeting with Mera when he was supposed to be done and having found out about his unborn child and what happened to him and Mera and ow he reached this island, whatever is going on with Mera, us coming to Amnesty and learning the history of the Island also and then a meeting with Aqualad and monsters attacking and Arthur being challenged on all sides and the return of a massive character in Amnesty Bay history. Excellent volume and this adds a lot of history to Amnesty Island and sets up great thing for Black Manta thanks to YOTV! Soon Mecha action and Arthur will be challenged on all sides The art still continues to impress and the writing even more so!
December 23, 2023
Aquaman returns home to Amnesty Bay after returning from the dead. He readjusts to life in Amnesty and spends some time bringing some new people into the community. There's also something in here that fans of Lovecraft might enjoy, although it doesn't have much of a sense of dread. Overall, I felt that it was a fun read.
September 30, 2019
After an unexpectedly strong opening arc, this second arc shoehorns DeConnick’s take on Aquaman into his established continuity. For that reason, this arc is almost entirely exposition. Where DeConnick’s opening arc promised something fresh and epic, this second arc returns the character to well-trodden (and largely uninteresting) territory.
[Read in single issues]
[Read in single issues]
August 1, 2020
Hats off to DC for doing yet another confusing thing when it comes to collecting a trade. Amnesty actually only collects half of the Amnesty storyline, with the second half included in the next trade, because why not.
Back to business. The opening two issues of this volume are the two part Mother Shark storyline, which delves deep into Aquaman's past as he attempts to recover his memories after the events of the previous volume. The dialogue in this is so evocative, and the art from guest artist Viktor Bogdanovic is so damn perfect, that it makes these possibly the best two issues of the series thus far. Bogdanovic is a slightly rougher around the edges Greg Capullo, and he's perfect for this story.
Amnesty itself takes up issues 50-52. We get some focus on Mera and Atlantis as that storyline comes back into focus after all the spotlight on Arthur, while Jackson Hyde returns in time for Black Manta to play a role in the book's Year Of The Villain tie-in. After being almost entirely separate from the previous continuity in the last volume, these issues reintroduce Amnesty Bay and Atlantis to the story seamlessly, and DeConnick picks up what's been laid down and runs with it. New creative teams during the Rebirth era of the DCU have been extremely respectful of what their predecessors have done, and this is another shining example. Series artist Robson Rocha returns for these issues, doing yet another spectacular job.
Aquaman's second volume under his new creative team could have floundered, but it finds its sea legs with a superb opening arc before joining the current of the mainline DCU effortlessly. A gold medal for all involved - just a shame we have to wait for volume 3 to get the end of the story started here.
Back to business. The opening two issues of this volume are the two part Mother Shark storyline, which delves deep into Aquaman's past as he attempts to recover his memories after the events of the previous volume. The dialogue in this is so evocative, and the art from guest artist Viktor Bogdanovic is so damn perfect, that it makes these possibly the best two issues of the series thus far. Bogdanovic is a slightly rougher around the edges Greg Capullo, and he's perfect for this story.
Amnesty itself takes up issues 50-52. We get some focus on Mera and Atlantis as that storyline comes back into focus after all the spotlight on Arthur, while Jackson Hyde returns in time for Black Manta to play a role in the book's Year Of The Villain tie-in. After being almost entirely separate from the previous continuity in the last volume, these issues reintroduce Amnesty Bay and Atlantis to the story seamlessly, and DeConnick picks up what's been laid down and runs with it. New creative teams during the Rebirth era of the DCU have been extremely respectful of what their predecessors have done, and this is another shining example. Series artist Robson Rocha returns for these issues, doing yet another spectacular job.
Aquaman's second volume under his new creative team could have floundered, but it finds its sea legs with a superb opening arc before joining the current of the mainline DCU effortlessly. A gold medal for all involved - just a shame we have to wait for volume 3 to get the end of the story started here.
October 21, 2021
This was another decent one. Aquaman's style has changed a bit, but I like it so far. I'm interested in seeing where the Mera and Black Manta and Aqualad storylines go too. I need to get to Teen Titans soon so I can learn more about Jackson.
