Welcome back to another edition of Comprehensive Reviews. Sorry for the delays in getting this article out, I just didn't have enough time. Anyway, this way we'll be taking a look at Black Manta to see if he's a sinker or a floater!

So whenever you're ready click, "Full Story" below to access the full review!

#ht076 R Black Manta Team: No Affiliation Range: 6 Points: 24

6 9 14 1

6 8 13 1

5 7 12 1

5 6 11 1

4 5 10 1

4 5 10 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Black Manta was among those released in the initial DC set, Hypertime. Many where pretty under whelmed with what he did for his cost. The aquatic movement ability was pretty well worthless at the time with very few maps that had a couple spaces of water terrain on them. Heck half the time Manta was restricted to swimming around in a fountain somewhere if we wanted to make use of his abilities.

His Rookie costs 24 points and has a 6 range. He doesn't have any TA. An interesting side note is that this pieces only earned 2 stars from people who have rated him in the units section. I think he may be a little more deserving than that, to be honest. He may not be the most comic accurate or even have a must play dial, but he does have a fairly deep dial for 24 points.

His movement is low starting with a 6 and working down to a 4. There's absolutely nothing going on there. His AV actually is pretty high considering he's an extremely cheap piece from Hypertime. He's got a starting 9 which works down to a 5 by the end. He's got a single click of incapacitate on the starting click. It's certainly not the most useful power with only 6 range single arrow, but at least it gives him the potential to do something considering there's a fairly large likelihood that he's not going to be doing any damage.

Defense is low as to be expected with a 14 to start and a 10 at the end. Damage is flat 1's.

So what about Black Manta would give him a chance of being greater than 2 stars in my book? Well first he'd probably only be 3 stars, but he makes a pretty great tie up piece. If your opponent burns a turn or two trying to kill him (thanks to the deeper dial) then he's probably earned his 24 points already. On top of that the AV isn't too bad to make use of the incapacitate on the first click. With a perplex or two you could be using Black Manta to help shut down one of those tent pole pieces. Finally there's always Mastermind Fodder. And with the extra clicks of life for the cost he's a pretty decent battery of life for a good mastermind piece.

#ht077 E Black Manta Team: Injustice League Range: 6 Points: 34

6 9 15 1

6 8 14 1

5 7 13 1

5 6 12 1

4 5 11 1

4 5 10 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

The Experienced is largely the same as the rookie with a 15 defense to start and the addition of the Injustice League TA. For 34 points.. Skip him! I’m not going to go into any more detail here!

#ht078 V Black Manta Team: No Affiliation Range: 6 Points: 38

6 9 16 1

6 9 15 1

5 8 14 1

5 7 13 1

4 6 12 1

4 5 11 1

4 4 10 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

The veteran Black Manta goes back to not having a team ability. He's 38 points and brings significantly more to the table than the previous versions. His dial is extended out by an extra click again putting him at a healthy 7 clicks of life.

His movement and damage are still in the toilet. He's got a starting 6 movement and an ending 4 movement. Damage is a consistent 1 down the dial. Still no powers on each of these.

Attack value still for the most part looks similar with a starting 9 and an ending 4. The extra click of life did give him an extra click of 9 AV however. He's also now got incapacitate for 3 clicks instead of 1. This does at least give him the potential to use the powers on his dial a bit more.

Defense is up to a respectable 16 to start. He works down to a 10 by the end of the dial. Overall the values aren't too bad considering his point cost. Toughness shows up on the first two clicks which will just help contribute to how annoying he'll end up being to your opponent. It definitely helps make your opponent have to commit some extra attackers to him to polish him off.

The strategies and tactics to use him are pretty well the same as the rookie was, so I won't go into too much detail here.

#AA049 V Black Manta Team: Injustice League Range: 6 Points: 68

8 10 17 2

8 9 16 2

7 9 15 2

7 9 15 2

6 9 14 2

6 8 14 1

6 8 14 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Damage - Pirate: Black Manta can use Perplex, but he can only target himself or characters that posses the dolphin/dolphin-transporter symbol.


Now there's the new Arkham Asylum Black Manta. He still is cheap compared to many pieces in this game at 68 points. He's still got a 6 range with single target, and he's once again got the Injustice League TA.

For movement he doesn't have the highest of numbers with a starting 8 and an ending 6, but they are at least better than we've seen previously. He still is an aquatic person, but that extra Circle behind the dolphin means.. He's a transporter! This gives him the added ability to move and attack as well as carry some allies into battle with him. He's also unique in the fact that he's one of the few single base transporters we have, but is further unique by being the only aquatic transporter in the game.

Attack value has a fairly strong showing with a 10 to start. By the end of his 7 click dial he's only worked down to an 8 which is a fairly respectable and healthy set of numbers. He's also got powers-a-plenty on that portion of the dial. He's got 2 clicks of psychic blast up front. This works great with his 2 damage, but even better with his special power. But I'll get to that in a minute or two. Super strength shows up on clicks 3 and 4. It's a pretty good thing to have super strength as at this point in the dial you're going to want to charge Black Manta into the closest opponent you can find. Hopefully along the way you can find an object and bring some extra punishment. The last 3 clicks offer Energy Explosion. It's something I guess. I've never liked it when we've only got a single arrow. However with 1 damage on 2 of the 3 clicks he's got it, you might as well use it and deal some extra splash damage if you can.

