Black Manta only lives for one thing and that's to kill Aquaman who he blames for the death of his farther, so what does he do now that Aquman is dead (allegedly) killed at the hands of the Crime Syndicate. Well that's one of the questions asked in this villains story line, one that ties in directly to the Forever Evil event.
Manta is languishing in Belle Reve super maximum prison been proportioned by Amanda Waller (steady now), she wants him to join her Suicide Squad a team he is not too keen to join for several reason (the word Suicide would put me off). Manta is having none of it as he is clever enough to know there is no return from the Suicide Squad, and that any promise of early release and pardons are just empty words.
The prison is attacked by the Crime Syndicate causing mass chaos and releasing all the prisoners leaving Manta free to get his tech gear and escape, but not before bumping into Ocean Master Aquamans other adversary while doing so. The pair never speak they just look at each other then go their own way, a nice touch I thought.
Once on the outside Manta attends the Crime Syndicates first appearance where he learns of the apparent fate of Aquaman and the Justice League, as Aquaman's trident, Supermans cape and Wonder Woman's lasso is throw to the baying crowed as proof of their deaths. However rather than take up their offer of an alliance for world domination, Mantra walks away from the Crime Syndicate carrying Aquamans trident.
The focus for his rage is now dead and as he sits on his farther grave telling him its over Manta is preparing to hang up his helmet, but as fate has it (always does in comics) Ultra Man is moving the moon to block the rays of the sun, which seemingly have the opposite effect on him to what they do on Superman. An action that effects the tides and creates a tsunami that destroys and washes away his fathers grave right before his eyes, an act which leaves Black Manta with a new focus for his anger and rage.
The story is plotted by Geoff Johns & Tony Bedard with words by Tony Bedard and helps give the reader a small incite into the mind of Black Manta, and confirm what I have always suspected with the character that his hatred for Aquaman is not driven revenge alone. Manta needs to hate something to live without hate he is nothing and no one, its a credit to John's that he has taken a second string characters and now turned him into one of DC most dangerous and interesting villains.
The story is worth picking up as it ties into Forever Evil directly although there are a few scenes that you will have seen already in Forever Evil 1 but now shown from Mantas perspective, the artwork by Clude St AUBIN is excellent as is the colouring by Blond?
The 3D cover is also top notch and defiantly one of the better ones that I have seen so far, not as good as the Swamp Thing cover but definitely well done.
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