Review - Aquaman: The Waterbearer

When Aquaman is sentenced to death following a regime change in Atlantis, the enigmatic Lady of the Lake rescues him. In exchange, he is given a mystically empowered aquatic hand and becomes her champion. Upon his initial misuse of his powers, Aquaman sets in motion a series of events that could harm his benefactor.

Aquaman: The Waterbearer collects Aquaman #1-6 and material from Aquaman Secret Files 2003 and JLA/JSA Secret Files & Origins #1, written by Rick Veitch and art by Yvel Guichet.

The Waterbearer picks up in the aftermath of “The Obsidian Age,” a storyline that ran in JLA that dealt with the disappearance and reappearance of Atlantis. As such, it demands a certain level of working knowledge of the preceding events. Without it, readers may find themselves desperately trying to fill in the blanks. Still, writer Rick Veitch and artist Yvel Guichet don’t dwell too long on it. Instead, they keep the narrative moving forward by introducing new lore to the Aquaman mythos. The creative team opts to borrow from Arthurian legend (apt considering our hero was a king named Arthur) and the concept of the watery hand is absolutely brilliant. As the ousted ruler of Atlantis, Aquaman’s given new purpose as the champion of the Lady of the Lake and he finds himself having to learn how to use his new gift. True to his hotheaded nature, he makes mistakes and he has to deal with those consequences.

Despite its inclusion of Arthurian legend and some interesting narrative choices, The Waterbearer isn’t as attention grabbing as it could be. It lacks direction due to a meandering storyline that delves into a plethora of subplots. There are so many plot threads, but the end of this collection ties none of them up. In fact, the trade itself is a massive disappointment due to the fact that it effectively ends on a cliffhanger. It makes little to no sense that the collections department at DC Comics opted to collect the first six issues of Veitch’s run rather than the entirety of it. It wouldn’t have been a big deal to have this trade run the full twelve issues.

I like a lot of the concepts and ideas introduced in Aquaman: The Waterbearer, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Yvel Guichet’s art is an undeniable asset, especially in capturing the more whimsical elements of the story. The scenes involving the Lady of the Lake and her handmaidens are gorgeously illustrated, standing out as some truly distinctive work. Unfortunately, Veitch’s narrative direction and dialogue choices don’t match the high quality of the art. He has a firm grasp on Aquaman, but the other characters seem to suffer from neglect and floating plotlines. For instance, Mera is catatonic, Dolphin is trapped in Atlantis, and the Lady of the Lake is nothing more than a plot device. While my opinion would likely be different had this collection included all twelve issues of Veitch’s Aquaman run, The Waterbearer failed to capture my interest and was a bit of a chore to get through. Had the women been given more of a prominent role, I’m certain I’d have felt a little differently.

RATING: C

Review - Black Widow: Homecoming

When Natasha Romanoff’s self-imposed retirement is rudely interrupted by an assassination attempt, the spy turned superhero joins forces with an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative to investigate. This leads them to the death of a women’s rights activist whose true identity was that of a former graduate of the Red Room. With all roads leading back to Russia, Natasha must venture back home to find the truth about why someone is hunting down the women who were part of the program that turned her into the Black Widow.

Black Widow: Homecoming collects Black Widow (vol 3) #1-6, written by Richard K. Morgan and with art by Goran Parlov and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Homecoming is a sleek and sophisticated mini-series that untangles the web of mystery surrounding Black Widow and examines the harsh realities of what it’s like to be a female operative in a man’s world. It begins with a startling simple premise that is quite grim in execution – the graduates of the Red Room, the program that turned Natasha Romanoff into the world’s deadliest spy, are being systematically hunted down by some unknown force. After surviving the attempt made on her life, Natasha seeks out the help of former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Dexter to help her find the truth behind the assassination attempt. As the investigation unfolds, Natasha is forced to confront memories from her past and learns that much of what she remembers is a lie.

