Starting off

Or...Why I think this cross over was utter crap. Beware, Spoilers.

There are two things that I will point to during this "review" of Throne of Atlantis story line. One will be a nit pick that doesn't matter. One will be a relatively serious discussion on the portrayal of characters. The first and nit-pickiest stems from Geoff Johns apparent dislike of the Justice League International.

In issue seven there is an one off line about the creation of the JLI, and how Batman wanted it dissolved, despite his own appearance in the JLI book, supporting the team, and Booster as leader. This is an easy continuity snarl, they happen, and can be rationalized away as Batman being Batman. (That is such an easy rationalization) The problem is during Throne of Atlantis, a member shows up, Vixen, not that it matters who exactly. Why a problem? Well she was paralyzed, there was this huge emotional trauma that she was never going to walk again, and it was a culmination of, along with several other tragedies, that led to the dissolution of the team. And in Throne of Atlantis she's up and fighting, and blah blah blah. I know that's nitpicky. But it annoys me.

The second issue I have, and the real crux of why I hate this, is the moronic treatment of Aquaman's brother, Orm. He's treated as a super villain. You ask, well why is that bad, wasn't he a super villain, he was Ocean Master, and plotted to kill Aquaman before. All very true. But this is New 52 universe. Where the continuity is wiped away. Here, we have a leader of a nation that was attacked. That's right, attacked.

Quick summation. Something happens on a navy ship, and bombs were dropped towards the ocean shore, which happened to be where Atlantis is. Well, the thing is, the Atlanian's are a bit afraid of the surface dwellers, and well over react. and Orm leads them to war on the surface world. That is what you need to remember about all of this. Orm is the leader of a scared people who were as they saw it, attacked. Hell, if Canada accidentally dropped bombs next to where you lived, you'd have every right to believe you were attacked.

Here's where it gets messy. Orm attacks in a way his people would, flood the hell out of Metropolis and Gotham. A lot of people die, which is apparently enough to make Orm into a Super Villain, instead of a leader conducting a war. (There is a difference) And when Aquaman convinces Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman to just let him talk to his brother, they do. But minutes later the Trinity pops down and goes, "No. He has men all around, he's going to attack." Which is at best moronic, at worst, horrible bloody writing. It's as if they want to fight instead of ending things peacefully, which is at least what Superman, and possibly Batman would prefer.

And when all this is done, after the battle, and we find out who caused the bombs to fall, and controlled monstrous creatures from the Trench, well he's taken care of. And Orm? Well the book treats him like a Super Villain, and carts him to jail. No deference to that he is the leader of a sovereign nation that was attacked. None that while he may have over reacted, it was not a "I will take over the world, Mwahahaha" action. In fact, when reason and logic is put forth to Orm, he does back down, and only becomes more violent when the Trinity show up to be all grand standing. All this was a way to alienate Aquaman from the surface world and force him into being King of Atlantis. And it was done like shit!