As Arthur strikes back against the Amazons, his formative years are explored.
What They Say:
FLASH QUESTION: Will his loss destroy the world?
The Review:
Similar to the Wonder Woman book in the Flashpoint universe, Emperor Aquaman has definitely been a favorite as it explores the character in a different view than we’ve seen before. Watching the scale of his abilities and the people that he commands has been welcome to see unfold as it’s a good reminder of just what he can do, when driven in a certain way and through his upbringing. With the loss of Mera at the hands of the Amazons, he’s becoming more intent on finishing this without being held back. And that feeling of being held back is something that we see has been part and parcel of his life for the majority of it, even as he ascended to the position he’s in now. With his regal poise and the way he commands, he’s definitely a force to reckon with in an almost primal way here similar to the Amazons.
While it may seem a bit odd to throw an origin story into things when the focus is so much on the present here with the war, it’s definitely a good way to show the formative aspects of Arthur who would become emperor. The tale of his past, how his mother was a princess who fled from her father and ended up in Maine only to be rescued by a loner named Tom Curry who ran a lighthouse shows the circuitous path that he would take when it comes to being connected to both humanity and Atlantis. It’s been so long since I’ve read an Aquaman origin story that it feels fresh here, showing his mother being spirited away before the baby was born only to die in childbirth and Arthur being cast to the see as they view a mongrel should. And then to have him raised by his father for years and told to ignore the siren song of the creatures of the see made for a very conflicted boy. And at thirteen, seeing his father killed by Atlantean soldiers and returned to the oceans he felt more at home in only makes it worse. With so much of what his father teaching him not cementing in his mind, he found it all to be unhelpful in his life in Atlantis where might makes right, and it caused him to lose much of his connection to humanity. Which made it all the easier for the path that has been taken to unfold.
Thankfully, the book isn’t dominated by this story but rather runs in parallel with the plan to strike inside of New Themyscria with just Ocean Master and Siren. The idea of taking out Tara so that she can’t do more earthly damage by moving the nation out of reach any further makes sense, and Arthur certainly has his experience with her family to know that it’s best to not let her live in the slightest. No plan goes right though and it turns pretty brutal with the Furies getting involved quickly, as well as Diana herself. Getting another look at the way England has changed is welcome as I’ve really liked Diana’s book and this one plays the balancing game just right with it.
Digital Notes:
This digital edition of the series from Comixology contains no extras as there is only the one cover included and nothing else outside of the pages themselves.
In Summary:
With the variety of Flashpoint miniseries that we have, some have obviously stood out better than others. This is one of those as we get a good look at how different Arthur’s life could have gone and how those changes so early on in his upbringing can change things significantly when it comes to his worldview. While lengthy origin stories don’t help in this particular event since it is short term for the most part, Bedard spends the right amount of time conveying things here to make an impact but without overdoing it. Combined with the solid artwork and the overall pacing of the book, as well as how brutal it gets at times with the killings, Emperor Aquaman has definitely been a favorite here and this issue is no exception.
Grade: B+