January 19, 2020
Deze Vol 2 is anders. Iet wat verwarrend, en een ander soort verhaallijn en graphics (niet mijn favoriete artist), en toch ben ik benieuwd waar het heen gaat!
June 16, 2020
A arte está incrível. Esse arco está rendendo.
April 19, 2021
5 🌟
Arthur regains his memories and goes back to Amnesty Bay.
Arthur regains his memories and goes back to Amnesty Bay.
June 6, 2020
Muitas emoções aguardam o leitor neste segundo volume de Aquaman por Kelly Sue DeConnick e, acho que posso dizer que este volume acabou sendo uma experiência de leitura ainda melhor que o primeiro. Isso porque depois de Aquaman ter ficado desmemoriado e abandonado pelo seu povo, tido como morto, depois salvo e reunificado com os deuses antigos dos mares através de tatuagens, ele retorna à Bahia da Anistia. Sim, ele retorna para a Bahia da Anistia, mas ainda não é hora de votar para os braços de sua amada Mera. isso porque a roteirista revela que os dois amantes tiveram um desentendimento antes do desaparecimento de Aquaman e esse quiprocó envolve a gravidez de Mera. Um Aquababy vem aí, mas Arthur Curry não sabe como lidar com esse acontecimento. Enquanto isso, o vilão Arraia Negra recebe uma proposta de Lex Luthor para acabar de vez com o Aquaman. E ainda, Jackson Hyde, o Aqualad, filho do Arraia Negra procura o Aquaman para ser o seu "ajudante". Então, eu não disse que esse volume estava recheado de novas emoções para o leitor. Um quadrinho que rende cada centavo gasto!
June 20, 2021
Torn between a 3 and 2 star rating for this. Was nice to see Arthur's return but the Black Manta part which I had high hopes for was really blah.
July 16, 2020
Much better! This is back to the Aquaman that I enjoy!
Highlights:
- With the help of Mother Shark, an entity that apparently helps aquatic souls pass on to the afterlife, we not only find out the Aquaman was killed to get where he ended up in the last Volume, but that it was Mera who did it.
- We see a scene where Mera tells Arthur she's pregnant. He is happy about it, but the doubt and chaos of his past and childhood causes him to want to run to clear his head. Mera mistakes it for abandonment and lashes out, accidentally killing him.
- Mother Shark allows Aquaman to return to life, and has him and the Old Sea Gods (from the island he was on in the last Volume) relocate to Amnesty Bay.
- Arthur meets the new Aqualad and they begin to work together... somewhat (It's very funny and awkward...)
- The Old Sea Gods are given an abandoned lighthouse that has a sea monster story attached to it. When it's rebuilt and they light the beacon, a huge sea monster returns and gets into a huge battle. Once Aquaman defeats it, the original owner of the lighthouse, gone for 300 years, comes back to the land (definitely more about this next Volume).
- Mera is being forced to marry someone so he chooses Vulko, and it is assumed it is because she is stalling for a specific reason.
- Black Manta is given a gift from Lex Luthor: Mecha Manta, a huge robot who is programmed to act and communicate exactly like Manta's dead father. (This is creepy and will obviously backfire!)
Overall, I am much more pleased with this Volume over Vol 1. I like where this is heading, but I hope they aren't trying to give Arthur a truly new beginning. He needs to become a very stable character again.
Recommend.
Highlights:
- With the help of Mother Shark, an entity that apparently helps aquatic souls pass on to the afterlife, we not only find out the Aquaman was killed to get where he ended up in the last Volume, but that it was Mera who did it.
- We see a scene where Mera tells Arthur she's pregnant. He is happy about it, but the doubt and chaos of his past and childhood causes him to want to run to clear his head. Mera mistakes it for abandonment and lashes out, accidentally killing him.
- Mother Shark allows Aquaman to return to life, and has him and the Old Sea Gods (from the island he was on in the last Volume) relocate to Amnesty Bay.
