1x06 Paradise Lost (1)

[7.6/10] Cool concept in this one. Aquaman isn’t exactly likable here, but he’s comprehensible, which is the sign of a good character. The citizens of Atlantis (or at least a loud contingent of them) thinks he’s gone too far in acquiescing to the surface-dwellers, while those surface-dwellers believe he’s gone too far in interfering with their affairs and making demands of him. It’s interesting to see him squeezed between those two positions, with even dissent among the Justice League as to how to approach him.

Meanwhile, you have the personal side of things, where he is both a king and a leader and wants to be treated as such by regular humans and League-members alike, but he’s also a husband and a father, worried about what kind of world he’s leaving for his child. He’s pretty clearly a jerk, particularly for slamming that guy’s car and punching out Green Lantern, but he’s in a unique and challenging position, which makes him compelling as a player who doesn’t fit neatly on the good/evil scale. I like this depiction of him much better than his cup of coffee in “A Fish Story” from Superman: The Animated Series (which this episode makes the subtlest of references to).

The one thing I didn’t care for in this one is that “The Enemy Below” telegraphed its twist a little too plainly. Maybe I’ve just seen too many superhero stories and other genre works in the same vein, but it seemed pretty obvious from the second that an assassin went after Aquaman that it was a coup attempt from hardliners in Atlantis. The reveal that it’s his brother Orm trying to depose him, presumably using the plutonium from the nuclear sub to threaten the surface, felt too obvious to be terribly interesting.

Still, it’s cool to have Deadshot be the hired assassin who’s after him, working in another piece of the DCAU cast of characters into the show in a natural way. I also enjoyed the scheme to smoke the assassin out, with Martian Mnahunter masquerading as Aquaman while the League keeps their eyes peeled. Likewise, it’s always nice to have Batman back in the fold, and his interrogation technique and smart idea that the King of Atlantis needs saltwater makes him a welcome addition.

Overall, the most interesting element of this episode is Aquaman, a leader pulled by multiple forces both politically and personally. The conspiracy plot around him isn’t nearly as interesting, but for a character who’s become kind of a joke in popular culture, it’s cool to see such a layered and compelling take on him.