All-New Fathom #5

   So it's like this: a mysterious force (well, mysterious to the main characters) is wreaking havoc on the world's oceans - freezing huge sections and endangering countless lives.

   While trying to uncover the cause, Aspen (Fathom) Matthews travels to Russia, where the powers that be try to coerce her into working for them - naturally, that doesn't go over well.

   But the biggest problem is, it has almost nothing to do with the ice problem. It just seems like a slow, rambling (well, aside from a short action sequence) tale that takes a long time to get to the point - and then doesn't get to the point anyway.

   The art by Alex Konat and Mark Roslan is quite good, with strong layouts and sharp environmental designs - and some attractive ladies, of course.

   The story has a lot of potential, but this issue only gives us a few baby steps of progress - here's hoping the next issue picks up the pace.

Grade: B

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