[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Pencils: Robson Rocha
Inker: Daniel Henriques
Colors: Sunny Gho
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Summary
During his battle with Namma in her dragon form, Aquaman sends out his call for help to nearby sea-life. The call transforms the Old Gods to their original forms, and they rush to his aide.
They each have difficulty battling Namma until Wee decides to sacrifice herself to stop the dragon. Unfortunately, Wee’s efforts are in vain and the dragon survives.
A few of the Old Gods find Caille and bring her in her new form to join them in the battle against Namma. Then all the Old Gods all sacrifice themselves to stop Namma, but they too fail in their efforts. Caille has and but it requires Aquaman to use his special call again.
Aquaman is given the mark of the Old Gods.
Positives
The artwork is the high point of this issue, and series as a whole since this creative team took over the title. Rocha’s pencils seem to have improved over the last couple of issues. His designs of the Old Gods, Namma dragon and some action panels are almost reminiscent of Greg Capullo’s work on Dark Nights: Metal.
As for the writing, the only good that I can tell is that this arc appears to be coming to an end. It was also an action issue so there was little DeConnick could really ruin.
Negatives
The negative is that this title is still going in this direction. It needs a course correction immediately so it doesn’t completely destroy the progress mad on the character after all of these years.
Verdict
This is Rocha’s best work on Aquaman to date, but even his art can’t save this book from its current direction. For what it’s worth, it was at least decent to see the Old Gods in action. But overall I cannot recommend this title, at least not until a new creative team comes on board.
