Aquaman #31

Writer: Dan Abnett

Artist: Riccardo Federici

Colourist: Sunny Gho

Letterer: Steve Wands

Not only is this issue primarily concerned with setting up the next phase of the story, but it spends so much time recapping the past six issues to the point that a simple recap page at the beginning would eliminate the need for literally pages and pages of recap.

I was very, very down on the last issue for showing how slow this series has been moving since it went monthly, and I have the same problems with this issue. It's clear that Dan Abnett is attempting to go for a slow-burn kind of story, but only a few moments from these last six or so issues have really come together to make a difference. All of this could have been done in two or so issues; this new issue reads like it should have come after the second or third issue of the arc.

I was impressed by Stjepan Sejic's art when he first jumped onboard but as I stated in my review for the last issue, I was ready for a new artist as Sejic's art began to lose its allure. Riccardo Federici very much impressed me with his work here. It has more of a toned-down, less bombastic approach to it which I appreciated. It's definitely not as uneven as Sejic's work was, and I think it fits the tone of the story quite well. Sunny Gho's colouring is also tremendous.

As has been the case with this book as of late, nothing much is happening here save for a semi-important moment at the end of it. I'm a big fan of Federici's art and hope he stays on permanently, but Abnett really needs to move this story.