Aquaman #53 Review

by Ryan.L on October 16, 2019

Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: Robson Rocha, Eduardo Pansica
Publisher: DC Comics
 
 
The title of this issue and the story inside are a little misleading. The only hunt for Arthur Curry is Black Manta and his revenge but the cover and title hint at more. This issue focuses on the aftermath of the attack on Amnesty Bay by the large monster and the unfortunate death of Ralph. We get to see more about Captain Tristram J. Maurer, and we learn more about the monster that attacked the bay.
 
I really enjoyed this issue a lot. It really gave us a look into Maurer and what attacked the bay. Some of the revelations that came out of his argument with Arthur could become an ongoing problem, or could it be harnessed to help stop Black Manta? This issue had everything you want, action, drama, intrigue and so much more. You can really see how DeConnick has really found her stride with Aquaman and is making the book her own. Her new characters are really engaging and I enjoy how strong willed she writes Mera.
 
I was worried when Aqualad made his appearance as I’m not usually a fan of sidekicks, but DeConnick is really showing she understands these characters and is delivering it to us in a fresh new way. Aqualad seems like he has some deep seeded issues and while he just wants to learn and be a hero, seeing him get called out in this issue for bottling up his feelings was great and I look forward to seeing him evolve as a character.
 
Overall this was a really fun and exciting issue. If you have been following the series you won’t want to miss this explosive chapter, and if you haven’t I recommend picking up the previous three issues so you can get caught up. It looks like things are only going to get more volatile going forward.
 

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside