Ocean Master – Year of the Villain #1
DC Comics
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Miguel Mendonca
Unlike many villains, Ocean Master holds a very unique position in the DC Universe. He maintains a very strict continuity. Thawne might pop in and out of the multiverse. Lex Luthor might go back and forth from hero to villain. Everyone has a completely different interpretation of the Joker. But everyone’s favorite former king of Atlantis continues his story started in the New 52. With such a sparingly told story for such a great villain, there are high expectations for this issue.
While many remember Orm fondly from his character-defining breakout in Throne of Atlantis, many question his decisions during Abnett’s Mera mini-series. Instead of staying with his family, Orm prioritized his need for power. And while that series seemed like a step in the wrong direction, Waters does a great job of creating a complex and faithful interpretation of Ocean Master.
While Orm is certainly a power hungry maniac in this issue, he genuinely cares about the family he’s made on the surface. However, he can’t understand that his wife’s goals are separate from his own. I like this broken family dynamic. Orm still loves and cares for his family, but he’s not a perfect husband or father. He constantly has to balance his self-prescribed duty to the ocean with his surface family. There’s not a clear distinction from Orm’s obsessive desire to rule and his genuine helpfulness.
I also enjoyed Orm’s journey to Dagon. Seeing Orm wallow among the poorest of Atlantis after his exile is a fitting start to his rise to power. As the issue continues along, Orm befriends members of Atlantis’ most poor and eventually forms his own city consisting of these outcasts. I love that while he was once a representation of Atlantis’ most elite, now he is a champion for its rejects.
However, this issue really has nothing to do with Year of the Villain. And honestly, that’s probably a good thing. The best tie in issues are those that use the space to continue their own story. Take the Flash issue of Future’s End for example. While Apex-Lex does make an appearance in this issue, this story really has nothing to do with his newfound Perpetua-complex. Instead, this issue furthers Orm’s story from his latest appearance in Mera and sets up his inclusion in the main Aquaman book. And man, I can’t wait to see Arthur and Orm finally square off after so many years.
If you’re reading this book because you want to further the story of Year of the Villain, you’re probably not going to care for this issue. But if you’re a fan of Orm and want to see the next step of his story, this issue doesn’t disappoint. It’s a well-told next-step in Ocean Master’s story.