Defensively he's pretty strong too. He starts with a 17 and then works down to a 14 by the end of the dial. That's not too terrible. Toughness shows up on clicks 1 and 2. Combat Reflexes shows up on clicks 3-5. These are the clicks you're going to want to charge head first into combat. Try to find that object with your super strength and let the 17 defense in close combat be your crutch. It's a pretty sweet set of clicks that really do help Black Manta be a bit more survivable. The last two clicks offer willpower. It's always a good power, but by that late in the game it (at least to me) lacks a bit of utility, at least on Black Manta. He doesn't have too much going on at this point in the dial that's going to make me want to move a few turns in a row. But you never know.

Damage has improved pretty significantly with 2 damage for the first 5 clicks. 1 Damage shows up on the last 2 clicks. He does have a special ability, "Pirate." Pirate allows him to use perplex on himself only for the most part, however it does have the extra component of being able to be used on pieces that have the dolphin movement or the transporter dolphin symbol. However with nobody except Black Manta with the dolphin-transporter symbol, and no new clicks on the horizon, this leaves the pieces that Black Manta can perplex rather limited. But that's ok. The self perplex is always good, and in the case of Black Manta can be a bit of a pain to figure out what's best to use it on.

On click one you've got the options of giving him an 11 AV, or an 18 defense, or a 3 damage (which is even better since he's got psychic blast). Or you could pull a dirty trick that people don't seem to think of that often by perplexing up his range to 7. That can definitely catch some people off guard.

On click 3 you can use that perplex to bring his AV up to a 10, or his damage up to a 3 or once again get an 18 defense in close combat.

So the self perplex is going to be far from wasted! Make use of it, but assess the situation to see how it will be best used.


Thanks for joining me again this week! I hope you enjoyed the review, and I look forward to any comments you've got! If you've played Black Manta recently, let me know! I'd love to see how he did for ya!

I haven't used him yet, but new Manta looks awesome! He's no Zoom, or Ms. Marvel, but his self perplex gives him a nice boost, and a wide range of options.

Transporter move and attack for a 14 square swing with a 9AV
Psychic Blast with an 11 AV or 3 damage

I love that he's a capable taxi, that his shark has laser beams, and that he's a threat.

I also enjoy the E & V versions of the figure. 38 points for 7 clicks of life plus toughness make HT Manta a lovely tie up piece and Mastermind Fodder.

Whoops! Good catch.. Fixed the problem!

Yes I think the sharks with laser beams is a sweet touch.

As for the old ones, I think the R and V are the better of the two old ones. The Experienced version just doesn't offer too much for my sake. +1 def and injustice league aren't my cup of tea

I have played with the new one on a LOD team on the Harbor map and he was fantanstic! The old V was Mastermind fodder for the JL Luthor but this one was able to hold his own just fine. A great piece, especially if you have the Super Friends voice going through your head when your destroy Aquaman and his friends!

One thing to note with the new Black Adam is that he is one of three characters with the move and attack ability in conjunction with super strength (the other two being Experienced Sinister Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk LE from Mutations and Monsters).

What does this mean?

This means he's awesome, because slap unstoppable on him, and whenever he's given a move action (activating transporter move and attack) he can destroy a wall as a free action (and ignores hindering terrain on movement). The new modification to super strength means so long as his damage is greater than 0, he can destroy a wall without having to hold an object.

Fear the Manta.

I would also recommend the Society ATA on Black Manta, that way opponents will have trouble countering any of his powers (and abilities I believe).

I recommend trying him on an all Dolphin Squad. I played him once with JL "Young" Aquaman, Attuma, Aqualad, and Stingray (I don't remember for sure, though). All together, I was surprised at their effectiveness. Plus, more importantly, it was fun!

You mean Black Manta..


Yeah I never thought about attaching unstoppable on him to bust through a wall too. That's a particularly nasty tactic that I've never thought of! It certainly could make him a rather big surprise on some of the indoor maps!

I'm going to have to give this tactic a try soon!

Even better, it is a SHARK crashing through the wall! I just love the visual of a giant shark bursting through a wall in the local mall. Terror in the food court!

Sale on fishsticks at Arthur Treachers after the fight!

A shark with a fricken laser beam attached to its head.

I want to shake the hand of the person who designed that sculpt.

I have.

Truly, he is the best SR in Arkham. Because HE IS RIDING A FREAKING SHARK WITH A FREAKING LASER BEAM ATTACHED TO HIS HEAD.

I played him with Zoom, Major Disaster, and.......well I guess that last one didn't do as much as manta. Manta was rocking and rolling. As a secondary attacker, he was first string!!

Agreed. He's in his own category of awesome.

Other villains? They can't touch this.

(This is the kind of reason why I wish there weren't as strict of limits on repping people)

I used Black Manta recently. He's alright for his points. I think my opponent forgot that he's a Transporter, which would have been good if I actually made the roll for my move-and-attack!

To me, Black Manta represents the fundamental difference between DC and Marvel. DC can be downright silly, with talking apes and characters whose blades are so sharp they cut through time (yes, I'm referring to you, Persuader!). Even the concept of a shark ( ill-tempered sea bass?!?) with laser beams sticking out of it's head is to be expected.

I could not even imagine who could be nominated from the Marvel Universe to match Black Manta. Do I want to know?

Great review as always!!!