Son of the Manta: Aqualad Appreciation 2019

[Frontier]

Yep. That's the costume she wore when she was avenging her murdered therapist in the original run.

It looks so much like Emiko's costume that it took me a minute to recognize her .

[Ascended]

I'm here for this! say what you want about Bendis, I feel he does a good job making the world feel more interconnected and playing with newer/smaller fan-favorite characters.

Wait wait wait.

Are we getting Arrowette, Aqualad, *AND* Sideways in Young Justice?

Oh hells yeah. That makes me so gods damn happy I don't even know what to type! I was really hoping Sideways would find a home after his book ended.....here's hoping YJ becomes it.

Do we know if this is just a guest appearance type thing, or are they joining full time?

[HandofPrometheus]

I'm here for this! say what you want about Bendis, I feel he does a good job making the world feel more interconnected and playing with newer/smaller fan-favorite characters.

Agreed. I'm not reading much from him at the moment but he does make his stories connect to the DCU from refrences and story elements.

Woah, both Jackson and Derek! Cool! Wonder how that'll go? And I love how Aqualad is centerpieced in that image!

Love it too! He's the one that stands out the most.

Wait wait wait.

Are we getting Arrowette, Aqualad, *AND* Sideways in Young Justice?

Oh hells yeah. That makes me so gods damn happy I don't even know what to type! I was really hoping Sideways would find a home after his book ended.....here's hoping YJ becomes it.

Do we know if this is just a guest appearance type thing, or are they joining full time?

Not to familiar with Arrowette or Sideways but the fans are happy so that's good.

We don't know if full time HOWEVER, Bendis did say that the Wonder imprint would be expanding more so who knows where this goes.

[HandofPrometheus]

Aqualad will be appearing in AQUAMAN GIANT #2 with a new original story: DC assistant editor Dave Wielgosz will be moonlighting as a comics writer for a 8-page Aqualad vs. Electrocutioner short with artists Jose Luis and Adriano di Benedetto.




We getting art from the one and only José Luis García-López???

[HunterX]

Yep. That's the costume she wore when she was avenging her murdered therapist in the original run.

What? tell me more

[Ascended]

Not to familiar with Arrowette or Sideways but the fans are happy so that's good.

We don't know if full time HOWEVER, Bendis did say that the Wonder imprint would be expanding more so who knows where this goes.

If it means these characters get used somewhere, I'm cool with whatever it is.

Arrowette is.....she's interesting. I won't spoil it for you. Worth a Google. Sideways is from that post-Metal New Age of Heroes imprint, and he's basically teleporting Peter Parker, except he's always dealing with crazy Kirby-style cosmic forces. The "Watcher" rip off who's tying all those Dark Multiverse one-shots (Death of Superman, Knightfall, etc) together first appeared in Sideways, and if the kid is showing up in YJ it might be that DC has plans for him. Might maybe be a character to keep an eye on next year?

.....and I wish comic book Kaldur would cut the hair. He looks way better with the buzz cut. Just sayin.

[J. D. Guy]

.....and I wish comic book Kaldur would cut the hair. He looks way better with the buzz cut. Just sayin.

I disagree. Buzz cuts, while cool in their own right, tend to be generic go-to styles for males. I loved Brightest Day-Jackson's dreds/thick braids, and I am happy they are finally back in some forms. They look good and are distinguishably unique.

[lemonpeace]

I disagree. Buzz cuts, while cool in their own right, tend to be generic go-to styles for males. I loved Brightest Day-Jackson's dreds/thick braids, and I am happy they are finally back in some forms. They look good and are distinguishably unique.

I concur, it's nice to see black characters with distinct hairstyles. the low cut is so cookie cutter, when they put Duke Thomas and Jefferson Pierce in together in Bryan Hill's Outsiders prelude in 'Tec they were so non-distinct that the color artist mixed up who was taking and they had to fix it in trade. we need more dynamic character designs like Jackson's new do in DC to make their black male characters feel more distinguished and idiosyncratic; among other things to help flesh out better then they have.

[Psycwave]

I was honestly never a huge fan of the dreads but they've grown on me considerably. I do detest how some artists depict them but that'll always be a style grievance to endure.
I love that they made the dreads blonde at least. I think it's a great compromise to his two looks.

[HandofPrometheus]

I'm fine with the dreads (I do love Aqualad without them though) but the current artist draws them hideously! Some artist really need to look up black hairstyles in google images or browse around for templates that aren't buzzcuts or caesars.

[Ascended]

I disagree. Buzz cuts, while cool in their own right, tend to be generic go-to styles for males. I loved Brightest Day-Jackson's dreds/thick braids, and I am happy they are finally back in some forms. They look good and are distinguishably unique.

Yeah, because dreads aren't a cookie cutter black male look?

I mean, it's not a big deal or anything, and you're right that the buzz cut is so generic it hurts. But that white-blond hair color made it stand out. I mean, if nothing else it was more unique than the black dreads he started with in the comics. Black people with white hair isn't new but Kaldur still rocked that look.

I'm warming up to the blond dreads though. Seems like DC is just stealing Michael B Jordan's look from Black Panther, and I'm totally cool with that. But the art hasn't sold me on it yet.

[Agent Z]

An idea I have for an Aquafamily series revolves around Jackson Hyde, Lorena Marquez, Koryak, Miya Shimada and Neptune Perkins as living in a community of Atlantian human hybrids.

[J. D. Guy]

Yeah, because dreads aren't a cookie cutter black male look?

I mean, it's not a big deal or anything, and you're right that the buzz cut is so generic it hurts. But that white-blond hair color made it stand out. I mean, if nothing else it was more unique than the black dreads he started with in the comics. Black people with white hair isn't new but Kaldur still rocked that look.

I'm warming up to the blond dreads though. Seems like DC is just stealing Michael B Jordan's look from Black Panther, and I'm totally cool with that. But the art hasn't sold me on it yet.

Compared to buzz-cuts and fades as far as DC and also Marvel are concerned? No, not really. Dreads and braids -- and note that these can take many permutations, such as thick dreads, thick braids (not dreadlocks but actual braided hair), short dreads/short matts, including like Jackson's current style, which is like an undercut but with dread tendrils styled on top of the head -- are comparitvely not used in modern mainstream comics despite the style being enough of a thing in real life for them to. Again, there are many styles and combo of styles to boot.

So no, I'd say that dreads and braids for Black guys aren't cookie-cutter this day and age in DC/Marvel.

[J. D. Guy]

An idea I have for an Aquafamily series revolves around Jackson Hyde, Lorena Marquez, Koryak, Miya Shimada and Neptune Perkins as living in a community of Atlantian human hybrids.

Would be cool and fun!

[Agent Z]

Would be cool and fun!

Thank you.