Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Aquaman

I wouldn't know about that, I'm afraid... after Drivel Bore, my interest in things Marvel has dwindled to next to nothing. Everything I needed to know about THAT mess was neatly summed up on the text page starting SHE-HULK #17.

Not even Butch's art could get me to buy into WWH. Marvel's got a really bad penchant for putting artists I love on stuff I refuse to buy, like Greg Land or Pascal Ferry on their respective Ultimate titles.

Bumping this because I've got Aquaman on the brain.

So Aquaman has always been my least favorite DC icon. Among other things, he's the one DC icon whose Marvel counterpart, Namor, actually pre-dates him. The only time I ever liked Aquaman was during Peter David's mid-to-late-90s run, and even that declined long before PAD left the book. It wasn't Orin himself that I found interesting so much as the Namor-esque bad attitude that PAD grafted onto him and the rich mythos and supporting cast (in particular, I think Aquaman's long-living sorceror dad, Atlan, was an awesome character.)

What this is all leading to is that I recently re-read The Atlantis Chronicles and the first 25 issues of PAD's run and enjoyed them immensely, and it's actually got me semi-excited for one of DC's relaunches, Aquaman by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Now, I'll give the first issue a fair chance, because there is such raw potential and because Reis is one of my favorite artists, but if Johns serves up his usual fetid brew of gore and creepiness, I'll drop it so fast it'll make his head spin.

Anyhow, that's just my two cents.

Anybody else looking forward to the Aquaman relaunch?

I am too, and my thoughts mirror your own almost exactly!

I wouldn't mind seeing some of his supporting cast from PAD's run return (which DC stupidly and typically killed off piecemeal over the years).

I hope Johns is smart enough to keep the more complex origin PAD gave Orin. (I know Loeb tried to ignore it once but that's typical for him).

Aquaman is the only other book besides Legion I plan on buying without a first glance.

I've been following his "Brightest Day" adventures vicariously through the Aquaman Shrine blog, so it seems like we should be getting a solid book from that team.

Now Fanfic Lady has me a bit hesitant with the "gore and creepiness" comment, but I still plan on picking it up.

I became a big fan with the camo costume miniseries, and it's good to see him retaking a prominent role in the DC Universe.

I think that's actually the last time I liked Aquaman, too!

I'm a total heretic, I'd like Aquaman better if he had water manipulating powers, like the Teen Titans cartoon version of Aqualad, or the Smallville 'AC.' Just being kinda strong and tough on land isn't as sexy as it was before movies like Blade and The Matrix.

I had planned to get the next AQ series, since I've gotten them all since right after the camo series, but I'm just not feeling it. it's on my pull for a one issue tryout though.

This solicitation seems to confirm my worst fears.

Sheesh! That does sound pretty terrible!

And to think I used to like Johns!

Still...some of his early Green Lantern stuff holds up pretty well...

Yeah, Johns had kind of an initial appeal to me, but after the fifth or sixth decapitation, his stuff really just started to turn me off.

Blecchh! I hope the book is better than the blurb, but I'm not sure I will spend money on it. I too love Aquaman, because I woke up at 3AM for the premiere of Super Friends in 1973 (I was in 1st grade), and I thought AQ held his own in that first series. The failure of AQ series reflects the stunning laziness and lack of creativity in comics. The visuals should be stunning, but almost never are. Sample a few years of Nat Geo, for Pete's sake: arctic glaciers, antarctic ice sheets and icebergs, underwater volcanoes, wall reefs, atols, trenches, cyclones, tsunamis, not to mention an ancient, advanced underwater civilization. Add in some waterfalls, dams, rushing rapids, salt lakes, great lakes, sewers. It's just a damn shame more hasn't been done. The character has a great backstory, give him an interesting personality and unleash him, and your art team, on 7/10ths of the planet's surface.

I may just turn that into my new signature.

I'm kind of afraid to ask for the master list of everyone who's now wandering the DC universe without a head.

If someone tried to make that list, their computer would explode.

Agreed completely.

I don't know, guys. I think there's creators who want to do their best who are hamstrung by editorial. From what I've read on the web, it seems like that was the situation PAD ran into post-Aquaman #25, and that's why the rest of his run was so inferior to what came before.

