Aquaman 33: Sacrifice For The Kingdom

The Crown Comes Down, Finale

Story - Dan Abnett, Artist - Riccardo Federici, Breakdowns (16-20) - Rick Leonardi, Color - Sunny Gho, Lettering - Steve Wands, Cover - Stjepan Sejic, Assistant Editor - Dave Wielgosz, Editor - Alex Antone, Group Editor - Brian Cunningham

Initial Reactions

This title has been building to this moment for quite some time now.  At times, the arc seemed to drag, but the art and the political intrigue kept me invested.  We get a great payoff in this finale, and Arthur leads the revolution to a major victory.  This issue is action-packed, and we see all that makes Arthur Curry such a great character.

The Story

The issue opens with Mera, struggling to breathe because of a spell cast on her, in the care of the Widowhood.  We get some recap on what is going on.  Arthur is planning a raid on the Silent School (where magic is taught and housed) with the Undercurrent in order to take down the Crown of Thorns.  This is a spell that was cast over all of Atlantis preventing anyone from entering or leaving.  We turn the page, and we see a double splash page of Arthur and the Undercurrent beginning their raid.

The rebels seem to be making progress, as the Magister and his students are told to go to the inner sanctum and protect the source of the Crown of Thorns.  The rebels take a blow when they lose one of their animals.  Jurok, another leader of the resistance vows revenge because of this loss.  Jurok is shot, and Dolphin, who has been by Aquaman's side throughout the arc, takes out the shooter, saving his life.

Meanwhile, Aquaman is heading to the inner sanctum by himself.  With the magic of his trident, Arthur makes it to the source of the Crown of Thorns.  He is greeted with the last line of defense, Magister Loke and his acolytes.  It appears they have the situation under control.  At the same time, Corum Rath (the current king of Atlantis) receives an update from Murk, his military leader.  Rath is assured that the situation is under control.  This seems to be true, as Aquaman is still alone against all the magic of the Silent School. 

Just when all seems lost, the gangs of the Ninth Tride (who previously denied Arthur's request for alliance) appear on the scene.  They have clearly reconsidered, and this allows our hero to gain the upper hand.  In a beautiful page, Arthur strikes the source of the Crown of Thorns, and we see that he successfully took it down.  Atlantis is free from this oppression!  Like the best of kings, Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life for the freedom of his people.

The story shifts back to the Tower of the Widowhood, where Mera is still suffering.  Their order intends to bring Mera forth as the new Queen of Atlantis, even though she is from Xebel.  There is only one problem, she is still dying.  Arthur rushes her to Amnesty Bay, so that she can heal under the care of his sister Tula.  The two share one last kiss on the shore, and Arthur dives back into the water to finish the job his resistance started.  He must take down the tyrant king Corum Rath!

Final Thoughts

I really liked this issue!  This issue caps off an epic arc where we see Aquaman sacrificing everything, including the possibility of his life, for Atlantis.  Arthur is unflinching in his pursuit of justice for the people who rejected him as king.  He doesn't do any of this to regain the crown, in fact, his victory means his fiance Mera will become queen and assume the throne.

This is similar to the story of Jesus, who though He was rejected by the religious leaders of the time, still gave His life for all of humanity.  There are many who still reject Him, but this would not stop God's love for us.  Jesus would complete the sacrifice and free us from our oppression of sin, death, and the devil.

What did you think of this issue?  If you were Arthur, would you have made the same sacrifices for those you care about?  Were his actions justified?

I would love to discuss this issue and the questions they raise.  Feel free to leave a comment, like Behind the Capes on Facebook, or follow the blog on Twitter @behindthecapes!  

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