Aquaman #54

One of DC Comics' best books, and a secret treasure that deserves more exposure. Read Full Review

Rocha 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

The 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

AQUAMAN #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

Year of the Villain impedes the story a bit, but the creative team's strengths still shine through. Read Full Review

This 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

Aquaman 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

Kelly 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

Aquaman #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

A 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

M1sf1r3

Dec 05, 2019

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 of the Villain title. more

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Nov 22, 2019

Please never have Black Manta move on past his father... his crankiness and ruthlessness is why he is such a good character.

Superheroes for Hire

Mar 21, 2020

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.

Psycamorean

Nov 20, 2019

There's a lot of silly writing here. It kind of brings the whole thing down for me. It's fine.

Spacey Medicine

Nov 26, 2019

I like Black Manta, but this wasn’t him at his best tbh, it was all a bit fragmented and weird.