Art by: Christian Ward
Colors by: Christian Ward
Letters by: Aditya Bidikar
Cover art by: Christian Ward
Cover price: $6.99
Release date: August 2, 2022
Aquaman: Andromeda #2 unravels the secrets of the alien ships origins and the exploratory teams sanity. Aquaman and Black Manta make their presence known to selective members of the crew but with very different warnings.
Is It Good?
I'm not sure. This seems to be the week of "I'm not sure" reactions for DC Comics. Aquaman: Andromeda #2 takes the story to unexpected places that suddenly feel very familiar (more on that in a minute). While this is certainly a different take on the Aquaman legend, some of this issue works, some doesn't, and some is TBD. In other words, a mixed bag.
The bright spot of this issue is Ram V's intriguing series of twists and turns that subvert where you thought this story was going in the first issue into something very different. The alien ship is not an alien ship in the traditional sense, and that revelation alone has curiosity-building potential. Building curiosity is always a net positive, and this issue has plenty going on in that regard.
The "I'm not sure" part of this issue is the familiar territory the twist seems to lead readers. Without spoiling it outright, this issue feels like Ram V is drawing HEAVILY from The Abyss (1989), Michael Crichton's Sphere, with a little bit of Superman II (1980) thrown in for good measure. If you get all three references, you'll know exactly what's going on with the twist. That said, the combination of all three properties may be unique, but it remains to be seen how far into one, two, or all three Ram V will lean before the story becomes predictable.
The major down points (one big and one small) are tough to overlook in a Black Label prestige book with this cover price. The first and smaller down point is Ram V's insistent use of pompous flowery language in the last act of the issue. Admittedly, it's not as bad as the previous issue, but once that narration hits, it drags the reading experience to a dismal crawl.
The second and much larger down point is Ward's artwork. The art is very inconsistent and downright sloppy in spots. There are close-up panels that look quite good with characters projecting nuanced emotional expressions. Other panels look like they were sketched out in five minutes on notebook paper. For a Black Label prestige book at this cover price, there should not be a single panel that either looks hastily sketched or in a few places, so warped that you can't tell what's going on.
Again, some positive curiosity building, some familiarity, and some no-nos.
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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Aquaman: Andromeda #2 swerves the story in a new direction to reveal the mysterious alien ship is not an alien ship at all. The swerve opens up a wide swath of storytelling potential, but the new direction is oddly familiar. Couple the strange-but-intriguing new direction with painfully uneven art, and you get a mixed bag overall.
7/10
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