Aquaman #13

I continue to be impressed with the work Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis have done in this first 14 months of Aquaman.

They've made him a formidable hero, given him an interesting supporting cast, a powerful look, a tragic backstory, lots of mysteries to unfold and a strong romantic interest. What's not to like?

In fact, the only thing I don't like about this series is the casual way death is dealt - and sometimes, the way it isn't dealt.

Which is to say, Black Manta is the bad guy here, and he gleefully kills people.

In the "old days" (the '60s and before), it was extremely rare for a villain to kill anyone - and when he did, you knew that he'd end up paying the ultimate price, too (though usually being killed by his own acts - not by a bloodthirsty hero).

But in modern tales, they can't bear to lose a good villain, so he or she kills at will and rarely answers for it. Oh, he might end up in jail, she might seem to get killed - but they never actually die.

And that's the only real flaw in this story, (mild spoiler here) that Manta kills more than one hero but never really pays for his deed.

But it's a common flaw - that why the Joker is still breathing, along with Dr. Doom, Luthor, ad infinitum.

Aside from that quibble, this is a terrific series, and it continues to build to further revelations. As long as Johns is involved, I'll keep hanging around.

Grade: A-

-----------------