Ghost Dad
Writer: Dan Abnett
Pencils: Lan Medina
Inks: Vicente Cifuentes
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Steve Wands
Cover: Eduardo Pansica
Variant Cover: Joshua
Middleton
Assistant Editor: Andrea
Shea
Editor: Alex Antone
Group Editor: Brian
Cunningham
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: November 21,
2018
**NON
SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**
Aquaman is powerless, skewered in the guts by
Poseidon’s trident last time we saw him. So why does he still have his own
series? I bet there’s a good reason, and you might find out by reading my
review of Aquaman #42, commencing now!
Explain
It!
Stabbed by Poseidon after asking for a return of
his powers, Aquaman is…not dead. What did you think, this wouldn’t be a
symbolic journey through Arthur Curry’s subconscious? Well, that’s just what it
is, a story told in augmented flashbacks, or maybe in some kind of twilight
dimension in the present. Young Arthur and his father are afloat on some blood
red waters, and papa tells Arthur it’s time for his test. Noting the weird
constellations in the sky, Arthur discerns that this is the Dead Sea—not the
one in the Mediterranean, but the mythical one where actual dead people go.
Which makes sense, since Arthur’s dad died a long time ago!
Dad tells his son that it’s not his time to be dead
yet, they’ve got to get back. But how, when there is no wind to fill the sail
of their ship? Dad says to wait for the wind, there are twenty pages in this
comic book and we have to fill them all. The wind starts picking up when Orm
the Ocean Master appears, riding four monster whales, talking smack about his
half-breed brother. Dad asks Arthur what he should do when a storm is coming,
and Arthur yells back that he should ride it out! Strictly speaking, it’s not like
there’s a choice in the matter. Little Arthur mans the boat while Orm casts
lightning bolts around them, and then dad tells his kid that it’s time for him
to grow up.
Back in the Graveyard of the Gods, Arthur comes
back to life and punches Poseidon in the face! And that’s it. This issue is an
ethereal clip show of the things Aquaman has dealt with in the past several
years. While it’s visually impressive, the story is a paint-by-numbers affair
that serves to extend this crossover event by one more issue. None of the
threats to Arthur in the Dead Sea were palpable, and in the conclusion was so schmaltzy
and obvious, I didn’t expect it. I guess I was holding out hope for something
more clever.
Bits and
Pieces:
An inoffensive but very dry story that could probably be skipped, with no damage to the integrity of this "Drowned Earth" event. Do not pass "Go," head directly to Justice League #12 for actual story momentum.
6/10
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