Richard K. Morgan’s approach to the character is really intriguing. He writes her as a cynical warhorse with very little sentimentality, but who is enjoying her retirement by rock climbing and reading books. When she’s forced to go back into the field, she seems to do so begrudgingly. Whether intentional or not, Morgan seems to take aim at the consequences of patriarchal power structures through Black Widow. Throughout the mini-series, she is constantly confronted with men who use their positions of power to either illicit sex or inflict violence (or a combination of the two). Early on, for example, Natasha rescues a woman who is at risk of being assaulted by a group of men at a truck stop. We also learn some grim details about the Red Room/Black Widow program, such as the government’s discomfort with female operatives and how far they were willing to go to ensure their effectiveness and complacency. There are more subtle critiques as well, such as when Natasha critiques fashion and bemoans how perfume is the go-to present men give women instead of something more useful (there’s some irony here given the way that scent and pheromones come into play later).

Bill Siekiewicz, a legend in his own right, receives top billing as the artist for the first issue and is singularly credited in some summaries of the series. His rough and highly stylized aesthetic is prominently featured across all six issues, creating an undeniably psychedelic signature Siekiewicz reading experience. That said, Goran Parlov also receives credit as a penciller for the series. His style is arguably antithetical to the dominating look of the series and is more traditional in that sense, so I suppose it is admirable that his contributions were able to closely mimic Siekiewicz’s work enough to create a sense of consistency. That said, the art may be a deterrent for some. It’s rough and looks unpolished, so it may be a challenge to adjust to for people looking for a more traditional comic style. Others may find it to be perfectly suitable to the narrative, as it is moody and atmospheric. One of the things that I felt the art did effectively was capture Natasha’s various expressions, which helped me to understand her feelings throughout.

Black Widow: Homecoming is truly an engrossing thriller with some bite to it and that never wavers from its character-focused storytelling. It wasn’t a disposable tale of espionage as many Black Widow-centric stories tend to be. It felt like it mattered as it directly affected the character and added layers to her origins. I also appreciated that Homecoming had something to say beyond the usual intrigue of international espionage. It truly feels like a prestige graphic novel, but doesn’t seem to have gotten the same praise or attention Black Widow’s male contemporaries would. Regardless, it’s worth a read.

RATING: A

Review - Aquaman Volume 3: Crown of Atlantis

With the war between Atlantis and the United States over, Aquaman finds new and old threats on the horizon. First, he must contend with the cyborg Warhead. Then, he forms an unlikely alliance with the Aquamarines in order to investigate the re-appearance of the lethal Dead Water.

Aquaman Volume 3: Crown of Atlantis collects Aquaman #16-24, written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by Scot Eaton, Philippe Briones, and Brad Walker.

In comparison to the two trades that preceded it, Crown of Atlantis is a dull collection of stories that ultimately fail to meet the excitement and action of its predecessors. Where The Drowning and Black Manta Rising focused on the saga of the shadowy organization N.E.M.O. orchestrating a war between Atlantis and the United States, this trade reads as a disappointing denouement that treads water in an attempt to tie up loose ends. It opens with a three-part arc where Aquaman faces off against Warhead, a cyborg with telepathic abilities who is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. It’s a forgettable storyline with an incredibly unremarkable villain. It’s followed up by another three-parter, this time featuring Aquaman and Mera joining forces with the Aquamarines to stop the monstrous Dead Water. It’s a marked improvement over the first arc and gives us some really great moments between Atlantis’ iconic power couple. For instance, we see Aquaman and Mera at odds over the correct course of action to dealing with the threat. Interestingly, there’s a role reversal in that Mera seeks a diplomatic solution while Aquaman reaches for the aggressive one. Nevertheless, the arc fails to impress. Though Abnett was likely aiming for something along the lines of Alien or The Thing, the narrative isn’t given enough room to breathe. This results in haphazard action sequences and an abrupt ending that doesn’t effectively interrogate the very real tension that should have been between Aquaman and Mera due to their conflicting attitudes.

Where Crown of Atlantis shines is in the arc that this collection was named after. It’s a paltry two issues, but in this storyline a coup is led by Atlantean rebels and Aquaman is swiftly deposed from the throne. He, Mera, and Tula must escape before they can be imprisoned (or worse). In these issues, Abnett returns to writing stories that have some political intrigue to them and tangible themes that are likely to feel relevant to today’s climate of isolationism amongst many of the world’s nations. The juxtaposition of Aquaman’s liberal views contrasted with Atlantis’ traditional ones feels topical, as does the antagonism towards our titular hero for being an outsider. Still, these two issues feel more like a prelude than a fully formed arc. They even end on a cliffhanger. As such, they feel tacked on to an otherwise mediocre collection.

