Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis' successful post-modern revival of Aquaman continues in this next chapter of "The Others". Arthur himself has gone rogue, leaving his team and wife in his wake, chasing after long-time nemesis Black Manta. While I hugely enjoyed this issue, not to mention the rest of the arc as a whole, this part of the story was very much transitory. Just as everyone catches up to Manta for, what appeared to be the final confrontation, he escapes once again and sets up the actual conclusion in two months time. Ultimately, it's gorgeously drawn and beautifully written, but not a lot actually happens. In the trade, nobody will notice any deficiencies though. 9/10
STAR TREK: TNG & DOCTOR WHO #4 (IDW)
The previous three issues very slowly brought together the crews of the Enterprise D and the Tardis. Bringing us to this fourth issue, for the most part relating to pleasantries. Our heroes have gotten over the initial apprehension, so now it's time to sit down for a drink and hash things out. Good thing we have Ten Forward on hand, as tended by resident know-it-all, Guinan. She and the Doctor trade barbs and let on that they know alot more about the universe than they should (duh!). There's a new revelation on the villain front, as the Cybermen appear to have turned on their Borg allies. The only problem with this being we never saw any teamwork besides one half-arsed planetary assimilation. This heel-turn was meant to catch us by surprise, when in reality I wonder how they ever got together in the first place. 3/10
Being part three of an ongoing arc, you'd expect no major revelations in such a middle chapter (a problem Aquaman #12 faced earlier). However, that presumption assumes you've never read anything by Scott Snyder! Acting as somewhat of a character piece, "The Blacklist" finds Pearl still on the hunt for the vampires who attacked her frail elderly husband, Henry. She waxes nostalgic about the early days of their marriage, sending her into a deep depression (not as morose as it sounds). Which makes this the worst possible time to be teaming up with a manipulative bastard like Skinner Sweet! Sufficed to say Pearl makes a shocking, albeit long-expected, pass at her sire and quite possibly the worst mistake of her undead life. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Immensely enjoyable on it's own and astoundingly rewarding for long time readers. 10/10
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