Aquaman has a number of titles to his name, whether that be father, husband, superhero, or king. More often than not only one of those aspects are the focus at any one time those elements and more are all on display for Aquaman’s DC All In debut. The team of Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe look to encompass elements from each and every part of Arthur’s world, and while ambitious, Aquaman #1 effortlessly soars and delivers a grand adventure that no fan should miss.
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Arthur’s sphere of influence is incredibly daunting, but Adams manages to boil each slice of Arthur’s life down to its core importance and then seeks to explore the attention that each of those slices demands from him. Adams has worked wonders with Hal Jordan in Green Lantern with a similar approach, and while they are very different characters, the air of relatability and humanization that has benefited Hal is already having an effect on Arthur.
Now, while the attention is exploring the many sides of Arthur Curry, that doesn’t mean the book lacks in the superhero action department, providing fans with epic clashes that showcase Aquaman’s new and improved skillset. Whether that’s against a god-like creature in the future or against a Kaiju-size water beast in the here and now, Timms, Lokus, and Sharpe bring an aura of elegance, style, and power to the King of the Seas that deserves immense praise. Speaking of powers, without going into major spoilers, Adams finds a way to imbue Arthur with new abilities while also creating more complexities within his inner circle, which creates new opportunities for character development as opposed to just being a flashy new power that will be forgotten about in six issues.
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A genuinely intriguing mystery is also key to making this feel unique amongst past Aquaman stories, and just like Arthur’s new powers, this mystery ties directly into the people and the things that Arthur holds dear. What does his life look like without those people, and what lengths will go to in the effort to bring them back? Well, we’ll get our answer soon, but as those final pages tease, the stakes are absurdly high, and we can’t wait to see how it all plays out from here.
Aquaman #1 is a stellar debut, moving in fresh directions and setting the stage for even bigger things to come. Issue #2 can’t get here soon enough.
Published By: DC Comics
On: January 8, 2025
Written By: Jeremy Adams
Art By: John Timms
Colors By: Rex Lokus
Letters By: Dave Sharpe
What did you think of Aquaman #1? You can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!
