Comic Recap/Thoughts: Aquaman Volume 2: Black Manta Rising, Part 2

Hello and happy Friday! So I have decided this is going to be a three part recap for two very good reasons. The first is 9 issues is a lot to cover and the second is that I am not working ahead on these posts and tonight is the premier of The Batman (shrug). So for today's post I am only covering issues #11 and #12 of Aquaman Volume 2: Black Manta Rising. If you want to read part 1 of the recap of this volume click here. Time to find out if Aquaman is okay after that beating he took.

The Deluge Prelude: Condition Critical: This issue starts with reporters giving us a recap and an update. The recap is Aquaman got in a fight with the U.S. military so people are not loving him. He then did fight a huge monster and save the day, but did it alone and kind of got is butt kicked. One lady they interview is team Aquaman but is interrupted by the arrival of Mera (who they keep calling a mermaid...which is weird...she definitely has legs). 

Mera has Joanna with her and finds Murk guarding Aquaman's room. Mera enters and is clearly mad at Arthur, repeatedly asking him, "What did you do?" He does still look pretty rough. They are fighting in that way where you're mad at someone because you love them and seeing them hurt is upsetting, so anger makes the most sense (you know what I mean). He wants to know why she also looks like she was in a fight and how the meeting with the Widowhood went, but she is not having it. (Mera is funny, see picture below.)

Mera does break down a little, telling him she is not sure about getting married because of what happened with the widows. This time Arthur is not having it, but they both decide maybe now is not the time to talk about it. Mera proceeds to tell him all she learned about N.E.M.O (National Enforcement of Macrocosmic Order, *eye roll*). He wants to go chat with Joanna, when suddenly all of the Justice League pop in for a visit. (Sans the new Green Lanterns and Batman I should say.)

Aquaman thinks they are there to arrest him, they are in fact just there to check on him and remind him they are his friends. Aquaman and Superman makeup. (I have some issues with this...mostly because at this point I am pretty sure Superman is not even a part of the Justice League officially, but whatever I am glad they are friends again.)  

Back outside the hospital, the people speaking to the press are giving Aquaman glowing reviews, including a clip from Superman. In what I can only assume is his villain headquarters Black Manta is not happy with these positive turn of events. Instead of cooling off he decides to fully commit to having the U.S. and Atlantis going to war with each other. His hope being they destroy each other, pulling in other nations while they are at it. The end game being that N.E.M.O. will rise from the ashes and assume world domination (totally chill and logical plan).

Aquaman and Mera are back down in Atlantis and they brought Joanna with them (important note: she is back to saying crikey and making me smile). Joanna (now going by Jo) tells Aquaman the whole story about how her dad is in N.E.M.O and tries to recruit her. That he bragged about how they were super powerful and framing Atlantis to cover their own activities. 

Aquaman gets a call from his FBI buddy agent Irving. She has info for him about many black market dealers who trade in Atlantean antiquities. (I kind of love that all the cops and military people in Aquaman's life are women.) Aquaman tells her to please send him the info and she tells him that they didn't get this info from her. Things are looking up, Aquaman thinks they have enough information to prove that Atlantis is innocent and to find those responsible for framing them. 

The issue ends a little less happily. The news is reporting a massive attack. "Atlantis" is attacking cities all over the U.S. coast line in the name of The Deluge. Our crew down in Atlantis see this new report and are shocked. (We the reader are not shocked.)

The Deluge: Act One: We see what appears to be Atlantean forces destroying Baltimore, Both, Norfolk, and Atlantic City. The president (who at the time was Barack) declares War on Atlantis. Manta is pretty happy with himself as more footage is being shown of other cities being hit.

Aquaman turns to his people in his command center and asks, "...is this us?" All his generals (they actually all have way cooler names) assure him it is not them. That question answered he tells everyone to prepare for war, not fighting one, but stopping one. A report comes in, a captain sees a huge ship heading towards New York. Said ship is the Megalodon and the Mistress of the fleet informs the king that ship disappeared 35 years ago. 

See…way cooler

The captain thinks he can destroy the ship, but Aquaman wants it captured. Doesn't matter though, the U.S. warship launched torpedoes destroying the good Atlantean ship before they could stop the bad Atlantean ship. Before anyone can argue, Aquaman tells his people to defend only against the U.S. ships and take out any imposters, but try to capture if they can. Everyone reluctantly agrees. 

Aquaman rushes off to talk to Rowa (she is an elder that he had working on the data he got from the FBI). She is trying to compile proof of a third party. Tula is not convinced anyone will even talk to the king or see reason. Also, he is still pretty banged up. He waves her off and plans to find an intermediary to help the U.S. see reason. 

Back in Washington D.C. we learn the casualties are in the thousands. An admiral (I don't think they say his name) shows up and chats with the President's Chief of Staff Gantry. The admiral is telling Gantry about a project called Beakhead, which was created to battle in a marine war. Specifically to kill Aquaman. 

The project is actually six Navy Seals you have been genetically enhanced. Basically they can transform into half shark people who are really strong, swim really well and can breath under water. Their code name is the Aqua-Marines (oof). They have a plan to sneak into Atlantis and kill Aquaman. So they are just asking for permission. Gentry is not sure about straight up assassination.

Aquaman and Mera ask Jo about how N.E.M.O is causing tidal waves, but she admits she has no idea. Aquaman quickly figures out it is probably more stolen Atlantean tech. Jo is upset that her father sucks. Aquaman decides he is going to go out and capture someone from the N.E.M.O side, in hopes of gaining information.

Mera points out he is injured and that he should send someone else. He points out he is the only person who doesn't want to just go to war. Then he makes what could be considered a racist joke that 'shockingly' Mera doesn't take well. Aquaman is too distracted to notice though as he continues on about how he needs a negotiator. Mera thinks he means her, but after all the fighting before points out that is a terrible idea, before Aquaman can explain he didn't mean her, she freaks out and swims off.  

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean a U.S. ship gets attacked by a giant croc looking beast (I think the same ones from volume one that the Deluge group was mind controlling). The giant beast destroys the ship and some fighter planes that had come to help. Back at Atlantean command, Jurok Byss, keeping of monsters is very upset that they are using beasts to fight and that they are torturing them. Aquaman talks him down (animal lovers are passionate people). 

Manta continues to be pleased with himself. Seems the hit and run thing they are doing along the coast is to make it look like they have way more people than they do. Now they are going to join the U.S. side and start hitting Atlantis. Manta orders a fake Navy ship to get as far into Atlantean water as it can and take out everything it sees. 

The soldiers guarding the city can see the ship coming and ask what to do if it breaches into Atlantean territory. Tula tells them to standby while she chats with Aquaman. He still wants them to stay on the defense and also for someone to find Mera. Before anyone can start following his orders though, the entire Justice League is on the scene (even the Green Lanterns and Batman this time.) and they are not happy.

Thoughts: Things are really heating up. I like that at least the Justice League showed up. Like back in Monster Men, none of them came until the very end to clean up. Like literally all the super people were busy, but this time they are all around? This story still has three more issues to go. Hopefully Mera and Arthur can go back to being happy. Also...I really do not like Manta, dude really sucks. Next week I will be back to wrap up this story and to share my favorite line and cover. These two issues were drawn and inked by Phil Briones, click his name to check out his Twitter and see more of his dope work.

Last Week: Justice League Volume 1: The Extinction Machines, Part 1

                   Justice League Volume 1: The Extinction Machines, Part 2

Next Week: Aquaman Volume 2: Black Manta Rising, Part 3

Note: All images belong to DC™