Review of Aquaman #53 and Impulse #46

Review of Aquaman #53 Writer: Eric Larsen
Pencils: Eric Battle
Inker: Danny Miki and Norm Rapmund
Colorists: Richard and Tanya Horie
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Assistant Editor: Ali Morales
Editor: Kevin Dooley
Here's what I think:

Aquaman, Mera, and Noble fight a lava creature in the sea. They defeat it using intelligence and teamwork. Meanwhile Sheeva, Lagoon Boy and a whale with an exoskeleton prepare to explore the surface world.

Back in Atlantis, it seems the sea city is starting to experience some of the same problems the surface cities face - crime, intolerance, drug addiction, and gang violence. Aquaman finds out and is not pleased.

Before he can solve his undersea cities' problems, he is called to the surface to help stem pollution coming from a sinking vessel. Superman arrives, and together they discover Shrapnel, a villain who blew up the ship and can constantly explode and reform himself. Eventually Superman and Aquaman find a way to defeat Shrapnel.

My take is that is this an interesting "collage" off small stories, where blending the short stories gives a more complete picture of Aquaman's life than an epic story could.

The art is good. Very unusual and interesting series of angles for the artwork. It looks like DC is trying to make it more like you are watching an animated television show (vibrant colors, lots of camera angles, lots of action shot close-ups). Large figure drawings that sprawl across the page and look too big fit. Panels that overlap and leave the background of the rear panel to your imagination. Pages where there is no panel at all - a full page of artwork - without being a "spread." (A spread is where a person or persons appear and in a pinup type "pose" and gratuitously takes up one to two pages.) The full page of art is an integral part of the story. While it could have been done in a quarter or eighth panel, I have to say that the full panel was effective in depicting intolerance. And I also know that comic pictures today are drawing scenes larger to compete with animated television.

While the story is good and the art is interesting, there is nothing really spectacular about this book. No real distinguishing features. I liked the gritty, true to life feel of the story - but then the art and color are so shiny, that the edge is taken off the griminess. And that's okay too.

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