Whetting Our Appetites A Bit More

Aquaman 14
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Pete Woods and Pere Perez, artists

This is the prologue to "Throne of Atlantis," the big Aquaman/Justice League crossover, but we go waaaaaaay back for our beginning. All the way back to 1820, where we see an Atlantean who looks a lot like Aquaman harpooned and captured by a sailing vessel's captain and crew. The captain of the ship taunts the wounded mer-man, describing how he had earlier captured and slain the Atlantean's mate. But the final, killing blow from the captain is interrupted by the arrival of many more Atlanteans.

From there we jump to the present day with a brief bit of detail about another Atlantean famous in the old DC Universe. The current king of Atlantis is sitting on his throne issuing his decision in the case of a young, purple-eyed boy named Garth, who has caused some fear among the more superstitious Atlanteans. In the old DCU, Garth was taken from his parents because of his purple eyes and legends that they were an evil omen. Garth's parents, lesser rulers in a kingdom of Atlantis, were killed and the child left to die alone. Instead, the young boy was found and raised by Aquaman. He grew to join Aquaman's adventures as Aqualad, helped found the original Teen Titans group, and later, like many of his original Titans peers, adopted a new identity as he neared adulthood, Tempest.

Here in the DCnU, the current king of Atlantis, Aquaman's half-brother, Orm, decrees that the child be returned to his mother, unharmed, and those who threatened him be held for trial. A small gathering of fish interrupts further court duties, bringing a message that Aquaman wishes to meet with Orm.

Next, we have a small interlude to check in on Black Manta, newly incarcerated at Belle Reve prison. Manta is offered a chance to have his sentence commuted by joining Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad, a team of former villains used in suicide missions in exchange for their eventual freedom, if they survive. Manta turns Waller's offer down by slaying one of the guards while still shackled and with one wrist and the other forearm in casts.

Much of the remainder of the issue is the meeting between Orm and Aquaman at the site of the sunken remains of the sailing vessel from the opening segment. It seems the mer-man captured in that segment was Arthur and Orm's great-grandfather. Both he and their great-grandmother were killed by the men of the vessel, and the ancient Atlanteans exacted a stiff revenge for those acts.

Aquaman asks Orm directly if he was in league with Black Manta's recent activities and if Orm is planning to attack the surface world. Orm denies both charges, but there is definitely something sinister in his bearing and the fact that he is almost always depicted in shadow. Obviously, more is afoot here.

I'll Keep My Eye On It, But ...

Team Seven 0-2
DC Comics
Justin Jordan, writer
Jesus Merino, Ron Frenz and Julius Gopez, artists

This DCnU title, launched during Zero Month along with a few others, promises a look back at the beginnings of the first appearances of superheroes in the New 52 DC Universe, much like Grant Morrison's Action Comics. Team Seven is a covert, government group put together as a response to the emergence of metahumans and extraterrestrials living openly among human society. It seems the government was a little fearful of these costumed adventurers popping up all over the place "five years ago."

Among the cast of this title are some very familiar faces. I confess I don't know the previous history of all of these characters, but the team is brought together under the guidance of John Lynch, a central character from the old Wildstorm title Gen 13. The operatives he assembles include Black Canary, Deathstroke, Grifter and Amanda Waller. Their first mission, as begun in these issues, pits this new team against an entire prison full of inmates and staff under the control of Eclipso.

The conceit of this premise is that story lines could (and presumably will) cross over into several other titles and characters' pasts, plus I thought the idea an interesting one. And this is an interesting and well-written title. The art is a little uneven as one might guess from three artists on three issues, but not bad. In fact, the book is good enough that I will likely keep my eye on Team Seven for times when they might cross paths with characters I continue to follow. But I'm just not sure I'm going to be a regular reader of the title. It's not bad, it's just not holding my interest enough to justify the expense right now.