In “Adventure Comics” #452 (by David Michelinie, Jim Aparo, and Jerry Serpe), Black Manta invades Atlantis and kidnaps Arthur Curry Jr. The villain traps the child in an air-filled device, knowing he can only breathe underwater. To save his son, Aquaman is forced into a grueling fight with his former protégé, Aqualad. Despite his best efforts, the comic ends with the death of Aquaman’s son. The tragic moment arrived during an era when comics were getting darker and more cynical. Four years earlier, Gwen Stacey was killed at the hands of Green Goblin, and before that, Green Lantern and Green Arrow were tackling serious issues like drug addiction and poverty.
Ultimately, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” forgoes the gut wrenching tragedy portrayed in the comics. The movie ends with Black Manta’s apparent death and an Atlantean victory; Arthur Jr. is reunited with his son, giving the film and the Curry family a happy ending. Seeing as how the film is the last entry in the tumultuous DCEU franchise, that may have been for the best.
