Aquaman #31 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Paul Pelletier & Alvaro Martinez (pencils), Sean Parsons & Raul Fernandez (inks), Rain Beredo (colors)

The Story: The king of the sea vs. the king of plants.

The Review: Aquaman and Swamp Thing. Couples don’t get much odder than that. It’s one of those unusual pairings that the now defunct Brave and the Bold might have played with once upon a time, in a one-shot that probably would’ve left little lasting value for either character. Teaming them up through their respective titles allows for a more permanent relationship, that is, if Arthur and Alec can work through their initial tensions.

But let’s be honest here: Arthur could never in a million years stand a chance against Alec, someone who can defy even Superman’s powers. Any fight between them can only end with Arthur’s humiliating defeat, which Alec postpones for as long as possible until he can’t stand the irritation of Arthur’s attacks anymore. Once he proves just how far he outclasses the sea king, at least Arthur is man enough to remark ironically, “Guess I showed him.”