Why You Should Watch ‘Aquaman: King of Atlantis’
by Tito W. James
Aquaman: King of Atlantis is an HBO Max three episode mini-series that pits Aquaman and Princess Mera against monstrous creatures, devious foes, and mysteries of the deep! I initially skipped out on the series because DC’s animated adaptations for kids have largely been hit or miss. While there are some aspects of Aquaman: King of Atlantis that reflect Cartoon Network’s house-style, the creative adventures, colorful art, dynamic action scenes, and genuine fun won me over.
This version of Aquaman just seems like a chill dude who wants to be accepted by his fellow Atlanteans while Mera is a feisty girlfriend who’d rather punch her way through any problem. The relationship between Aquaman and Mera is genuinely sweet and some of the best moments in the show come from their familiarity with each other.
The creators clearly wanted to capture the looseness of storyboards in the final product so characters pop with exaggerated poses and facial expressions. Aquaman: King of Atlantis does the impossible and gives the lamest superhero some legitimately cool villains. I was shocked that the show entered the territory of body-horror by the second episode and was blown away by the fast-paced fights. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Aquaman: King of Atlantis and would be interested to see more episodes or other DC characters get animated mini-series.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis is now streaming (pun intended) on HBO Max.