The Good
Five years in the future, the world is very different. Aquaman is trying to unite the world, but there are rebels working against him.
There's lots of loose ends in the current run of AQUAMAN that all come together here. Mera is still in Xebel. The Dead King is still around. Aquaman is still trying to unite Atlantis and the surface world and now Aquaman is enjoying the company of Ya'Wara. Folks who have been following the regular AQUAMAN book will enjoy the fact this so closely follows that series. Writer Dan Jurgens does a wonderful job connecting this 5 years in the future world to Jeff Parker's run. Seeing these ideas played out in full is easily the most enjoyable part of the issue. However, because of this, a lot more problems arise.
While the overall art was a bit of a miss, Aquaman's new outfit is pretty awesome. The new costume is sleeker and this is the costume that is a lot more suited to the character, rather than the classic design we've seen for quite some time. What I'm getting at is that the costume Aquaman is wearing in this issue is what he should be wearing in main continuity.
The Bad
The biggest problem with this issue is that because it's five years in the future and giving the reader so much info about how so many things wrapped up in Aquaman's stories, it makes me not want to read the main AQUAMAN book because I already know how everything is going down. It's hard to assume what's going to happen after this Futures End is over, but whether they just reset the story lines or continue on, either way really screws over the main book. This really isn't a reflection of Jurgens as a writer though.
The artwork is a bit underwhelming. There's a few problems in the coloring department, where eyes, covered in the shadows, stick out like a cartoon. The background disappear from time to time, and as a whole, the artist style for this issue is just ok. Sometimes, it looks pretty solid, but overall, it's a bit of a disappointment. The Dead King doesn't have the same feel to him. He's no longer a intimidating looking character.
The Verdict
What this issue does well with jumping forward into the future and giving the reader a "where are they now" update is the same thing that hurts the main series. Aquaman's new outfit is really the highlight here and while the book was just ok, this is one of two parts and I'm intrigued to see how this plays out in the Aquaman & the Others issue. If you're an Aquaman fan and reading the main series, you'll want to pick this up. However, if you're not, pass this one up.
22 Comments