Aquaman Appreciation 2019

[Frontier]

And an awesome piece from Stepan Sejic! Might have to make this one my new phone screensaver.

Glad he seems to be enjoying the Mera book .

[ChrisG]

Not only Wally........ but also Mera!!! at Dc they have gone insane? what a shame

[Psycwave]

Today's issue read a loooot quicker than any of the past issues, imo. Not too much to go on as it's really all about Arthur getting his memories back as a small retelling of his history. I guess they figured to use these two issues as a catch up before we get back to Atlantis and all that good stuff in 50. Which, now that I know what's coming, I'm ready to just get there and move past this.

[ChrisG]

Today's issue read a loooot quicker than any of the past issues, imo. Not too much to go on as it's really all about Arthur getting his memories back as a small retelling of his history. I guess they figured to use these two issues as a catch up before we get back to Atlantis and all that good stuff in 50. Which, now that I know what's coming, I'm ready to just get there and move past this.

he doesn't go Atlantis in issue 50 but Amnesty bay, one who has been separated from his love for all this time would go to her first, even just to tell her he's alive, instead he doesn't because she.....

[Last Son of Krypton]

Interview - KELLY SUE DECONNICK Starts AQUAMAN on His Path Home - And Toward #50: https://www.newsarama.com/45185-kell...quaman-48.html

[ChrisG]

Interview - KELLY SUE DECONNICK Starts AQUAMAN on His Path Home - And Toward #50: https://www.newsarama.com/45185-kell...quaman-48.html

she intends to keep off Atlantis even further - so much for being the King of the Seas.
What she gets wrong in this interview was about the new readers coming in thanks to the movie, as matter of fact she lost readers not gained.

[Psycwave]

he doesn't go Atlantis in issue 50 but Amnesty bay, one who has been separated from his love for all this time would go to her first, even just to tell her he's alive, instead he doesn't because she.....

Ooooh idk why I thought we were going back to Atlantis but I’m here for more Amnesty bay as well. The stuff there was some of my favorite parts of Johns and Parker’s runs! Can’t wait to catch up with that crew.

Interview - KELLY SUE DECONNICK Starts AQUAMAN on His Path Home - And Toward #50: https://www.newsarama.com/45185-kell...quaman-48.html

I actually really love this interview. And glad Jackson is becoming a main part of the Amnesty cast. It’ll be good for him to lay down some hometown roots. Mera’s got a plan. Gotta love the Queen of the Seven Seas!

[ChrisG]

Ooooh idk why I thought we were going back to Atlantis but I’m here for more Amnesty bay as well. The stuff there was some of my favorite parts of Johns and Parker’s runs! Can’t wait to catch up with that crew.



I actually really love this interview. And glad Jackson is becoming a main part of the Amnesty cast. It’ll be good for him to lay down some hometown roots. Mera’s got a plan. Gotta love the Queen of the Seven Seas!

I liked Johns and Parker run's with Arthur and Mera together in Amnesty Bay.

KSD still intends in Keeping Mera and Arthur separated, which will do the book no good. The two together make it work, they are the backbone of the entire story, no Jackson or Black Manta etc can make up for that. This separation has lasted too long!!!

[Flash Gordon]

DeConnick: Mera is under pressure to choose - she has to name a king. She’s queen of Atlantis and she has to name a king. Because of Arthur’s history with the kingship, they’re not real excited to have him as regent. So she’s in a little bit of a bind.

I can not pass hard enough on that.

[ChrisG]

I can not pass hard enough on that.

thats peanuts, from today Mera could be the new Wally!!

[Robanker]

I mean it's a cliffhanger. The whole point is to generate interest in the next issue. For all we know, Mother Shark is telling Arthur Mera is his murderer because something she caused created a circumstance for Arthur to die. Who knows? So far Wally West this isn't. She didn't rearrange bodies to frame Garth in order to keep people off her trail so she can revive someone else's girlfriend and post a vlog.

Mera is under pressure to choose - she has to name a king. She’s queen of Atlantis and she has to name a king. Because of Arthur’s history with the kingship, they’re not real excited to have him as regent. So she’s in a little bit of a bind.

Mera’s not someone who needs to be saved. Mera’s really strong-willed. She’ll get it worked out. She’s got a plan.

Nrama: The whole idea of her choosing a regent reminds me of true-life stories of kings and queens of old.

DeConnick: The Odyssey is the one that I think of. In fact, in Aquaman #50, you actually see her reading The Odyssey. It’s my not-so-subtle “please trust me/don’t freak out” kind of message to the readership.

I posted her comments in full so we wouldn't continue an unwarranted circlejerk. This is key. It could very well be that you're right (I hope not) and that she's going to split Arthur and Mera, but it sounds more like Mera is going to manipulate Atlantis to get what she wants, which is Arthur.


If I'm wrong, it sucks, but they'll be back eventually. The Johns/Parker stuff was very popular, was was the movie.

ChrisG, I get and love your passion for the characters, but you're turning an APPRECIATION thread into something where you go to actively HATE on something. Instead of doomsaying, which you've done ad nauseum, post some pages, moments or art that you really love about the character. Go back, rediscover what you love, and revel in it. Or don't, I really have no control or say over anyone but myself, but please don't cut snippets from an interview you clearly didn't complete to fit a narrative. At least from her intentions shown thus far, KSD is trying to build Arthur and Mera as very important to one another that fate is trying to pull apart. I like to think they're stronger than that, and given that interview, I'm not so sure KSD disagrees.

