Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis takes readers on an unforgettable trip to the depths of Atlantis’ characters and mythology like never before. This book by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Tony Daniel & the rest of the team is an absolutely fantastic collection worthy of a purist’s shelf. From absolutely beautiful pencils translated into sharp inks with colors that fill your eyes with wonders, the third volume of Geoff Johns’ New 52 Justice League is not one to miss, at all. Johns somehow always has the ability to take some pretty well-defined characters and leave them in a completely different emotional (or sometimes, even, physical) place by the end of a story-arc. When the New 52 started, did you ever think that Superman and Wonder Woman would be a couple with such great development? Me neither. Regardless, Throne of Atlantis is a perfect example of taking a cinematic scope piece of work and perfectly translating it into a comic book.
Throne of Atlantis’ collection starts out with a two or three issue arc about the Cheetah (a classic rival of Wonder Woman in the comics) who has recently transformed into the feral creature and starts killing and committing crimes, however when Wonder Woman finds out about one of her first true friends on Earth doing naughty things, she tries to find the best in her and hopes to cure Barbara of the evil that is poisoning her, but is it possible? This sets the Justice League on a collision course throughout the congo to not only find the Cheetah, but the ancient tribe that’s also responsible for her curse. However, that’s not the only thing that’s causing friction between the League as Throne Of Atlantis comes directly off of a kiss between Clark and Diana that sets in motion a series of events. Clark and Diana obviously feel the same way for each other and want to be together, but could that really work in this world? Could two superheroes actually date? Clark doesn’t seem to think so. To remedy their problem, Clark takes her on a journey to show her how to actually hide within humanity, how they can be together and shows her why it’s Clark Kent who “wears a mask” and not Superman. Johns really knows how to humanize his characters and it only benefits the stories of these characters. Yes, Superman has always been with Lois Lane but why not shake up the status quo if it works? This relationship lead to the new Superman/Wonder Woman ongoing (we’ll have a review up).
After the Cheetah conflict, Johns’ introduction of Aquaman into the story is quite…odd. However, after that, we are quickly thrust into the world of Atlantis as a US vessel strikes a few missiles into the deep sea of Atlantis, which fatally harms Atlantis. So the current king, Orm (AKA The Ocean Master), brother of Aquaman follows the rules of Atlantis and engages in a fully-fledged strike against the surface world, which very well means possibly sinking a whole city just as a warning not to mess with Atlantis. As Superman and Wonder Woman are on a very public date, they must break their cover to save the city from being leveled. Meanwhile, the rest of the League are helping out with rescue efforts. Johns brilliantly knows how to write cinematic-level storytelling whilst keeping a steady pace of character development. However, Geoff Johns’ masterclass storytelling isn’t the only reason to pick up Throne Of Atlantis. Ivan Reis steps in on art to deliver captivating and engrossing artwork with exceptional detail and anatomy. With countless beautiful ful-page, double page ands, Ivan Reis is without a doubt one of the greatest artist of our time. However, no matter how great his pencils are, they can only do so much for the artwork without the complimentary colors by well, Reis as well! It’s safe to say that the majority of the artwork in this book is that of Reis’ and he should be proud that he is able to capture so amazing and high-octane action.
What Geoff Johns pumps out with Throne Of Atlantis is really something special. It’s a fantastic book not only exploring the ins and outs of Aquaman, but also society, love and relationships. There’s something for everyone in this book, and quite honestly, it’d be a great basis for a feature film. One or two Justice Leaguers may have felt a little shunned to the side to make room for Aquaman’s glory, but this book has quite the amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing from start to finish. Another thing I also really enjoyed is that it severely questioned Aquaman’s loyalty and put him in a place that he cannot escape, psychologically. Does he stand with the surface world or Atlantis? Regardless of the side he chooses, there’ll be massive precautions. Honestly, it’s a crime NOT to pick up Throne of Atlantis. Right now, it’s available in all your local bookstores.
Order Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis on Amazon.