Written by: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Art by: Vasco Georgiev
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Jay Anacleto, Rain Beredo
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: June 21, 2022
Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #1 follows the Fastest Man Alive and the King of Atlantis, the only remaining heroes (or people) left on Earth to stop a massive alien invasion after the aliens have already won.
Was It Good?
Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #1 is the latest in a series of Aquaman team-up minis from DC Comics, pairing Arthur Curry with a fellow Leaguer to stop a world-ending threat. In this instance, an alien fleet with the power to freeze everyone and everything in time suddenly arrives and effectively conquers the Earth in less than a minute. Are the premise, art, and execution worth your time? So far, yes.
Well, knock me down and call me stinky. This first issue was surprisingly engaging. Aquaman titles have floundered (*ahem*) over the last couple of years for an assortment of reasons, none of them good. But this first issue works. It's not perfect, but it works.
The highlight of the issue is the epic scale of the alien threat. The attack hits fast and hard, taking out every countermeasure you would expect from a Justice League. There's simply no time to react until it's too late. The size of the invasion force is massive, and the totality of their dominance over the Earth gives you an impression of overwhelming power. When our remaining heroes realize what's happened, you can empathize with their struggle against hopelessness, especially when emphasis is placed on their connections to their loved ones.
You may wonder, "How are Aquaman and Flash exempt?" Their freedom is explained, clearly and organically. There's a bit of timey wimey OMG-Science involved, but the explanation is plausible enough to be believed.
The minor down point is Lanzing and Kelly's liberties with Aquaman's powers. He can fully function in space if he holds his breath, and the Flash (a scientist) seems to think it's okay because being in space is just like being in the deep ocean. It's little foibles like this that drive a comics fan crazy, but it is what it is.
Georgiev's art is great in this issue. Panel compositions are visually engaging, the character designs are clean and pristine, and Georgiev's use of overlapping panels gives the action a cinematic feel. That feeling of "bigness" is greatly due to Georgiev's art as much as the writing.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts or click here for podcast links and more: https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencecomics
Bits and Pieces:
After a disastrous few years of lackluster and outright bad Aquaman titles, Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #1 is a surprising breath of fresh air. The alien threat feels epic, the logic behind the unlikely team-up makes sense, and the art is gorgeous.
9/10
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