Aquaman Appreciation 2019

[Robanker]

Regardless of the opinion on KSD's run (which, frankly, is derailing an appreciation thread), she was dead-on when noting that there's an interesting wrinkle built into Arthur in that he's a masculine character but his greatest strength is asking for help, which has been traditionally seen as weak. Granted I have never cared for the EXTREME hook hand incarnation attributed to PAD, but I'm glad she's clarifying it's a plea rather than command. It implies that the sea accepts and aids him out of respect and loyalty and makes him a helluva lot more heroic. Lends credence to the title of "King of the Seven Seas" being about more than who keeps a throne warm.


Also, does anyone else miss the Silver Age title graphic?
7bc86e358178dcaa5eb6889bcecade4d.jpg
I know it's absolute cheese, but I love it so much.

[ChrisG]

Regardless of the opinion on KSD's run (which, frankly, is derailing an appreciation thread), she was dead-on when noting that there's an interesting wrinkle built into Arthur in that he's a masculine character but his greatest strength is asking for help, which has been traditionally seen as weak. Granted I have never cared for the EXTREME hook hand incarnation attributed to PAD, but I'm glad she's clarifying it's a plea rather than command. It implies that the sea accepts and aids him out of respect and loyalty and makes him a helluva lot more heroic. Lends credence to the title of "King of the Seven Seas" being about more than who keeps a throne warm.


Also, does anyone else miss the Silver Age title graphic?
7bc86e358178dcaa5eb6889bcecade4d.jpg
I know it's absolute cheese, but I love it so much.

I bid to disagree, on one instance, His destiny is to be a link between the surface and the sea(Atlantis) therefore he's the only one who could do that, given his being half Atlantean and half human. He can't do that if he's not leading Atlantis as King, He could easily venture in outside adventures, if they returned him and Mera as they have always been husband and wife. She could act as regent while he's away. This fact that he cant be king for a couple of issues is annoying. He's not acceptable to ATlanteans and a xebellian who always despised them and viceversa is? Better having Orm as King makes more sense.

Another point is that its ok to ask help when facing Gods, but not when facing non Godlike enemies.

[Robanker]

I bid to disagree, on one instance, His destiny is to be a link between the surface and the sea(Atlantis) therefore he's the only one who could do that, given his being half Atlantean and half human. He can't do that if he's not leading Atlantis as King, He could easily venture in outside adventures, if they returned him and Mera as they have always been husband and wife. She could act as regent while he's away. This fact that he cant be king for a couple of issues is annoying. He's not acceptable to ATlanteans and a xebellian who always despised them and viceversa is? Better having Orm as King makes more sense.

Another point is that its ok to ask help when facing Gods, but not when facing non Godlike enemies.

So it's fine if he mind controls things and commands them to their death? I'm much happier having Arthur simply ask things to fight at his side and they do so with everything they have. True kings aren't those that demand fealty, they deserve it. Moreover, asking for help is never wrong should someone feel they need it. Aquaman doesn't always have to resort to using his telepathy (or "the call" as KSD is referring to it) if he doesn't need it. That's a tool in his arsenal and it works fine. It's his horn of Gondor.

And I absolutely believe that Atlantis would take Mera as their monarch. They've always been portrayed as narrow-minded and not particularly bright. They love Arthur until he does something they deem weird and then turn on him and look for his head. While their xenophobia would naturally lead to a dislike of Mera, she did just depose their xenophobe king Corum Rath. They just swung the needle in the opposite direction and they already hated Arthur, so Mera was the natural choice for them. They hate every other named character too, save maybe Tula, and she's not going to resonate as well with readers. It makes sense in that respect.

I prefer Arthur as king, but Mera as a Queen isn't supposed to stick forever; it's the plot. It's the story. I'm not against that. It's their splitting up I don't like, but again, we'll see if that's just for this arc or going to be a big thing going forward.

Can we please move discussion toward things we actually enjoy about Aquaman?

[Flash Gordon]

Regardless of the opinion on KSD's run (which, frankly, is derailing an appreciation thread), she was dead-on when noting that there's an interesting wrinkle built into Arthur in that he's a masculine character but his greatest strength is asking for help, which has been traditionally seen as weak. Granted I have never cared for the EXTREME hook hand incarnation attributed to PAD, but I'm glad she's clarifying it's a plea rather than command. It implies that the sea accepts and aids him out of respect and loyalty and makes him a helluva lot more heroic. Lends credence to the title of "King of the Seven Seas" being about more than who keeps a throne warm.