- Arthur meets the new Aqualad and they begin to work together... somewhat (It's very funny and awkward...)
- The Old Sea Gods are given an abandoned lighthouse that has a sea monster story attached to it. When it's rebuilt and they light the beacon, a huge sea monster returns and gets into a huge battle. Once Aquaman defeats it, the original owner of the lighthouse, gone for 300 years, comes back to the land (definitely more about this next Volume).
- Mera is being forced to marry someone so he chooses Vulko, and it is assumed it is because she is stalling for a specific reason.
- Black Manta is given a gift from Lex Luthor: Mecha Manta, a huge robot who is programmed to act and communicate exactly like Manta's dead father. (This is creepy and will obviously backfire!)
Overall, I am much more pleased with this Volume over Vol 1. I like where this is heading, but I hope they aren't trying to give Arthur a truly new beginning. He needs to become a very stable character again.
Recommend.
September 25, 2019
Бородатый Артур Карри возвращается к маяку в Амнести-Бэй. Под парусом и в компании древних морских богов, которым предстоит теперь адаптироваться к современному миру. Мило, перспективно, но, для начала, слишком похоже на сеттинг Тора. Особенно в его текущей итерации из киновселенной, где выжившие асгардцы занимаются в верфях примерно тем же самым. Но проблема даже не в этом. Со второго тома ДеКонник начинает, собственно, то, ради чего её и пригласили - постепенно меняет интонацию. У Эрики Уотсон наконец появляется жених - офицер Дуэйн Фрейдон, а в Амнести возвращается второй аквалэд Джейсон Хайд со всем набором обычных проблем. Манта, разумеется, тоже вернулся, а вместе с ним и ктулхианское наследие великого Тристрама Маурера. Не хотел спойлерить - накидал имён.
June 28, 2026
Loads going on here, not least the central "let's go and live in a haunted lighthouse" plot. Arthur gets some of his memories back - although flashes back to losing them in a way that doesn't match Drowned Earth - Jackson Hyde officially becomes Aqualad 2 and Black Manta gets a giant robot to live in that pretends to be his Dad. It sounds barmy, but it really works.
August 7, 2022
I liked this better than the previous volume, but parts of this were still a little too metaphysical for me. I do like the core storyline where Black Manta returns...again. Seems like that guy is always "returning."
Overall not a bad story, as we even get some Lovecraftian elements thrown in.
Overall not a bad story, as we even get some Lovecraftian elements thrown in.
March 3, 2020
Finally got to see how the protector of deep lost his memories and who made him what he was today.
Also seen his little princess
Also seen his little princess
April 26, 2021
kind of living for this Lovecraftian situation, which is not a phrase I ever thought I'd say personally
August 31, 2020
Okay, so, I really liked Amnesty because it was pretty low key overall - Aquaman learns his history from Mother Shark, goes home to Amnesty Bay, hangs out with the munchkin sea gods and the locals and Aqualad. There's lots of character building. Mera spends time in Atlantis, pregnant and politically manuevering. The end of the world isn't hanging over anyone's head. Amnesty is, unexpectedly, just plain charming.
But! But. The thing that almost knocked a star off this book for me was the explanation of Aquaman's amnesia.
But! But. The thing that almost knocked a star off this book for me was the explanation of Aquaman's amnesia.
December 19, 2025
The hard cover edition comes with a nice splash print spanning the front and back cover with the jacket on top.
Finally everyone knows Arthur is alive again but Mera does not go to find him. Strange. . First, omg! yes, they would make great parents. But there was miscommunication, Arthur is haunted by what his mother had to do in the past and fears Mera will have to choose as the queen. I wished he talked to her about it and sorted it out. Heck, they need to sort things out but are both too stubborn to reach out. Please get them to work it out, I have grown to love them as a couple.
I did like seeing Wonder Woman briefly in this volume.
She does give him a realistic reaction when he tells her what happened with him and Mera.
The old sea gods return with Arthur to Amnesty Bay and he is welcomed by his friends like officer Erika. He takes under his wing, Black Manta's son Jackson. I did not now know he was the new Aqualad. But the teenager has harsh lessons to learn when everyone is mobilised to fight a scary skull sea monster.
