Man’s fascination with the sea has gone for centuries. The depths have been explored in myth, stories, and fables. The many tales surrounding the god Poseidon reach back centuries. To this day, anything mystical concerning the sea his name is somewhat not far behind. Man has always found a deep and profounding connection to water which is only natural as it surrounds most of the world. My Dad told me he knew how to swim before he knew how to walk.

I remember the first time I read Moby Dick. I thought it was a cool story about a man and his lifelong battle with this one mysterious whale. I didn’t realize that it was much more layered than what I initially thought. It was more about a man’s search for himself and his fight against old age. I always wondered what a fight between humans and those who live under the sea be like. In the sixth issue of The Atlantis Chronicles, we get a battle between the two parties, one which will rock both worlds.

We meet Atlan, the son of the new king, who has found a bird, showing the existence of life on the surface, ad who has seen who exactly the surface dwellers are. This prompts an invasion by Atlan’s father, one which causes unrest amongst the different factions, but they persisted and killed the men who were waiting for them ashore, a hey would go no to settle into a fortress they would call, Bazilia, after a renowned warlord. By issue’s end, we find out what happened to Oren’s original expedition and how it led to Egypt of all places.

Overall, an excellent story that though it jumps time. It connects the greater story together in an exciting issue. The story by Peter David is smart and enigmatic. The art by the creative team is vivid and beautiful. Altogether, a story that only deepens with every issue including this one.

Story: Peter David
Art: Esteban Maroto, Eric Kachelhofer and Gaspar Saladino
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Every few years when I was in the military, we had what we called a “change of command.” This was when the commanding officer of a command transfers and a new commanding officer assumes control. This is what made most of us used to change and become quite adaptive. It continuously came down to how the old regime ran things an how the new regime would do things differently.

Within our political elections, the public faces changes every 4-8 years, depending on if the American public likes the current direction of the nation. We have seen and every country in the world has seen what happens when a despot takes control. Every transition of power possesses their unique struggles. In the fourth issue of Atlantis Chronicles, Oren steps down as ruler, transferring power to his daughter, Cora, which presents its own challenges.

We find weathered down version of King Oren, as he has outlived most of his contemporaries, his outlook becomes increasingly grim, as agitators, such as his nephew, Dardanus, are constantly looking for reasons to remove him. As the serum him and his brother created begins to show its side effects, even mutating some infants, making them fishlike which pushes Oren to find a new way for his people to survive leading them o eventually becoming part of the sea without the aid of the serum. This also gives Oren the clear state of mind to realize it is time to step down and let Cora be queen, but not everything goes as planned, as the fruit of Cora’s and Dardanius’s wild tryst has also came back to claim the throne. By issue’s end, the kingdom has barbarians of their own at the gate and more than blood will be spilled.

Overall, an exciting issue in this epic and elegant history that makes up what Aquaman knows of Atlantis. The story by Peter David is suspenseful, layered, and dramatic. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether an excellent issue which shows the talent of David as a storyteller.

Story: Peter David
Art: Esteban Maroto, Eric Kachelhofer, and Gaspar Saladino
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

When it comes to the subject of civil war, it is an especially tough issue to speak of in light of the current political climate. The rest of the world tends to look at our Civil War as residual effects of slavery. As anyone who has read about the events that lead to that point can see war was inevitable. Lincoln became the last straw for most southern states. It is this buildup to war, which is where many can find the root cause before the battles began.

In the third issue of The Atlantis Chronicles, we find a war brewing between the two peoples of Atlantis, one that may change the kingdom forever.

We are taken to a time when all Atlantians have been more than familiar with their very different living conditions. As a feud between the two dominant tribes, Poseidonis and Tritonis over land and fish, has caused a rift within the kingdom. King Orin, now an old man, keeps the uneasy truce together by a string of promises and political appointments. Everything changes, when Dardanus, Shalako’s long lost son reappears in court, it fuels long gestating hate between the two groups, as the Tritonites, become emboldened by his reappearance.  By issue’s end, a forbidden romance plants the seed of a dark secret that will alter the people of Atlantis.

Overall, an engaging installment where past sins become the undoing of a family. The story by Peter David is intense, intellectual, and full of twists. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, a powerful tale that gives readers a complex rich history of this dense mythology.

Story: Peter David
Art: Esteban Maroto, Gaspar Saladino and Eric Kachelhofer
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy