[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Abnett
Illustrator: Riccardo Federici
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Summary
It’s an all-out attack on the possessed form of Corum Rath. Unfortunately for everyone, his new powers are just too great to stop. While he stops everyone with ease, including Aquaman, Dolphin seizes the moment and tries her best to stop the evil ruler. But to no avail. All seems lost until out of nowhere, Mera arrives with the Calvary:  the entire army of Xebel.
The battle takes a turn in favor of Atlantis, but the Abyssal Dark warns them that Aquaman has sealed everyone’s fate.
Positives
Finally, this arc concludes! This is a great issue that sees all loose ends finally tied up. There were moments throughout this arc that felt exceptionally redundant, but this is great ending to a storyline that was fantastic overall.
Mera steals the show as she saves the day with the armies of Xebel. The reunion of Aquaman and Mera is as powerful as it should be, because despite everything going on, their love is a powerful piece of Aquaman’s story.
Negatives
This was powerful issue and looking for negatives is difficult, if not impossible if you look at the single issue. But when you look at the entire arc that’s when the negatives appear. It started with a weak-willed Aquaman. He has too many doubts to ever be a leader or to be considered a legendary hero. But knowing the “Journey of the Hero” you accept some things such as a reluctant or immature protagonist However, he never really reaches the hero status that those kinds of stories are supposed to, because this arc ends with his wife saving him and one of his decisions just causing the next calamity.
Is he the hero of the book or not? As of now, it seems he is a weak character that actually causes the problems and Atlantis would be better without him. Too many comic book companies are making the same mistake and forgetting that the title characters are supposed to be the source of inspiration to the reader. They want to “humanize” mythology and that detracts from making this particular story a memorable story line.
Verdict
Great issue, with a great ending. I have some issues with aspects of the arc as a whole, especially the unnecessarily long length it took to tell it, but overall it was a great story.  I’m curious to see where the story goes from here, but I am relieved to see this conclude.
