Hook, Line & Sinker

Ahoy mateys! There be spoilers ahead, but they’re buried deep in a treacherous sea of words. Ye lilly-livered lubbers have been warned!!

Like many long-time Aquafans, your ever loyal Keeper was skeptical at best to hear Aquaman would be revamped into a “sea & sorcery” comic as part of DC’s One Year Later gimmick.

Making matters worse, the title character wasn’t even the Sea King himself but some Johnny-Clone-Lately!

Finally, to add the ultimate insult to injury, your somewhat soggy Keeper was enjoying the Arcudi/Kirk Aquaman - despite its apparently less than stellar sales figures. After years of Peter David’s cranky “Cap’n Hook” - followed by a brief New Age interlude with “The Lady in the Lake” - recent issues of the title brought back memories of the mid-70s Aquaman, a driven hero who still managed to be likeable.

So, with the Fortress on full red alert, the Keeper was prepared to hate “Aquaman-Sword of Atlantis” with the white hot fury of… well, somebody or something that was really angry.

Then, he actually read an issue or two.

While Kurt Busiek managed to weave an intriguing mystery in the first chapter, the current issue is a better illustration of what the writer had in mind when he pitched the “Aqua-Conan” idea to DC.

Anarchy reigns in the undersea world depicted by Busiek and artist Jackson Guice, a logical outgrowth of events seen in both Infinite Crisis and earlier issues of Aquaman.

With the attempt to settle in Sub Diego apparently ending in abject failure, a once-proud civilization has split into barbaric tribes jockeying for power and influence. Efforts to rebuild Atlantis have been abandoned, forcing Mera to command the remainder of Atlantis’ faithful in less than cozy accommodations.

The champion of the seven seas, Aquaman, is nowhere to be found.

Into this maelstrom swim an (extremely) reluctant hero named Arthur Curry, the mysterious “Dweller In The Depths” and a wise-cracking King Shark.

Although the Keeper feared the presence of a “new” Arthur Curry would negate the history of the original Aquaman, Busiek instead steered the story in a completely unexpected direction. This Arthur Curry knows all about Aquaman, and wants nothing to do with either the title or the legacy.

Ill-tempered and impatient, he doesn’t even want to be (or act like) a hero. Curry merely wants to search for his missing father.

Adding to the mystery is the apparent identity of the “Dweller,” who may or may not be an individual DC fans know quite well.

The Keeper was also gratified by Busiek’s portrayal of Mera, a strong character who has been reduced to little more than the “insane ex-wife” by other writers. The Silver Age Hawkwoman excepted, the Keeper always thought Mera was one of DC’s few significant others who was strong and capable enough to warrant membership in the Justice League or a similarly high-profile group.

To see her portrayed as a leader willing to step up when the situation demanded such action is closer to earlier versions of the character, at least before her infant son was tragically murdered.

Guice’s artwork is gorgeous, far out-stripping his other mainstream comics efforts (which weren’t too shabby to begin with).

So, regarding Aquaman at least, the Fortress is officially off red alert. The Keeper has bought into this new iteration of the character - hook, line and sinker.