Aquaman: The Becoming #2: Don’t Mess with Mom

Despite the series title, Aquaman: The Becoming #2 has little of Jackson Hyde himself. Though Jackson gets to show his skills to resolve the cliffhanger from the last issue, he is mostly absent following. While still the focal point of the story, the majority of this issues panel time is dedicated to the supporting cast, more specifically Mera, the former queen of Atlantis and new mother, and Jackson’s own mother, Lucia.

This shift in focus could easily have led to a decrease of momentum or, at the very least, be a detraction from a story slated to be Jackson Hyde’s ascension to the role of Aquaman. Instead, Brandon Thomas is able to take the setting he laid down the last issue of Jackson’s support and show how that continues to hold true even when Jackson is not there. However, despite their role in the story, both Mera and Lucia have moments where they can shine as independent characters outside of their relationship with Jackson.

With an explosive start to the issue, there was plenty of work for the art team of Diego Olortequi, Skylar Patridge, and Wade Von Grawbadger with Adriano Lucas on colors. They created an action-packed opener with smooth easy to follow combat. When the plot shifted away from fight scenes, the art team was able to maintain tension through body posture and facial expression to give a clear picture of the animosity between Mera and the guards seeking to capture Jackson. The gorgeous cover by David Talaski set the tone of the comic, while the variant cover by Khary Randolph and Emilio Lopez provides a beautiful alternative for those seeking a more focused Jackson Hyde cover.