With Aquaman #25, writer Geoff Johns abdicates his trident pen after 2 years running the life of the ruler of the seas and Atlantis. With the first issue, Johns breathed new life into a character who had become a pop-culture punchline. And with him, he brought not just Aquaman, but Mera to the forefront of DC Comics, reintroducing the character and reinvigorating him and his cast of aquatic friends.

Since the launch, Johns has embraced the character’s straddling of two worlds and embraced him as a key member of DC’s universe. During his time, the mythology has been expanded and that’s evident with his swan song concluding event. In “Death of a King,” Aquaman/Arthur Curry is putted against the Dead King Atlan – the first King of Old Atlantis and the mad ruler that cast his kingdom into the depths of the ocean long ago. The Trench are back, and the waters churn with the waves of anger they bring with them. And as we’ve come to expect from Johns, villains become allies, friends become enemies, and the scope of Aquaman’s undersea world grows bigger than ever!

With these twenty-five issues, it was clear Johns had a love for the characters he was writing, and as evident with this issue, he long ago planted seeds of things that are just beginning to come to fruition. While the issue is a lot of battling and not a ton of dialogue, it’s still a packed issue that not only wraps up the current storyline, but gives us a lot to look forward to, including the next big Justice League event.

The story itself is pretty good, though a bit thin at points. There is a lot of action that looks fantastic. By itself, the story is only ok, but as an ending for what Johns has built up, it’s a satisfying conclusion. The biggest downside to the issue is inconsistent art. Not bad, but there’s just some noticeable issues.

With newly cast upon light of his family’s bloody history and the massive task of uniting Land, Sea and the hinted about Seven Kingdoms, Johns not only re-launched Aquaman, but has set him up for many adventures to come.

Up next issue is the new writer, the talented Jeff Parker with current artist Paul Pelletier. They’ve got solid ground to continue from, thanks to Johns.

Story: Geoff Johns Art: Paul Pelletier and Sean Parsons
Story: 7.75 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review