[ChrisG]

I mean it's a cliffhanger. The whole point is to generate interest in the next issue. For all we know, Mother Shark is telling Arthur Mera is his murderer because something she caused created a circumstance for Arthur to die. Who knows? So far Wally West this isn't. She didn't rearrange bodies to frame Garth in order to keep people off her trail so she can revive someone else's girlfriend and post a vlog.



I posted her comments in full so we wouldn't continue an unwarranted circlejerk. This is key. It could very well be that you're right (I hope not) and that she's going to split Arthur and Mera, but it sounds more like Mera is going to manipulate Atlantis to get what she wants, which is Arthur.


If I'm wrong, it sucks, but they'll be back eventually. The Johns/Parker stuff was very popular, was was the movie.

Whatever reason they come up with, unless he sacrificed himself to save her, therefore in a way she's his killer sort of, it wouldn't be credible.

She didn't do it when she had a mission to accomplish for Xebel, can't see her doing it now. Mera would give her life for her Arthur and not be the author of his murder. However (hope not) as some elsewhere have pointed out, in the March issue she was shocked not happy to know he was alive. Secondly why she didn't look out for his corpse to give him a burial? Others have also suggested that Siren could have taken her place?

As for Deconnick's interview, its clear that she intends to keep Arthur away from Atlantis. As for him and Mera being together, can't see it, with her being in Atlantis and him in Amnesty Bay. Its the year of the villain it will be paramount in all issues.

I believe, Mera will have less prominence, like up to now for the rest. Meanwhile Mera has a plan to keep herself for marrying a suitor and keeps stalling, at the same time she wont be with Arthur either. Status quo.
Keeping them apart discreetly but at the same time making fans hope for reunion. Big mistake in my humble opinion. As stated often, Aquaman is a book that depends on them being together in different adventures.

Johns and Parker understood that and thats why they had success.

[Robanker]

Whatever reason they come up with, unless he sacrificed himself to save her, therefore in a way she's his killer sort of, it wouldn't be credible.

She didn't do it when she had a mission to accomplish for Xebel, can't see her doing it now. Mera would give her life for her Arthur and not be the author of his murder. However (hope not) as some elsewhere have pointed out, in the March issue she was shocked not happy to know he was alive. Secondly why she didn't look out for his corpse to give him a burial? Others have also suggested that Siren could have taken her place?

As for Deconnick's interview, its clear that she intends to keep Arthur away from Atlantis. As for him and Mera being together, can't see it, with her being in Atlantis and him in Amnesty Bay. Its the year of the villain it will be paramount in all issues.

I believe, Mera will have less prominence, like up to now for the rest. Meanwhile Mera has a plan to keep herself for marrying a suitor and keeps stalling, at the same time she wont be with Arthur either. Status quo.
Keeping them apart discreetly but at the same time making fans hope for reunion. Big mistake in my humble opinion. As stated often, Aquaman is a book that depends on them being together in different adventures.

Johns and Parker understood that and thats why they had success.

Johns and Parker had a lot more going for their run than just his relationship with and Mera as a whole. They had him re-establish himself in the post New 52 era, built his setting (Amnesty Bay/Atlantis) and supporting cast (yes, Mera is a part of that) to be accessible to new readers, and developed a lot of memorable plotlines throughout (Arthur meeting his mother, for example). She's a big part of what made Aquaman special, but simply adding Mera as the co-lead isn't a recipe to success just like having Lois around in Superman doesn't mean it's a guaranteed hit-- they had a lot going on to give both characters something to do.

With respect to her role in Arthur's off-panel death and revival, she could very welly have tried to save him and in doing so sealed his fate. We don't know, so I'm not judging until we see what transpires. For all we know, it's a fake-out or misunderstanding.

I prefer Arthur and Mera together, but for each to be viable characters, they must also work well solo in their own adventures. Much like Lois and Clark, I prefer them together, but they're both wonderful characters in their own right and I think Arthur and Mera are as strong as them.

Him being in Amnesty Bay doesn't preclude Mera from coming ashore, nor does it mean they won't be a presence in each other's lives. I do see your point on Year of the Villain, but it's a fetish of Didio's to do these every few years so I'm not going to hold it against Aquaman as a title in particular. This is a line-wide groaner and we're going to have to get through it equally.

I really do understand your frustration. Post One More Day I stopped reading Spider-Man until Nick Spencer came back onboard, and even then it's just because my girlfriend already bought the issues. Mary Jane is a big part of Spider-Man's appeal for me as a reader, but there's a ton of stories in the past where she's present and I could not care less about reading them. If a writer wants to put the relationship in peril in order to draw attention to how significant it is and then put them back together to show the strength of their bond, that's a story and can be a damned good one if executed well.

So far the execution has been pretty good (and the art is stellar across Rocha and Bogdanovich) and I'm hopeful it's going to be a good read. Really hope Arthur can keep his shirt on in the future, though!

[Flash Gordon]

il_794xN.792733856_rgrx.jpg

Aquaman_Vol_1_6.jpg

Man, I love Qwsp. I've been rereading the old water sprites stories from the Silver Age. So much fun.

Anybody else like to see him make a comeback? Not evil Qwsp from the 90s JL, but honest to goodness lil helpful Qwsp!

[Flash Gordon]

I prefer Arthur and Mera together, but for each to be viable characters, they must also work well solo in their own adventures. Much like Lois and Clark, I prefer them together, but they're both wonderful characters in their own right and I think Arthur and Mera are as strong as them.

I think the timing is perfect for another 6 issue Mera mini. Cecil Castellucci would be so rad, and she's written Arthur and Mera really well already once before.