Aquaman #7: Flushed Out To The Demon Dagon

The kingdom of Atlantis has vanished, and Aquaman has journeyed to the otherworldly Blue to save his kingdom, and family! On his journey, he’s encountered Orion! Former Atlantean monarch and sorcerer! Plus Vivienne, the sorceress and Lady of the lake from the King Arthur lore! Captain Nemo, from the story of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea! And Zan! Plus Zan! One half of the Wonder Twins! Can Arthur and his motley crew find his people in time? Or will they become trapped by the otherworldly DEMON DAGON??!?!!

Jeremy Adams has come a long way from where he started. Getting his start on the Green Lantern animated series, his first big break at DC was writing the  Imminent Wally West starring Flash after the Dark Nights: Death Metal event that helped establish the Omniverse. When that series came to an end, he moved on to help Hal Jordan in the Dawn of DC era. In the aftermath of the Absolute Power event, when he and John Timms’ Aquaman as part of the All In initiative, where we have an Aquaman dealing with brand new powers, before his entire kingdom is snatched away, leaving him on this journey to return things to Earth.

Along this journey, we’ve seen Arthur pick up a motley crew of characters to join him on this odyssey. Ranging from fellow comic characters, like Arion, and Zan, as well as characters pulled from fiction, like Nemo and Vivienne, from King Arthur’s time, it makes for a very compelling story. One of Adams’ strongest storytelling tools is his use of continuity, as well as bringing themes from other sources that enhances and engages the readers. The new characters, both allies and enemies, also helps to make this story feel like an epic, that travels from several dimensions, world building for Arthur, and his kingdom. He’s twisting the story where Aquaman is deposed as the monarch, trying to win his kingdom back from some random despot, is instead trying to find his kingdom that’s been displaced from Earth. It’s a fresh take on a rather overused plot that we’ve seen through the decades.

Joining Adams on art duties is Michael Shelfer, whose art style evokes that of Martin Egeland, who was the artist that worked with Peter David, who helped usher in the hook for a hand Aquaman in the ’90s. It’s cartoony and electric, and evokes a sense of whimsy. Being less realistic helps to create the otherworldly atmosphere that this type of story is trying to convey. While Shelfer’s style isn’t like Timms, he’s still able to create something that gives the readers that special je ne sais quoi that’s been established since this journey started. I especially enjoy his Zan, who is just a ball of fun in this issue. I can’t wait to see where this team brings us next.