Waves of villainous titles continue to pummel the stands as DC's
Forever Evil event marches on. With so many colorfully criminal covers barraging me at the shop, I didn't know where to go next. Following
my revelation from Green Lantern 23.3, I decided to try a villain I knew nothing about. My search led me to the nefarious Ocean Master, bane of boats and boogie boarders everywhere who's highlighted in
Aquaman 23.2.
This title is immediately set apart from its predecessors by the title page. Ocean Master boasts the creative team of the
Aquaman ongoing series as well as story help from Tony Bedard.
Ocean Master is somewhat disappointing, however, as it starts just moments before
Forever Evil 1. When the story opens, Ocean Master sits in prison with his lawyer, preparing for the trial to come. This is a tactful choice on John's part because it's a great way to play catch up in a natural way that doesn't bog down the story or TAKE THE WHOLE ISSUE.
(cough Sinestro) It also allows for a nice little plant in which a security guard shows Orm some love and brings him a glass of water. (Atlanteans are easy to shop for.)
Just as the lawyer finishes making a case for Ocean Master's need to make a case, the Society of Evil takes over the world as per
Forever Evil 1 and everything falls apart. In the ensuing chaos, Belle Reve Penitentiary is blown wide open, and Ocean Master is given a nice character moment when he stumbles across the guard we'll refer to as The Water Boy, lying beaten and crippled. The best villains are fully functional characters, not just angry guys with hammers who smash things. Here you get to enjoy the mentality of Ocean Master as he repays the kindness shown to him in his own way: by putting the guard out of his misery. It's fast, its ruthless, and it's a nice fake-out. Character development is certainly imminent. Following The Water Boy's death, Ocean Master pulls a Forrest Gump and goes for a walk, slowly but surely making his way to the sea. His journey brings him to a diner, where he turns his brutality on some fellow recently liberated villains. One quick costume change later and he marches on, leaving behind a woman he has rescued by slaying the other inmates. (Whether this was intentional or not I'll leave up to you.)
Just down the road, Orm comes across the house of the waitress who, with super speed, has arrived to her home ahead of Ocean Master and is setting a new record for the number of times a single person can be a damsel in less than an hour. As the world is turned upside down, will Orm save the woman? Can the rule of thirds be fulfilled? The answer is yes and no. The comic comes to an open ending with Ocean Master returning to his namesake, only to emerge moments later and race back to the woman's house.
This issue is conflicting.
Outside of Batman 23.2 we haven't really seen much of what villains are up to following the events of
Forever Evil 1. This issue occurred maybe 10 minutes into this wonderland for villains and wrong-doers. Sure, we saw Orm walk around and race off to do something exciting, with the final panel promising this is "not the end," but I expect that whatever comes after that final panel will be what all of these issues are about. Still, I have to say I enjoyed this comic the most of the Villains Month titles I have tried so far; it was a fun way to meet a villain and have some character moments.
Did you get to check out
Aquaman 23.2? What did you think? There's something to these less-established villains. Stay tuned to our Villains Month Spotlight to see who we explore next.
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