He Slept For How Long?!?

Aquaman 23
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Paul Pelletier and Sean Parsons, artists

This issue of Aquaman continues the "Death of a King" arc, and the story is getting more and more crowded with potential kings the title could be referring to. Aquaman and Mera have been reunited and flee the other-dimensional kingdom Xebel before they can be taken prisoner again. They are fleeing from the Dead King, possibly Atlantis' first king, and Nereus, the current king of Xebel and Mera's former beau. The couple manage to escape back into the Atlantic Ocean, knowing that Nereus and his troops aren't far behind, but once they arrive back at Atlantis, they find the city under the sea beseiged by the Scavenger.

As if that wasn't enough going on, there are still the three rogue Atlanteans -- Tula, Murk and Swatt -- making their way to Belle Reve prison to free Ocean Master, another former monarch, who they feel is unjustly imprisoned by the surface world after the "Throne of Atlantis" story arc.

Cutting back to Atlantis, Aquaman's forces are taking a beating until he summons the underwater beast Topo to deal with the Scavenger's forces. The effort Aquaman puts forth to summon and direct Topo is costly, but before he passes out, he sees that Scavenger's forces have been routed just in time for the Dead King and Nereus to arrive. And then Aquaman takes a powder.

This was a pretty intense issue with all of the nonstop battle. Unfortunately, we have to wait two months instead of the usual one to find out how this storyline is going to be resolved because next month is Villains' month and both Black Manta and Ocean Master will be getting their own issues. Also, if Aquaman has been unconscious for six months, how exactly does this all fit in with the events of Trinity War and Forever Evil? I try not to worry quite so much about continuity between books like I used to when I collected more stuff, but this arc started before Trinity War, which Aquaman is very much a part of. If Trinity War and Forever Evil take place after this story, which involves Aquaman being out of commission for six months, what have all the other heroes been doing all this time? And if this story takes place after Trinity War and Forever Evil, that kinda gives away that Aquaman will live through that story. (Not that I ever doubted that he would, but still ...) Oh well, I'm just enjoying the great stories Geoff Johns is giving Aquaman, and I'm sorry to hear he will be leaving the title after issue No. 25.