As usual, it does not take much to stir Black Manta's thirst for revenge and violence. I want this character to give it up. The art was great at times and meh at others.
I felt like Arthur's personality changes abit more to the more relaxed feel of Jason Mamoa's Arthur Curry in this volume. His character is more at peace than in previous runs.
Reread 17 - 18 Dec 2025
3 stars
Volume 3 makes more sense after reading this. It was said to see Jackson try to save Ralph but the person dies.
Finally everyone knows Arthur is alive again but Mera does not go to find him. Strange. . First, omg! yes, they would make great parents. But there was miscommunication, Arthur is haunted by what his mother had to do in the past and fears Mera will have to choose as the queen. I wished he talked to her about it and sorted it out. Heck, they need to sort things out but are both too stubborn to reach out. Please get them to work it out, I have grown to love them as a couple.
I did like seeing Wonder Woman briefly in this volume.
She does give him a realistic reaction when he tells her what happened with him and Mera.
The old sea gods return with Arthur to Amnesty Bay and he is welcomed by his friends like officer Erika. He takes under his wing, Black Manta's son Jackson. I did not now know he was the new Aqualad. But the teenager has harsh lessons to learn when everyone is mobilised to fight a scary skull sea monster.
As usual, it does not take much to stir Black Manta's thirst for revenge and violence. I want this character to give it up. The art was great at times and meh at others.
I felt like Arthur's personality changes abit more to the more relaxed feel of Jason Mamoa's Arthur Curry in this volume. His character is more at peace than in previous runs.
Reread 17 - 18 Dec 2025
3 stars
Volume 3 makes more sense after reading this. It was said to see Jackson try to save Ralph but the person dies.
February 28, 2020
Hmmm. It’s an enjoyable read, for the most part, but more frustrating than the last volume. Solid art, still. But this volume splits into 3 different plot threads, and I think it slows things down too much.
The A plot, with Arthur, is fine. Not my favorite, but fun. Superhero adventure stuff, a dash of Lovecraft (though I wish it went much further, that would be an interesting story in and of itself.)
The B plot, with Mera, is...frustrating. Especially the first part of it, where she clung tightly to the Idiot Ball, so to speak. But... once a certain part where she and another character try to stick a spanner in the works of the Atlantean Nuns (I forget their real name and don’t care; I’d like to see them dead or gone with all the headache BS they’ve heaped on things since they’ve first appeared) it gets amusing. I love good ol’ malicious compliance. But still...the way it starts was stupid, and it shouldn’t have gotten to that point. I completely understand the frustration with the handling of Mera and Arthur’s relationship now.
The C plot is Black Manta, and it’s mostly set up for the next volume. It’s got potential to be intriguing, and is dealing with some interesting psychological stuff for the character.
Overall, it’s messy, but enjoyable. Rocha and Bogandovic’s art being stellar helps.
The A plot, with Arthur, is fine. Not my favorite, but fun. Superhero adventure stuff, a dash of Lovecraft (though I wish it went much further, that would be an interesting story in and of itself.)
The B plot, with Mera, is...frustrating. Especially the first part of it, where she clung tightly to the Idiot Ball, so to speak. But... once a certain part where she and another character try to stick a spanner in the works of the Atlantean Nuns (I forget their real name and don’t care; I’d like to see them dead or gone with all the headache BS they’ve heaped on things since they’ve first appeared) it gets amusing. I love good ol’ malicious compliance. But still...the way it starts was stupid, and it shouldn’t have gotten to that point. I completely understand the frustration with the handling of Mera and Arthur’s relationship now.
The C plot is Black Manta, and it’s mostly set up for the next volume. It’s got potential to be intriguing, and is dealing with some interesting psychological stuff for the character.
Overall, it’s messy, but enjoyable. Rocha and Bogandovic’s art being stellar helps.
