The saga of Arthur Curry continues to spiral into uncharted territory in Aquaman #2, part of the “All In” initiative. Following the shocking disappearance of Atlantis, Arthur is no longer just a king without a kingdom—he is a man adrift in a surreal, hostile dimension known as The Blue. This issue, titled “Rising Tide: Part Two,” pushes Arthur to the brink as he faces ancient myths and unsettling prophecies.
Into the Unknown
The story picks up exactly where the first issue left off. Arthur has stepped through a mysterious gate marked with an Omega symbol, a chilling callback to Darkseid that Arthur chooses to ignore for now in his desperate search for Mera and his daughter. He finds himself in a desolate, watery wasteland—a place that feels like a mirage made of flotsam and jetsam.
His arrival does not go unnoticed. He is immediately confronted by Grindylows, mythological underwater creatures known for luring victims to their deaths. These beasts serve a mysterious “Mistress” and are desperate to harvest the water Arthur carries within him.
The Power of the Blue
Without his trident, Arthur is forced to rely on his newly acquired hydrokinetic powers—a swap he recently made with Mera. He successfully fends off the Grindylows by manipulating the moisture in the surrounding mud, proving that even in a foreign land, he is a formidable force.
One of the defeated creatures leads him to their leader: Jenny Greenteeth. Jenny explains the dire state of this realm. She speaks of “The Blue,” a cosmic force that connects all water across dimensions and the cosmos. However, “The Blue” has stopped “singing,” causing a drought that has forced the inhabitants to harvest water from living beings—including the blood of those they capture.
A Legend Reborn
Jenny Greenteeth ensnares Arthur in “strangle-weed,” a plant that acts like steel chains, pulling him into a cistern to be bled. In this “Land of the Dead,” Arthur finds he is not the only prisoner. Beside him is a withered, elderly man who has been bled for what feels like an eternity.
In a stunning revelation, the old man recognizes Arthur’s struggle to move water and urges him to focus on the water within his own blood. As they break free, the old man reintroduces himself: he is Arion, the legendary Sorcerer-King and founder of Atlantis. Arion explains that Jenny Greenteeth is a parasitic aberration that must be destroyed.
The Prophecy of the Dark Tide
Refusing to flee, Arthur confronts Jenny. As he battles her, he begins to tap into a deeper, more primal power. He doesn’t just move water; he commands it with a ferocity that terrifies his enemy. Jenny recognizes him not as a savior, but as the fulfillment of a dark prophecy: The Dark Tide.
Arthur realizes Jenny is being sustained by a parasitic infection, which he forcibly pulls from her body, effectively “freeing” her while destroying the evil. As she dies, Jenny’s final words are a warning: “Dagon lives.” She proclaims Arthur as the “vessel to be filled” and the “New God” who has come to the Blue.
The Quest Continues
The issue concludes with Arthur and Arion standing amidst the ruins of the Blue. While Arthur has survived his first major trial in this dimension, the scale of the threat is now clear. Atlantis wasn’t just moved; it was taken to serve as part of a much larger, darker cosmic game. The prophecy of the “Dark Tide” suggests that Arthur’s journey to save his family might transform him into something the world has never seen before.
