Aquaman is back on the throne of Atlantis and back in comic stores with a brand new ongoing series from the creative team of writer Jeremy Adams, artist John Timms, colorist Rex Lokus, and letterer Dave Sharpe. The first issue, which is published today, marks a bold start to Arthur Curry's new adventures, setting up an intriguing mystery and teasing a massive confrontation to come.
The first chapter, titled 'The Rising Tide,' opens with a striking montage of moments from Aquaman's life before cutting to a gorgeous spread (Timms and Lokus's work throughout this book is pretty spectacular) of our hero leaping into battle with a giant Cthulu-like creature. That's in the future, however, with the rest of the issue takes place one year previously.
Join us now as we break down all that you need to know about Aquaman #1 – but be warned, there will be full spoilers for the issue from this point on...
The return of Aquaman
When we catch up with him at the start of the issue – saving a crashing jet – Arthur Curry is feeling pretty good. He's been restored to his position of King of Atlantis and is a full member of the Justice League again. He also has a new power…
The recent Absolute Power arc saw Amanda Waller kidnap superheroes and steal their special abilities using Amazo robots. The Amazo named Depth Charge captured Arthur, took his powers and tried to conquer Atlantis. When the heroes got their abilities back, however, Depth Charge and Waller were defeated. Still, some powers were jumbled up. Now, as well as his usual abilities, Arthur also has Mera's power of Hydrokinesis – the ability to manipulate water. He uses it here to guide the crashing plane to a safe landing, and then later when he's forced to fight a gigantic creature made of water that's attacking Daytona.
What's going on with Atlantis?
After saving the plane, Arthur returns to Atlantis. He's so busy with the day-to-day duties of ruling the city that he is largely unconcerned when Jackson Hyde – the other Aquaman – tells him he has discovered a magical pearl. Hyde actually found this in the pages of October 2024's Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18, but as an editorial caption reminds us, it's not the first time we've seen such an object. One appeared in 2022's Flashpoint Beyond #1, where it was called the Ocean Orb, and another appeared in The Flash #785 from the same year. It's unclear the full extent of the powers of the Orb at this point, but it clearly has something to do with the issue's biggest twist: the disappearance of Atlantis!
Yep, while Aquaman is busy fighting the monster on Daytona Beach, he hears a cry from Mera. He returns home, only to find that Atlantis and all his friends have inexplicably vanished, leaving desolate ruins behind. Arthur makes the sensible choice and turns to his friends for answers...
Enter the Justice League
Aquaman travels to the Justice League Watchtower and consults with Batman, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna. The latter scans the Orb and while she can't quite figure out what it is, exactly, she finds "a corresponding thread" that leads them back to the ocean. While exploring the depths, they discover a strange, weed-covered monument. The Orb seems to activate and Arthur realises that the monument is in fact a transportation gate. He swims through it and vanishes – leaving behind an ominous and very familiar symbol: Darkseid's Omega. Yep, this is an underwater Boom Tube.
So what's next?
Although they don't give much away, we know from DC's February and March comic solicitations that this current era of Aquaman will have big ties to Darkseid (who, while currently dead, has left a huge mark on the DC All In era) and Apokolips.
Aquaman #2 hits shelves on February 12. Here's what DC's solicitation copy has to say about what happens next:
"ATLANTIS... OBLITERATED! After the shocking events of Aquaman #1, Arthur Curry is now a king without a home! But is hope truly lost? The answer lies in Aquaman’s mysterious new water-morphing abilities, and a portal into the unknown. Earth’s uncanny undersea hero must train like never before to stand a chance of recovering Atlantis from its untimely apocalypse... or should we say Apokolips? Ride the wave for the biggest, wettest adventure of the year in this second issue extravaganza — brought to you by the tide-turning talents of Jeremy Adams and John Timms!"
Aquaman #1 is out now from DC.
He may sometimes be a bit of a pop culture punchline, but Aquaman is a total badass.
