Aquaman #19 - A Review

The Aquamarines were created by the US Government with one purpose in mind - creating a team of super-powered soldiers capable of bringing down Aquaman if necessary.  Now, they have come to Arthur Curry requesting his help in dealing with a mutual enemy - the nightmarish creature called Dead Water and the "strange water" substance that created it.

Dan Abnett is one of the best when it comes to writing good science-fiction with a militaristic flair. Aquaman #19 is a prime example of the genre. Unfortunately - from the perspective of one who enjoys more character-based adventure - this issue is a bit dry. No pun intended. The Aquamarines are all ciphers with little in the way of personality and the opening scenes of the book are heavy with exposition. This gives the reader little chance to establish a rapport with any of the cast and little reason to care about them being endangered when the action begins.


Once the action does start, however, Aquaman #19 becomes an entirely different book. Philippe Briones is given ample opportunity to showcase his talents for depicting both unusual beasts and fantastic fight scenes. The colors by Gabe Eltaeb provide the perfect conclusion to the pencils and inks.