Art-wise, the trinity of artists working with Abnett remain fairly consistent. Eaton, Briones, and Walker are true assets as their work elevates the otherwise unremarkable stories being churned out with this trade. Disappointingly, Walker does take a step back and only provides interiors for one issue (along with the covers). Briones remains a favourite for me. I really enjoy his aesthetic. It’s also worth mentioning that Eaton’s work improved with this issues and adds some consistency overall. With that said, there’s a rather surprising (and glaring) error in issue 24. Towards the end, Aquaman is meeting with the Atlantean rebels and both Mera and Tula are drawn with him. The problem is that both characters aren’t actually in Atlantis at the time, so the colourist (bless Gabe Eltaeb) had to get creative by re-colouring both to try to make them look like different characters. For example, the Mera character is given a pink outfit, silver crown, and blonde hair.

I was surprised by how disappointed I was by Aquaman Volume 3: Crown of Atlantis. After enjoying the previous trades due to their complexity and creative action sequences, this one felt like a major step down. With a lack of memorable villains, precious little done with the women, and an overall lack of direction during the first two arcs, Crown of Atlantis is a bit of a mess and certainly makes me question the direction the creative team is going in.

RATING: C+

Review - Black Widow: Itsy-Bitsy Spider

While on a mission to apprehend a bio-toxin from a foreign government, super spy Natasha Romanoff is confronted by a woman claiming to be the new Black Widow. The tenacious Yelena Belova has been sent by Russia to procure the bio-toxin and eliminate her rival if necessary. Natasha must outwit and outmaneuver her successor every step of the way, while ensuring that the bio-toxin doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Black Widow: Itsy-Bitsy Spider collects Black Widow (vol 1) #1-3 and Black Widow (vol. 2) #1-3, written by Devin Grayson and Greg Rucka, and with art by J.G. Jones and Scott Hampton.

This collection is divided into two sections – the first collecting the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” story arc that introduces the new Black Widow and the second that serves as a sequel titled “Breakdown.” “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” is a globe-trotting spy thriller that takes us to the fictional country of Rhapastan as Natasha Romanoff attempts to secure a bio-toxin that turns humans into monstrous super beings. Hot on her trail is Yelena Belova, the self-proclaimed Black Widow. She’s eager to usurp the name from Natasha and is willing to do whatever necessary to please her superiors back in Russia. “Breakdown” is a simmering and more intimate arc, which sees Natasha switching places with Yelena in order to manipulate her into giving up her life as a spy.

Devin Grayson handles singularly handles the writing for the first arc and is joined by J.G. Jones on art. Jones’ artwork is incredible and pairs well with Grayson. The work is expressive and Jones creates many dynamic action sequences. His creative perspectives and experiments with panels gives the overall story a cinematic feel to it. Though it’s easy to say that Jones’ artwork steals the show, Grayson is certainly no slouch either. She gives us complex character work that makes it easy to sympathize and understand our protagonist’s perspective. We get a few touching moments where we see Natasha’s emotions come through, which is rare for her character.

Grayson pairs with Greg Rucka for the follow-up “Breakdown,” with Scott Hampton providing the art. Where Jones’ bold artwork paired well with the explosive first arc, Hampton’s simpler style works well for the more Cold War era-tinged second arc. The usage of cooler tones and pops of warmth throughout provides an atmospheric vibe that enhances the story tremendously. While the narrative itself is loosely a sequel to “Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” it is more character-driven than its predecessor. We see Natasha really pushing Yelena to the brink of insanity through her machinations and it shows just how far she’s willing to go to spare her successor from going through half of what she went through. That said, the main plot device that supports the identity switch is really contrived.

Black Widow: Itsy-Bitsy Spider is an intriguing read and provides a nice little character study of Black Widow. While the two arcs included do very little to elaborate on her past or provide background information on the iconic redheaded spy, they do tip towards being accessible. This is a great collection of stories for fans of the character, especially those who enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe version.

RATING: B