Review: AQUAMAN #26

Writer:  Jeff Parker
Pencillers:  Paul Pelletier & Netho Diaz
Inkers:  Sean Parsons & Ruy Jose
Colors:  Wil Quintana & Andrew Dalhouse
Letters:  Dezi Sienty
Publisher:  DC Comics

A new era for Aquaman begins.  Geoff Johns, the man who rehabilitated the hero from a laughingstock to someone on the caliber of Batman and Superman, is leaving as writer.  In Johns place comes Jeff Parker.  Parker takes over with a new arc, seeing Arthur Curry juggle his duties as ruler of Atlantis with defending the surface world as a member of the Justice League.

Aquaman #26 interior art

What I Liked

Parker made a nice choice to mix up the time Aquaman spends in Atlantis with the surface world.  He is the King of Atlantis afterall.  We were introduced to members of the Atlantis Royal Forum, which is a council that meets to go over the pressing needs of their home.

One thing I do love about the Aquaman book is it doesn’t feel like a solo book because of Mera.  They work together as a team so well.

The villain of this issue was a huge sea monster attacking the coast of Iceland.  We are accustomed to Superman battling big monsters that allow him to show off his strength and durability.  Aquaman shows he is more than capable of taking on threats like this as well.

What I Didn’t Like

The art team consisted of Paul Pelletier and Netho Diaz.  Seeing as this was Parker’s debut, having one consistent penciller would have made this feel less of a fill-in issue.

Parker comes up with a creative way for Aquaman to travel large distances by having Mera use her control over water to propel him into the air.  It looks awesome on the cover, but when it came time for the reveal inside the comic, it was lackluster.  This would have been the time for the art team to let loose with a stunning visual.  Alas, that didn’t happen.

Aquaman #26 cover

Summary

This was an average debut for Jeff Parker on Aquaman.  I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and hope that once his story gets going, it will rival what Geoff Johns was doing on the book.

Sidenote:  With it being 2014, I’ve decided to add something extra to my reviews.  With that in mind, I will now start giving a number rating.

Rating – 2 out of 5 

This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network.  They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/

#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE