https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dc-comics/aquaman-(2025)
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dc-comics/aquaman-(2025)/15
Creative Team: Jeremy Adam’s (WRITER), John Timms (ART and COVER), Rex Lokus (COLORS), and Dave Sharpe (LETTERS).
Aquaman Spoilers Ahead!
The Story:
I’m a big sucker for heroes going through a finding themself type of phase and Adams ends this arc with Arthur on his ultimate journey of discovery. When Arthur returns home and takes his crown it feels monumental and earned. Until this point the people of Atlantis have been missing, and Arthur has been searching for them and fighting in a tournament against his will. Jeremy creates this strong sense of a new beginning and the endless world of possibilities as we move forward.
The Art and Letters:
Lokus and Timms make the big moments truly feel impactful on the panels. There are fun scenes in the battle as the water is formed into dragons making the fights feel as though anything could happen. The coloring has long been a standout as the vibrancy keeps us pulled in. The grandest moments of all however, are the splash pages where Aquaman returns triumphantly and the detail and coloring hits home how the moment should feel sticking the landing.
Final Thoughts:
Emperor Aquaman #15 is Arthur’s long awaited homecoming. The fourteen issues previous to this have all been building to the moment where he takes his rightful place with his newfound abilities. I sincerely cannot wait for what is next!
Overall Grade: 9.5/10
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Adams wastes little time in presenting the impact of Curry’s plans. Seeing King Shark bend the knee is a wild visual. The dialogue comes with much gravity behind it. Even with their past, there is a true sense of belief in Shark’s pledge. The writing peeks at how Curry processes this move with his most trusted allies. It results in a move only the King can make. Uniting the houses leads into an ambitious adventure in diplomacy.
Readers watch as Curry’s visit to ne of his lighthouses seems cordial as it can be. The mood is light-hearted with the exchanges of outsiders and residents. Adams flips the switch with one crucial move. The result ushers in a horror story with secrets revealed. It also allows Curry to tear loose on his power upgrade. The sheer notion of what he attempts is wild to comprehend. It works on all levels. For anyone questioning how powerful Aquaman can be, this is a defining moment. The fallout eases readers into a steady close. Adams leaves one more morsel of danger before leaving. It is a massive one with dire repercussions. Absolutely can’t wait to see where this goes.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Timms and Lokus open with a small glimpse of Curry handling an issue. The moment is fleeting as a larger one bursts onto the scene. King Shark makes a grand entrance via full page. The impact is felt immediately as the panel of him bending the knee makes a statement. Curry’s reaction is stoic as he processes what is unfolding here. The group shot of him with Shark’s forces levels up the dangers they are walking into. From here, Lokus’ coloring steals the issue.
The full page visual of the Lighthouse sets the tone for the remainder of the story. Timms’ attention to detail during the feast is excellent. It allows for some characters to let their guard down. The moment becomes key as the true villains make their appearance. A half panel shows the horrors being unleashed. Readers watch as the attack spreads quickly throughout the headquarters. Aquamans’ use of his new abilities take over. The full page breaks down each move to a thunderous finish. It’s epilogue is more calm to escort everyone back to their corners. This allows the final pages to hit a direct bullseye. A familiar face gets a full page image to close up show with. Readers can’t ask for better in this situation.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
Aquaman has a new ally whether he wants him or not in this impactful issue. Adams’s writing forces the King into uncharted territory with great success. Timms and Lokus deliver on an incredible visual ride. The Lighthouse initiative is already paying dividends on re-energizing Aquaman’s legacy! Don’t miss it!
Writer Jeremy Adams is always mindful of big events in the DC Universe. He doesn’t treat them like suggestions, instead using them as guidelines for where to take his titles in the aftermath. For Emperor Aquaman, that means Arthur is fortifying the blue in preparation of the cataclysmic event he saw in a vision following the aftermath of DC KO.
This issue finds Aquaman exploring another realm accompanied by Jarro and Captain Nemo. Adding Nemo to the supporting cast was a brilliant and sensible move as he’s not a domineering character, but he has plenty of narrative credibility and if he follows Aquaman, that makes him look all the more impressive. But it’s Jarro who proves the more useful ally this issue as Aquaman and team encounter a being with deep ties to Starro’s offspring.
Artists John Timms and Paolo Villanelli craft some spectacular visuals especially when Aquaman and Jarro come face to…face with their opponent. Timms has been a very consistent artist, and he’s delivered with this prime opportunity on Aquaman. Villanelli handles the opening act sequence with Mera and Lori. Colorist Rex Lokus provides a spectacular array of colors taking full advantage of the opportunities with detailed backdrops as Aquaman explores new realms and builds up The Lighthouse. Letterer Dave Sharpe does solid work with the standard dialogue as well as making the more alien text stand out.
Emperor Aquaman has been a solid read so far with an intriguing new direction that’s keeping the title one of the more pleasant surprises in the post DC KO-DC landscape.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2605.31 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3986 days ago & DAD = 640 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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