Aquaman #54
| Writer | Kelly Sue DeConnick |
| Artist | Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques |
| Cover Price | $3.99 |
Black Manta and Mech Manta invade Amnesty Bay with one target in mind-Aqualad! Can Aquaman save his protégé from his deadly lineage? Or will the combined might of the Mantas finally be Arthur Curry's undoing?
CRITIC REVIEWS
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10
Kabooooom - Matt Morrison
Nov 23, 2019One of DC Comics' best books, and a secret treasure that deserves more exposure. Read Full Review
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9.7
The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally
Nov 20, 2019Rocha and Merino deliver some beautiful art in this issue. The characters look amazing and are full of expressive detail. The action is big and fun to look at. A great looking issue. Read Full Review
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9.0
Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield
Nov 20, 2019The story wisely keeps what happened on that boat between Aquaman and Manta's father vague, but this rivalry has been building for years since Geoff Johns revamped both characters. This may be the best and most nuanced take yet. Read Full Review
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8.2
Monkeys Fighting Robots - Corey Patterson
Nov 19, 2019AQUAMAN #54 is the perfect story for DC Comics' Year of the Villain event, giving readers a reason to sympathize with one of its most deadly criminals. We're anxious to learn more about Hyde's troubled psyche in the coming issues. Read Full Review
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8.0
AIPT - Frankie Sciulla
Nov 20, 2019Year of the Villain impedes the story a bit, but the creative team's strengths still shine through. Read Full Review
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8.0
Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles
Nov 20, 2019This is a more action-heavy installment than previous issues and that doesnt appear to be letting up with next issues big clash. Hopefully Aquaman will have more of a presence than as a punching bag for this big rematch. Read Full Review
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8.0
ComicBook.com - Matthew Aguilar
Nov 20, 2019Aquaman fans are no stranger to Black Manta, but the villain is definitely one of the standouts in Kelly Sue DeConnick's new Aquaman series. DeConnick has found an inventive way to explore the villain's past and history with Luthor's gift, and throughout the issue she finds even more interesting ways to add Jackson, Mera, and more to the fray, and each and every ingredient makes the stew that much better. Read Full Review
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8.0
DC Comics News - Matthew Lloyd
Nov 26, 2019Kelly Sue DeConnick does some great character work with Black Manta in Aquaman #54. Black Manta is no longer a man with misdirected vengeance, but the victim of poor parenting from a father that didn't know how to raise his son without his mother around. An unconscious Aquaman proves to be the best method of improving this title. Let the supporting cast have their moments, and perhaps when Arthur is recognizable again, he can be allowed to lead his title. Read Full Review
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7.9
Comic Watch - Matt Meyer
Nov 29, 2019Aquaman #54 takes a moment amidst its action to examine the past of Arthur Curry's chief antagonist Black Manta, bolstering the villain's appeal and readers' understanding of his motives. If you aren't reading DeConnick and Rocha's Aquaman yet, you're doing yourself a major disservice! Read Full Review
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6.0
Weird Science - Reggie Hemingway
Nov 20, 2019A by-the-numbers doling out of story elements accruedin the last four issues, to create a very contrived cliffhanger that you couldprobably guess in three tries. Give it a shot! Save yourself the four bucks forthis visually impressive comic book. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS
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8.5
Prelude: It's heating up now in Amnesty Bay as Mecha Manta attacks. Let's see how DeConnick goes with this part of the story. The Good: I liked the backstory on Black Manta. Manta is a tricky one to give backstory to, due to his past and that it is usually better to leave it shrouded in mystery, but it works here. Manta is really menacing here and that is great. I love the focus on farther figures. Manta and his father but also Aqualad, his son. The Bad: Cliffhanger is very basic. Continuity is all over the place. Conclusion: A strong issue that continues well with DeConnick's run. While I love the focus on Black Manta, the cliffhanger is very basic and continuity continues to be a problem as such with every other Year more
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8.0
Please never have Black Manta move on past his father... his crankiness and ruthlessness is why he is such a good character.
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6.0
Story was okay. Art was okay. I would have rathered we not interrupt the Amnesty story with Mecha-Manta, but it is what it is. And I didn't care for the art which seems to be rushed and split between penciller and inker teams.
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5.5
There's a lot of silly writing here. It kind of brings the whole thing down for me. It's fine.
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5.0
I like Black Manta, but this wasn't him at his best tbh, it was all a bit fragmented and weird.
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9.5
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1.0