April 3, 2020
Seriously, we're ret-conning already? The whole thing doesn't make sense in terms of character or plot. So Aquaman didn't end up dying by flying a space boat into a death kraken, and somehow ending up in an extra dimensional ocean. He faked his death so he could spend time with his wife, who also kept the fact that Aquaman was alive a secret. So, everyone is mourning the death of a hero, meanwhile he's playing hooky with his wife. And then, to somehow keep the previous like of 'Aquaman died' intact, Mera accidentally 'kills' him when he had a bad reaction to the news of her pregnancy. Which it feels like that was the whole reason for the 'Aquaman not really dead' thing, just to have a pregnancy reveal. Which would have been just as emotional and dramatic if Mera revealed it after he came back. I realize that comic giants like DC and Marvel like to play fast and loose with continuity, but god damn at least wait for a reboot before ret-conning! This happened in the span of, what, seven issues? Geeze...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2020
*I've read a lot more than I've reviewed, so.... one-sentence takeaways!*
While I loved the art and the overall storytelling, the attempt to blend the traditional Aquaman with Jason Mamoa's interpretation was sometimes jarring. And then the whole scene with Mera telling Arthur she was pregnant--did that take place before Drowned Earth or after? I thought he "died" at the end of that story arc, but then he and Mera were talking about how he was supposed to be dead, but then she supposedly killed him.... I felt like I'd missed an issue. Or at least a page. If there's something else I need to read for that to make sense, please somebody point me in that direction. (Or if I just missed something... let me know what I missed.) I'm hoping it's an error on my part because, honestly, I overall enjoyed this book (jarring character stuff aside), but that whole blow-up/maybe-dead/maybe-dead-before.... whatever... that's a pretty giant plot hole of confusion.
(Okay, this one went over one sentence... but I'd really love some clarity.)
While I loved the art and the overall storytelling, the attempt to blend the traditional Aquaman with Jason Mamoa's interpretation was sometimes jarring. And then the whole scene with Mera telling Arthur she was pregnant--did that take place before Drowned Earth or after? I thought he "died" at the end of that story arc, but then he and Mera were talking about how he was supposed to be dead, but then she supposedly killed him.... I felt like I'd missed an issue. Or at least a page. If there's something else I need to read for that to make sense, please somebody point me in that direction. (Or if I just missed something... let me know what I missed.) I'm hoping it's an error on my part because, honestly, I overall enjoyed this book (jarring character stuff aside), but that whole blow-up/maybe-dead/maybe-dead-before.... whatever... that's a pretty giant plot hole of confusion.
(Okay, this one went over one sentence... but I'd really love some clarity.)
March 25, 2020
Aquaman returns to its regular continuity, and its mostly a good story about homecoming, with a bunch of exposition about the history of Amnesty Bay and a number of guest characters. The segments with Arthur himself are good, with some Lovecraftian themes (and some rather indirect references to the game Call of Cthulhu) and even the big fight scene at the end showing more of the collateral than such things normally do. Aside from the flashbacks with Arthur, the scenes with Mera are less interesting; she seems to be stalling for time, and arguably, so is the comic. Black Manta is back with a big robot in tow, but that's obviously set up for the next volume and isn't very interesting on its own. This makes the story less interesting than that in Vol. 1, but it gets us back on track, as was needed after the lengthy sojourn elsewhere. I'll give it 4 for DeConnick's writing and the high-quality artwork, more than for the plot.
June 11, 2024
Aquaman recovers his memory, and with it, all the history that has come thus far.
Kelly Sue DeConnick decided to take things back to a more familiar status quo in the second volume. We see how Arthur gets his memory back, and how he is right back to where he was before this amnesiatic episode. The old problems are still there with Mera, Atlantis, and now even Black Manta has returned. It's like Aquaman can't escape his past, he is always confronted with it head on.
I kind of liked what DeConnick was doing with the character in the first volume, as it setup a sort of "blank slate" for him to deal with. But everyone knew he would eventually get his memory back sooner or later. I didn't think it would be so soon though. To me, this felt like a bit of a step back, or at least, vol 1 being a misstep. And it kind of feels like we are headed to familiar storylines and retreads.
