Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick Reading Order

This reading order is designed to give an outline of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s time writing Aquaman for DC Comics. It attempts to find the best way to showcase the narrative that stretches through this author’s time with the character.

This essentially goes along with the New Justice era of Aquaman’s history (Reading Order). So, if you’re interested in learning more about this narrative or just want a Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick reading order, read on to discover more.

What to Read Before Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick takes place almost immediately after Aquaman by Dan Abnett (Reading Order). Writer Dan Abnett spent a significant amount of time with the Aquaman characters and world, introducing a number of significant status quo changes. All of these changes are then present as the basis for the start of DeConnick’s run. So, to come into this run with a full understanding of what is going on, we suggest reading the full Dan Abnett run first. If you only want a brief picture of the status quo changes at the end of that run, you can check out the Aquaman/Suicide Squad: Sink Atlantis (Reading Order) event, which was the last major arc from that run.

You can come into this run without reading anything first. Most of the status quo changes are explained either through narration or dialog pretty early on. It just helps to have some background first.

Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick Reading Order

Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick’s time with Aquaman starts with Aquaman #43. From there, it proceeds through the Aquaman series all the way to Aquaman #65. This entire run is relatively self-contained, so you don’t need to know much about things that take place in other corners of the DC Universe, and is straightforward and consistent, without many disruptions or significant writing changes.

Overall, to read this run and experience a solid Aquaman storyline, you essentially just read from Aquaman #43 to Aquaman #65. Just note that this includes an annual, Aquaman Annual #2, and a few issues that DeConnick didn’t write, which we explain in the notes below.

Notes

1. This issue is not written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. However, it does center around Aquaman (Reading Order) and Mera (Reading Order) in a way that is relevant to the current storyline. So, it fits in well here and we'd generally suggest reading it.
2. These issues are also not written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. They shift the focus from Aquaman and Mera to Jackson Hyde for a story that places the spotlight almost entirely on him. So, you can check these issues out if you're interested in his story or you can skip them if you're only interested in the main narrative.

What to Read After Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick

After DeConnick's time with Aquaman, several of the characters appear in Aquaman #65 as part of the Justice League: Endless Winter (Reading Order) event. This essentially gives a quick peek at what is going on with Aquaman and Atlantis in the wake of what happened in Aquaman #64.

Later on, most of the characters reappear in the Aquaman: The Becoming series. This is the next major appearance of most of these characters.

Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick Reading Order FAQ

Is Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick Good?

I really enjoyed the Aquaman series by Kelly Sue DeConnick. The story was entertaining and the character growth for Aquaman and Mera was great to see. It also builds and adds on to everything that was already built and added by the Aquaman by Dan Abnett run (Reading Order). Finally, it is worth noting that the series is consistent and avoids disruptions from other DC events the whole way through, so it makes for a solid read on its own.

When does Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick Take Place?

Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick takes place across the New Justice era of DC Comics history and follows along with Aquaman's adventures in this era (Reading Order). This generally means that it takes place after the events of Dark Nights: Metal (Reading Order) but mostly before the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal (Reading Order).

Is Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick in a Separate Continuity?

No, all of these stories take place in the main DC Comics continuity. Specifically, they take place in the New Justice era of DC history.