SPOILERS AHEAD!
Initial Thoughts
Emperor Aquaman #22 follows Atlantis’s fall to the Crimson Queen. Aquaman, Swamp Thing, and Animal Girl are stranded on Mogo, the sentient planet, after Lolanna and her evil lackeys lock all three out of Earth. As they try to help Mogo and get back to Earth, Aquaman feels the pressure and anxiety of getting home, knowing something is going wrong in Atlantis. This is the main drama of Emperor Aquaman #22, and writer Jeremy Adams and artists John Timm and Rex Lokus execute it exquisitely.
The Emperor Aquaman series has moved at breakneck speed, spanning different planets across the universe and spinning a lot of plates, all while pushing Aquaman to his highest power levels yet. In this issue, writer Jeremy Adams slows things down to tell the story of Earth’s Avatars trying to return home, while leaving crumbs for his next project. It is good to see the series take a breath and tell a much smaller story, while setting up something MUCH larger for the future. Jeremy Adams has given us a very consistent run so far, and Emperor Aquaman #22 continues the trend of exciting issues, where action, story, and artwork work fantastically together.
No Way Home
Earth has been locked out of the rest of the universe, and no one can reach it by any means. As a result, all of Earth's avatars are stuck on Mogo. Meanwhile, the Crimson Queen and her army of Aquaman’s worst enemies tear through Atlantis. The pacing makes it feel like we are watching Black Manta and everyone tear Aquaman’s Kingdom plank by plank, piece by piece. Fast-paced as this series has been so far, especially after the official name change to Emperor Aquaman, it slows to a standstill, making us feel as anxious as Aquaman, not knowing when he'll make it back home. I really like that feeling; it makes you emotionally involved with the book.
The anxiety I felt as a reader, watching Aquaman struggle to get home while Lolanna tears the kingdom apart piece by piece, is a strong way to set up the final confrontation between them. That makes Arthur’s return to Atlantis even better and more worth it. In the next issue, it doesn't look like we are going back to Earth anytime soon. Writer Jeremy Adams has to walk a fine line, dangling the Earth carrot without stringing it out too long. I trust Adams, and I think he will land the plane.
Justice League: Earth?
The best part of Emperor Aquaman #22 for me was a crumb Adams left behind for a possible future project. I love how the Avatars work well together, and a team of Aquaman, Animal Girl, and Swamp Thing would make a very interesting series that could explore parts of the DC world we haven't seen before. The clues weren't subtle, and the possibility of a future team-up between these characters has me really excited. Sign me up for a 12-issue prestige mini-series about Earth's avatars as they try to figure out the rest and create Earth's Justice League. That's a cool premise!
This project, which I have totally created in my head, could also bring other avatars from Earth or other realms and planets to light. The big gooey monster in this issue said these three weren't the only Avatars. I don't think anything has been announced, but making the next Aquaman run about the avatars could continue Arthur's ascension, laying claim as one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. I hope this isn't the end of this experience, as it was my favorite part of this issue. It was short-lived, but I'll live with it for a long time.
Luscious Greens, Clear Blues
John Timm and Rex Lokus continue to work in unison, bringing to life an entirely new world no Aquaman series has ever explored. Atlantis and Mogo are two very different ecosystems, but the artist team didn't skip a beat on quality. The worlds the art builds create a sense of distance between Earth’s ocean and a planet in a far-away galaxy, heightening Aquaman's anxiety. Rex Lokus's colors are deep, vibrant, and exquisite. The blue used for Atlantis is a nice, light blue, easy to see and maneuver around. The greens on Mogo are crisp and look exactly like Earth's jungle, which I'm sure is where his inspiration came from.
The green coloring Lokus uses for Swamp Thing and Mogo looks gorgeous, and it works so well because Timm’s character design for Swamp Thing is superb. Swamp Thing looks clumpy, with parts of him that aren't detailed, which feels right, as if someone had grabbed mud, leaves, and water to make a swamp monster. The small details in his design remind us he is the living embodiment of the Green, and the different-looking leaves may come from different ecosystems around the world.
One thing I think we take for granted is how well Aquaman is designed and colored. He looks great and is one of the best character designs ever.
Final Thoughts
Emperor Aquaman #22 ramped up the series, and while it wasn't as loud or as chaotic as the rest, it was no less good or interesting. By comparison, this issue set up the last leg of the Adams run and a possible future team-up book, but while slower, it never felt boring or tangential. It builds Arthur's anxiety as Atlantis hangs by a thread, and that tension carries over to the reader. We're in the home stretch of this series, and the momentum is building toward a great finale. Plus, the series has hinted at potential future stories that could shape Aquaman's future.