Review – Aquaman #6: The Wrath of Dagon
Aquaman #6 cover, via DC Comics.
Ray: Jeremy Adams continues to take us deeper and deeper into the world of the DC undersea magic universe this issue, as Aquaman and his allies Arion, Vivienne, and Captain Nemo (yes, that one) traverse the depths of Dagon's realm. We've barely seen the villain in action so far, but he makes an impressive display right at the start, as a coalition of surviving ocean Gods make a stand against him – and are completely destroyed. Aquaman has other concerns at the start, though – in the form of a giant snake monster that guards the temple and doesn't seem to answer to Aquaman's influence over sea life. The stakes are high, and guest artist Michael Shelfer does a great job of depicting the scale of this battle. But it's clear our heroes have just started exploring this realm, and the location and fate of Mera and Andy are far from settled – although Mera's brief cameo last issue was very ominous. The renegades. Via DC Comics.
There's a tone to this arc that almost feels like a video game in the best way. Every step of the process is a new test, a new journey, and likely a new boss at the end. As Aquaman and his compatriots explore an eerie undersea temple, they encounter a group of foes that reveal just how powerful Dagon is and what he can do to his defeated opponents – which raises the stakes even higher. This series has taken Aquaman's powers and turned them from punchline to an intriguing manifestation of the most powerful force on the planet – and this larger mythology about them also pulls in probably the last character I ever expected to see appear in a cliffhanger. Aquaman's adventures mostly seem to be apart from the main DCU at this point, and I think this title is better for it. The character really shines when he's doing things that only he can do and exploring new realms deep below the waves.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Dad
2 days ago
- Geek Dad
Review – Batman: Detective Comics #1098
Batman: Detective Comics #1098 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: The secret society of Elixir has been running amok in Gotham – and they don't like their power challenged. Last issue saw Harvey Bullock investigating a series of murders by the immortality cult – but as soon as he got too close, he was hooded, thrown in a van, and is currently on his way to Polkolistan. Batman wastes no time chasing after his PI frenemy, but when he crashes the convoy, he doesn't find Bullock at all – he finds the Penguin, also kidnapped from Gotham by the same villains for not liking them horning in on his territory. This leads to a forced team-up between the two sworn enemies – not far off from Penguin regaining his power in Tom King's solo comic. It's very clear they don't like each other, but Batman isn't willing to leave someone behind and Penguin is willing to take any help he can get to escape a foreign torture den. Frenemies. Via DC Comics. As for Harvey Bullock, he's not in the initial convoy – he's already been taken to Elixir's inner sanctum, where a sadistic doctor is convinced he can make him talk. Bullock is always a fun character to follow – he's so stubborn he doesn't know what's good for him, but his blue-collar aesthetic means he can take self-confident villains by surprise at times. Eventually, the odd trio reunites and Batman has to figure out how he can get these two bickering idiots out of Pokolistan alive. The issue is overall a lot of fun, although it's 90% action and moves very fast. What makes it work is the trio of oil-and-water personalities who dominate it – and the story isn't done yet, with a tense cliffhanger. I'm wondering if the themes of immortality that have dominated this run so far are leading to pulling in the DCU's most famous immortal supervillain – who has obviously tangled with Batman many times before. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Geek Dad
2 days ago
- Geek Dad
Review – Wonder Woman #22: Of Men and Mice
Wonder Woman #22 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: After the battle with the Sovereign, we haven't gotten to the next big WW arc yet – but Tom King is making the most of this break from bigger storylines. First we got a two-part murder mystery with Batman joining Wonder Woman on Olympus – and now we have a breather issue set right at the beginning of Diana and Steve's courtship. Steve wakes up after an amazing night with Diana to find her missing and a note left for him. While it's awkward, she's able to get across that she didn't run out, she just had a mission. There's a mouse problem at the Capitol. Which shouldn't seem like a Wonder Woman problem – except that these mice are giant dinosaur-shaped beasts, running out of control but still adorable. As Steve arrives to find the creatures running rampant, he tries to aid in the battle – but quickly finds out that Diana is just as concerned with saving the mice as the people. Rude awakening. Via DC Comics. This is a great little detail about Diana's character as the friend to all life – and it also makes sense, because those mice are just fuzzy little guys turned big. The actual villain is Mouse Man, a new villain for Diana, who is a lot less funny than he sounds. He's a guy in a mouse suit riding a giant mouse, sure, but he's also a vicious misogynist who is storming the Capitol and taking over the rotunda to protest a law that will allow Amazons to immigrate to the US. While he's defeated, his sabotage causes serious damage to the cause and serves the interest of a larger threat – the Sovereign, making his first big strike against Diana in the past. This is a great done-in-one issue, but the ending makes it seem like it's going to play into something much bigger. It's also funny that King has done such a great job with making us root for Diana and Steve after killing him – but that may not be as closed a door as we thought. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Geek Dad
3 days ago
- Geek Dad
Review – Zatanna #5: Dance of Death
Zatanna #5 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: This series has been one of the best Zatanna comics in a long time, and has added a lot of new elements to Zatanna's roster for the future. But to resolve this conflict, Zatanna's going to have to go back to the past. In a flashback segment, we get a much darker version of Zatanna's early years than we're used to – her mother died in childbirth, and her father resented her for the death of his wife. He put the responsibility on her to be a great magician to make up for her mother's loss. When Zatanna didn't show immediate aptitude, he rejected her and began taking on new apprentices instead. Desperate for his approval, she attempted to cast a spell – and accidentally unleashed a dark sorceress who cast a twisted curse on them and spirited Zatara away to another realm. That set off the adventure where she was first introduced to the League – and made the mistake that doomed Zatara for good. Twisted tango. Via DC Comics. As Zatanna goes on a journey to reach the main villain, we're treated to some stunning visual feats. Jamal Campbell both writing and drawing this issue really makes the story work, because he can do things with the format that really push boundaries. There's a point where the page itself starts altering and devolving that's really fascinating. And there's also a deeply emotional scene where Zatanna finally gets some closure with her mother who she never really got to know. As for the villains, this issue concludes with a great segment as Zatanna gets to turn things around on one main antagonist – and another turns the tables in a way that upends the field of play and sets up a very tense conclusion. Zatanna's one of those characters who only rarely gets a full solo spotlight, so this could be one of those stories that becomes a true evergreen institution for the hero. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
