Review - Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning

Following an attack on the Atlantean embassy and the sinking of an American vessel at sea, tensions between Atlantis and the United States are reaching a peak. Though Aquaman submits himself into custody of the United States, but his diplomatic approach seems ineffective in diffusing the conflict. Meanwhile, Black Manta is recruited into the shadowy organization known as N.E.M.O.

Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning collects Aquaman: Rebirth #1 and Aquaman #1-6, written by Dan Abnett and with art by Scot Eaton, Brad Walker, and Philippe Briones.

The Drowning serves as a continuation of Dan Abnett’s work on Aquaman prior to DC Comics’ Rebirth initiative. Aquaman and his fiancée Mera are working towards improving relations between Atlantis and the surface world. To do so, they’ve opened an embassy in the United States and Mera has been posted as its ambassador. Their diplomatic work begins unraveling rapidly after Black Manta attacks the embassy. This narrative proves to be quite engaging as it remains relevant to today’s political climate due to its interest in exploring the treatment of the “other” and the often ineffectual nature of bureaucracy. Aquaman, referred to in-text, as a progressive leader is dedicated to peaceful solutions and pursues international unity. Naturally, he’s met with distrust from those within and without his nation. Some extremist Atlanteans disapprove of Aquaman’s departure from tradition and Americans are suspicious of his motives due to the fact that he is part Atlantean. Within this scheme, Abnett presents the surface dwellers as the most impetuous and this seems apt given the way in which humans are quick to distrust and scapegoat outsiders.

One of the most impressive aspects of The Drowning is its impeccable character work. Each character is distinctive in their voice and actions within the story. Aquaman is the idealistic king, Mera is the feisty warrior princess, Tula is the clear-headed leader of Atlantis, Murk is the gruff soldier, and Black Manta is the unrelenting villain. Abnett’s take on Aquaman is atypical, but is refreshing in this regard. He’s more good-humoured and diplomatic than sullen and impulsive, which makes him more like Wonder Woman. That said, he’s far from being the standout character of this trade. That honour goes to Mera. Rather than being portrayed as a one-note warrior woman or as a generic love interest, Mera is Aquaman’s equal and is given many layers to her character. On the surface level, she provides comic relief through her snarky comments and is an impressive combatant. Beyond that, she is smartly positioned in opposition to Aquaman. Where he is partly of the surface world, she is wholly an inhabitant of the seas. This affects their views of humans and influences their approach to conflicts with land dwellers. It’s genuinely just as exciting to see them agree as it is to see them disagree. They read like a real life couple in that respect.

Brad Walker and Phil Briones provide the majority of the art for this collection, though Scot Eaton and Oscar Jimenez also provide pencils. Walker and Briones’ styles are quite different, yet work beautifully together to create a nice consistency throughout this trade. Walker’s style is highly detailed and has a slight whimsical quality to it. The way he renders the costuming for the characters is really engrossing and there’s a very cinematic quality to how he sets his scenes. His work on the panels for the Superman vs. Aquaman and Mera fight is especially memorable. It’s also worth mentioning that Walker did all the covers as well, all of which would look gorgeous as posters (especially the first issue’s cover). Briones’ work is simpler and more streamlined. His work has a softness to it that I find really appealing. His depiction of Mera is worthy of praise. I love the way he draws her hair and captures the expressiveness of her character. His Tula is also quite noteworthy and he always draws Aquaman looking like a snack. Briones also gets to hang his hat on one of the coolest action sequences I’ve seen in a long time – Mera and Aquaman teaming up to tear through a literal army (tanks and all!).

I was sufficiently impressed with Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning as it has everything I need to enjoy a superhero comic. It’s got complex character work, a narrative with depth, memorable action scenes, gorgeous art, and a lead heroine who is multi-dimensional (and also kicks all kinds of ass). While it’s not the most accessible book on the shelves (readers will have to be mildly familiar with the New 52 Aquaman material), it is genuinely entertaining and helps to return the Aquaman series to a higher quality after the middling stories published following Geoff Johns’ exit from the New 52 title.

RATING: A-