I hope DeConnick takes us on an interesting journey and hopefully some new direction.
Kelly Sue DeConnick decided to take things back to a more familiar status quo in the second volume. We see how Arthur gets his memory back, and how he is right back to where he was before this amnesiatic episode. The old problems are still there with Mera, Atlantis, and now even Black Manta has returned. It's like Aquaman can't escape his past, he is always confronted with it head on.
I kind of liked what DeConnick was doing with the character in the first volume, as it setup a sort of "blank slate" for him to deal with. But everyone knew he would eventually get his memory back sooner or later. I didn't think it would be so soon though. To me, this felt like a bit of a step back, or at least, vol 1 being a misstep. And it kind of feels like we are headed to familiar storylines and retreads.
I hope DeConnick takes us on an interesting journey and hopefully some new direction.
April 1, 2026
Decent book, with fairly good art and writing, but not overly memorable. This is the first Aquaman book I’ve read, and it was a lot better than I expected and I enjoyed it for the most part.
I would say that the book doesn’t exactly stand too well on its own, as it clearly requires you to read the next volume (which I’m not sure I will do). The concept of Mera and Aquaman having a child was interesting, but then didn’t deliver much in this volume.
Considering the cover had Black Manta and Aquaman on it together, I was looking forward to a battle between the two - but it never happens. They don’t even meet in this volume.
I also felt that the scenes which take place underwater should have looked a lot to different to the panels on land, but they pretty much looked the same (minus the bubbles).
Overall, the character dialogue is the strongest part of the book and on that basis, I’d recommend it.
I would say that the book doesn’t exactly stand too well on its own, as it clearly requires you to read the next volume (which I’m not sure I will do). The concept of Mera and Aquaman having a child was interesting, but then didn’t deliver much in this volume.
Considering the cover had Black Manta and Aquaman on it together, I was looking forward to a battle between the two - but it never happens. They don’t even meet in this volume.
I also felt that the scenes which take place underwater should have looked a lot to different to the panels on land, but they pretty much looked the same (minus the bubbles).
Overall, the character dialogue is the strongest part of the book and on that basis, I’d recommend it.
September 19, 2020
DeConnick continues her solid work with this volume--she's clearly weaving together a LOT of threads with the Elder Gods, Manta, Manta's Son, and the details revealed in this volume about Mera and Atlantis. The front story behind which all these threads are being woven feels a little shallow by comparison, mainly because it doesn't seem to tie into these larger stories building in the background directly and so feels like fairly well-executed filler till those threads are ready. It's almost like she didn't trust herself without a contrived fight because--hey, it's superheroes you have to have a fight right? But all the best things about this volume are the subtle bits, the character bits etc.
The art is beautiful again this volume, the team of Bogdanovic, Rocha, and Henriques really do stellar work.
The art is beautiful again this volume, the team of Bogdanovic, Rocha, and Henriques really do stellar work.
March 28, 2020
Art was amazing (the colours were absolutely magical), story was pretty good too, and I love how the story wove in very relatable feminist and personal moments!
Kelly Sue DeConnick really nailed Diana and Mera's personalities and what made them such strong and powerful role models for women :D Arthur's struggle with his insecurities was relatable, but he kind of lags behind his female costars in terms of story and development. But I don't think that's such a bad thing, since we get to see a new side of Arthur, one which is more insecure, unsure of himself, and learning the ropes as he goes.
I have to say I was apprehensive about DeConnick writing Aquaman, but I definitely have no reservations about it after reading this volume! Can't wait to see what happens next!
Kelly Sue DeConnick really nailed Diana and Mera's personalities and what made them such strong and powerful role models for women :D Arthur's struggle with his insecurities was relatable, but he kind of lags behind his female costars in terms of story and development. But I don't think that's such a bad thing, since we get to see a new side of Arthur, one which is more insecure, unsure of himself, and learning the ropes as he goes.
I have to say I was apprehensive about DeConnick writing Aquaman, but I definitely have no reservations about it after reading this volume! Can't wait to see what happens next!
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