Spoilers for this issue, and arc, obviously.
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So, we've come to the end of Kelly Sue DeConnick's first Aquaman arc, and in the final analysis, it's...fine. It's not stellar, and there were some pacing issues, but it didn't redefine his origin or retcon out anything, either, so I suppose I should thank my lucky stars. I think my excitement has waned for the book since Dan Abnett left, simply because Dan Abnett left, and that is a tough act to follow for any writer.
First, the good. Since Rebirth has begun, we haven't had a single regular penciller for Aquaman that hasn't been completely awesome (perhaps with the exception of Phillipe Briones). Robson Rocha is no exception. He's REALLY improved since the beginning of New 52, and his posing, composition, and beautiful depictions of flowing clothing and water are a boon to the story. I'd say he's a nice balance of Brad Walker (everything is in CONSTANT motion with him, clothes, water, plant life, everything) and Ricard Federici (great foreshortening, exquisite detail, dramatic posing). This is good as it feels like the artistic legacy on the book has continued nicely, even though I still hate how we seem to get a new penciller each arc.
Rocha draws good everything: expressions, sea monters, action, and clothing fluttering in the breeze. He's the reason, too, that the first three issues of Unspoken Water were tolerable, as they contained MASSIVE exposition dumps about the new sea god pantheon that are nursing Arthur back to health in the wake of Drowned Earth.
While the pacing has been slow, we have learned a lot, and I do appreciate KSD's attention to detail in creating a mythology. Ku, Wee, Tangaroa, and the other new sea gods feel like people, and I do care about them when they (and Caille) eventually go up against Namma, the Big Bad. I especially like Tang, of the group, as he's an anthropomorphized whale, much like Blubber back in the Larsen days.
If issues 43-45 had mostly exposition and no action, 46 (and especially 47) were the other way around. It does feel a bit uneven, where (like Kill Bill) one part of the story contains all the thrills and the other lots of history about Namma, why she resents her children, and their role in the world's ecosystem. I like the mythology but KSD is clearly in novel-writing mode (as noted by N8), and that doesn't translate as well to such a visual medium. But, first arc done, and it was mostly enjoyable, pacing aside. So what DIDN'T I like?
Mera. We've seen her for TWO panels in the last 5 issues. She's been in JL, but only as a "big gun" in a fight. What gives? If there was one thing I thought I could count on from KSD, it was a badass depiction of the Queen of Atlantis. Instead, we've had two panels of her court telling her to let Arthur go and select a suitor, and maybe one more where she realizes Arthur is alive.
The supporting cast: Murk, Rodunn, Tula, Vulko, Urcell, Ondine, show me ANYONE from the Aquaman supporting cast. How's Atlantis? What's happening there? We've had 5 issues of the underwater country being persona non grata.
Arthur's tats: At the end of this arc, Arthur is "marked" by the sea gods, giving him" well...Jason Momoa's tatoos. Was this REALLY necessary?! Can't the comics and movies be good on their own, do we have to ALWAYS mimic the media adaptations?! The final panel of the story illicited an audible groan when I realized how much of the story buildup was just to get us to this point.
Final Score: 6/10.
It isn't a bad story, but its uneven pace and lack of inclusion of the supporting cast pull it down for me. Art is amazing and the new characters are interesting, though.