Aquaman #11 – Review

By: Geoff Johns (story), Ivan Reis (pencils), Joe Prado, Jonathan Glapion, Andy Lanning (inks), Rod Reis (colors)

The Story: Friends don’t let other friends pursue blind quests of vengeance alone.

The Review: Even though in terms of the pure quality of his work, he doesn’t seem to be working at the superhumanly consistent level he once did writing Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, and Green Lantern simultaneously, there’s no sign Johns is any less popular or beloved than ever.  Frankly, I don’t think that widespread admiration will ever go away because Johns offers what so few other writers do in comics these days: unadulterated warmth.

Reading a Johns story, no matter how grim the events that happen in between front and back covers, frequently feels like curling up in an oversized armchair with a cup of hot cocoa.  At the heart of his work is always, well, heart.  No one has written themes of family, whether by blood or by spirit, with so much genuine care, and certainly no one writes the archetypical Hero—with capital letters, mind you—with so much conviction in the righteous might of goodness.