Let’s start immediately from the finale, of the most intriguing and controversial volume dedicated to Aquaman which, if you have read the title carefully, is presented as “Aquamen”, or by the couple Arthur Curry and Jackson Hyde (Aqualand): the DC hero who has crossed the pages of comics for 80 years dies!!!
The work “Aquamen – The Conspiracy of the Abyss” is a political fiction in which the latent cells of Atlantis, agents who live secretly on earth, blow themselves up in suicide attacks, against their will, as they are “activated” and their will reset, this due to dark forces related to secrets of Atlantis that have been unleashed on the surface.
Secrets that Aquaman himself has been keeping from Mera leading him to team up with Black Manta, to Jackson’s amazement and anger. But what is the real stake?
In a race against time and with a succession of twists and turns, we will see different characters from Ocean Master to Frankenstein, from Batwoman to Scavenger, in a dramatic context as there is a war between the Kingdom of Atlantis and the States of the mainland…
A work written by Chuck Brown and drawn by Sami Basri and Max Raynor which is very captivating up to the middle of the issue, then the plot becomes intrigued, with some narrative holes and an approximate ending and with the sensation of reaching the ending quickly, so much so that the last few pages are a complete question mark.
“The Conspiracy of the Abyss” presents more negative than positive notes, with the large deficit of Aqualand that for when the upper floors of DC Comics continue to back him up, without still not understanding the reason, he turns out to be a poor character, devoid of charisma , insipid both psychologically and at the level of a wrestler. If their idea is to let him inherit Arthur’s trident, they will make a big mistake, Aquaman will have died twice: on the pages of comics and in the memories of readers.
What was the volume in question supposed to represent? Perhaps a watershed between the two Aquamen? The beginning of a new and profound story that will lead the earthly powers to clash against Atlantis? The definitive end of the Aquaman legend? A comic drawn with that captivating and well-defined style but not supported by the script, especially with the ending that leaves readers stunned and betrayed, also because Arthur’s death is not explained. I think the worst departure of a superhero in the entire world comic scene.