It's a big plus for me that Geoff's got Ivan Reis onboard on the artistic side. One of the highlights of Brightest Day is Reis's rendition of our pal Arthur. It's absolutely gorgeous! Reis has the imagination and a history with Geoff, so I hope geoff is smart enough to exploit Reis's talent and give him plenty of breathtaking things to draw!

That's what I was hoping too, Lardy, until I read that solicitation. But I'll allow the possibility that I'm writing it off prematurely. I think whether or not I read it will depend on what you and the other LWers post about it.

I'm exactly like FL. I have high hopes, but the solicits cause me worry that we're going to get the crappy Geoff rather than the good one.

The major thing this has going for it, for me, is Johns' apparent love for Mera. Her return to prominence on BLACKEST NIGHT was a highlight for me and many many years overdue.

I don't think I had this on my Sept. pull-list but I may check it out anyway.

I recall Johns' run on HAWKMAN didn't light my fire though...

God, that\'s beautiful!

Shame about the writer.

Even though Green Lantern #1 was pretty good, I have to admit I was starting to really have my doubts about Geoff Johns. (Some LW posters just went ‘yeah, duh’). But Aquaman #1 made me sit up, take notice and lay those doubts aside. Johns has still got it when he wants to show it, and he showed it in Aquaman. This was by far his best effort of the DCnU relaunch, and of course the amazing artwork by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado helped put things over the top.

I’m a long time fan of Aquaman but I realized like DC did that *something* needed to be done to get the franchise back on track. Here, in #1, Johns does that something by presenting a strong, well-written Aquaman story that shows the superhero is (A) a true, classic, iconic superhero and (B) a total badass. The two blend perfectly together and never once cross into cliché or ‘forced’ territory and I was totally impressed by how well Aquaman is presented. He doesn’t quite have a chip on his shoulder, but he doesn’t take shit from anyone; he’s doesn’t need anyone’s approval, worship or friendship because he’s doing what he knows is right; he’s a true superhero.

Johns is able to give us a strong action sequence to start and then spend the rest of the issue explaining to new readers that “this is the new status quo of Aquaman” in terms of shedding off the jokes of talking to fish and needing a glass of water. But on top of all that, he also gives us a fantastic scene with Mera, hints at a much larger Atlantis-related plot that will certainly come to the forefront and introduce a new threat that will play out in coming issues that is both horrifying and ripe with potential. That’s quite a bit for a first issue!

The artwork by Ivan Reis, aided and abetted by Joe Prado, is truly fantastic. Reis does a great job at giving his characters an iconic look and never moreso than here with Aquaman. Prado adds a strong, clear line to it to understate the ‘oomph’ of each page, and colorist Rod Reis does a great job adding one more layer to it (especially how the scales of his costume sparkle and glisten).

I can’t wait for Johns to delve into Aquaman’s rich history, as well as get a chance to explore the vast opportunity the franchise presents in storytelling. It’s obvious the creative team loves the character and are taking very seriously the job of reestablishing him as a true icon among DC’s line. If anyone could do it, even I have to admit its Geoff Johns.

I’m really impressed. Definitely enjoyed it more than JL #1 and place it among the upper echelon of DCnU comics.

Thumbs up for Aquaman from me as well. Johns did a great job of covering a lot of the baggage in a short space, dispensing with it, establishing Aquaman's character and setting the scene for the future. You get such a combination of world weariness and noblesse oblige from him; he's tired of being an outsider and an object of ridicule, yet he behaves like a true hero and is polite to everyone, even the most annoying and insulting.

Aquaman's going to be an unwilling ocean hero when the threat from the deep emerges, which should provide some good emotional conflict. Are his powers fully established? I was surprised (and impressed) to see him fend off those bullets.

Best Aquaman comic in a long long time. Some great moments in this book. From the glass of water thing, to the lunch order and conversation that followed.

Glad there is an artist good enough to pull off the 'looks' that Aquaman gave people in this book.

I'm on board for the first arc at least.

Johns pulled off a hat-trick here and has given AQUAMAN fans a book FOR Aquaman fans. He's doing what he is best at, pandering to those fans.

And I love him best when he is pandering to me.

Art was beyond excellent. Johns' HAWKMAN was only so-so but AQUAMAN feels like it's going to kick some undersea ass.