Black Manta Gets His Own Aquaman Spinoff Series From DC Comics

The Joker has company, as another villain is getting his own series. This time it's Aquaman's half-brother and arch-nemesis Black Manta. The series will be written by Chuck Brown with art by Valentine De Landro. It spins out of a Manta-featured stor in the Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular, and introduces a new hero by the name of Torrid as well as a new villain by the name of Devil Ray. The irony there is that "Devil Ray" sounds like a more one-to-one comparison to Black Manta's name than Black Manta is to Aquaman, making this a classic example of the superhero "evil twin" trope...even though the one who's getting an evil twin is already kind of an evil twin of an existing hero.

The issue has a main cover from the comic's primary art team and a variant from Francis Manapul. The Manapul cover connects to his variant cover from Aquaman: The Becoming, which will ship the same month and features Jackson Hyde in the role of Aquaman.

The miniseries apparently centers on Black Manta hunting a rare and valuable metal -- possibly Nth metal, or something else that spins out of the events of Dark Nights: Metal? -- but he's going to find himself competing with Torrid for the MacGuffin.

The issue will be available in stores and online on September 7, 2021. You can read the official synopsis below.

BLACK MANTA #1

Story by Chuck Brown
Pencils and inks by Valentine De Landro
Cover by Valentine De Landro
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6
Variant cover by Sanford Greene
1:25 Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
$4.99 US (Card Stock)
ON SALE 9/7/21

Following his appearance in the Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular, the scourge of the seas now gets his own series. Black Manta is chasing a rare metal with incredible powers, and he's not the only one who wants to get his hands on it, friend and foe alike!

Torrid is a former ally who has escaped hell (literally!) to answer the call of the metal, but can Manta trust her? Hopefully so because he might need her help to fend off Devil Ray, a new competitor for the role of the biggest villain underwater.

Both Aquaman: The Becoming #1 and Black Manta #1 feature a connecting variant cover by superstar artist Francis Manapul!

INTRODUCING NEW HERO TORRID AND VILLAIN DEVIL RAY!