Aquaman #4 Review!

Jondee here at the Hillcrest Department,

Issue #4 has an incredible variant cover by Joshua Middleton, Aquaman is diving down towards you with the green of the depths and the head of a Poseidon statue, it is the best underwater cover I’ve seen. This is of course the fourth part of The Drowning, “Semper Fidelis”, by Dan Abnett and Philippe Briones. The artist, Briones, is the third artist keeping the bi-weekly title going besides Brad Walker and Scot Eaton. Aquaman in handcuffs is taken to a prison cell at the Hillcrest Department of Homeland Security in D.C. Aquaman was in D.C. to ask for opening the embassy, Spindrift Station, attacked by Black Manta. There was an attack on a Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Pontchartrain, by a mysterious force. Aquaman is suspected and arrested. Diplomatic immunity? Agent Copeland asks if Aquaman has any special needs and he jokes that if he doesn’t hear whale song, he will go berserk, the agent believes him. Mera is at the White House trying to get a meeting with the president while talking to Tula in Atlantis. She is made regent of Atlantis while Aquaman is away.

Tula is contacting an Atlantean group led by Commander Murk to the wreck. A nice splash of the wreck, the bodies, and sharks. Murk finds an Atlantean sword that would be evidence against them, set up. This when the Navy divers find them. Black Manta is on an Albatross stealth plane with the female member of N.E.M.O. Black Jack. This is a nod to one of Aquaman’s first villains, Black Jack, from More Fun Comics #74 (1941). She notes he is ready to see the leader of N.E.M.O., the Fisher King, there was a Fisherman villain, but Fisher King is new. Mera argues with Mr. Gantry over the attack. Copeland asks Aquaman about the attack and he explains that he suspects that it is the rogue Deluge he took down. He is interrupted by Mera who tears through the prison. Aquaman breaks the cuffs and they try to escape. Mera uses her power to dehydrate soldiers, awesome. In a splash page at the end, they exit the prison and face an army of soldiers, trucks, tanks, and helicopters! Four Tridents out of Five!