Also, does anyone else miss the Silver Age title graphic?
7bc86e358178dcaa5eb6889bcecade4d.jpg
I know it's absolute cheese, but I love it so much.

I love that title graphic.

I'll also agree that knowing when to ask for help is such an intrinsic part of Aquaman. The fact that he can call out to others, and also that he can hear their pleas. He stands for the seas, not just Atlanteans but all sea life.

The film illustrated this so, so well. He starts off real macho/rough n tough and steadily learns to calm himself and listen and respond to the needs of others. He only gets the trident because, while most have just tried to overpower the mythical Cthullu monster, he speaks plainly of his needs and wants and communicates with it.

Even after defeating his brother he states that when Orm is ready, he will listen to him.

He is a true leader, someone who puts the needs of others before his own.

[Robanker]

I love that title graphic.

I'll also agree that knowing when to ask for help is such an intrinsic part of Aquaman. The fact that he can call out to others, and also that he can hear their pleas. He stands for the seas, not just Atlanteans but all sea life.

The film illustrated this so, so well. He learns to listen and respond to the needs of others. He only gets the trident because, while most have just tried to overpower the mythical Cthullu monster, he speaks plainly of his needs and wants and communicates with it.

Yeah! I really enjoyed that. I was wondering how they were going to handle that scene and was overjoyed that he managed to affirm he was the true king not by force of strength but of character. Hell, one of my favorite moments in Abnett's run is Arthur's surrender. He made a difficult call as a ruler that required he lose popularity to try and stop a war that was waged on false pretense. It was a very strong start to the run and not a turn I was expecting.

[Flash Gordon]

I bid to disagree, on one instance, His destiny is to be a link between the surface and the sea(Atlantis) therefore he's the only one who could do that, given his being half Atlantean and half human. He can't do that if he's not leading Atlantis as King, He could easily venture in outside adventures, if they returned him and Mera as they have always been husband and wife. She could act as regent while he's away. This fact that he cant be king for a couple of issues is annoying. He's not acceptable to ATlanteans and a xebellian who always despised them and viceversa is? Better having Orm as King makes more sense.

Another point is that its ok to ask help when facing Gods, but not when facing non Godlike enemies.

I don't really care about the link to Atlantis and the surface world. That sounds nice as a slogan but its ultimately meaningless. Sure I like seeing Arthur and Mera have a seat at the UN, but any reasonable leader would do so. Being born into it doesnt mean anything. In fact, I think its MORE important that Arthur was a working class son of a lighthouse keeper, doing manual labor. Mera a Xebellian run away. All of that makes better leaders than a baby born of two worlds.

[Flash Gordon]

Yeah! I really enjoyed that. I was wondering how they were going to handle that scene and was overjoyed that he managed to affirm he was the true king not by force of strength but of character. Hell, one of my favorite moments in Abnett's run is Arthur's surrender. He made a difficult call as a ruler that required he lose popularity to try and stop a war that was waged on false pretense. It was a very strong start to the run and not a turn I was expecting.

Oh man that whole story at the start if Abnett's run is a favorite of mine.

I love him surrendering "I'm from Amnesty Bay" and I love Mera not getting it and breaking him out. Illustrates the two characters, as well as their relationship, so well.

"Uh do you have any biological needs?"
"What?"
"Do, uh, should we flood your cell?"

[Frontier]

After finally reading Mera: Tidebreaker (really good book with an interesting take on the mythos, BTW), I finally realized why Arthur had black hair in that universe. You look at some of the sketches in the back and it turns out they were definitely basing him on Momoa .

[andersonh1]

I am now of the opinion that the movie success caught them by surprise. Even the initial KSD run seems now to have a logic, they expected a failure at the BO and anticipated it with a soft reboot in the comics. I read many commentators baffled by the approach taken and the logical explanation they are giving that the success of the movie was unexpected.

I wonder if this is why the planned Golden Age Aquaman omnibus was shelved, because hey didn't expect the movie to do well? The Geoff Johns omni was a better fit with what was up on the screen, admittedly, but I'd love to own and read those Golden Age stories. The few I've read were a lot of fun, though the yellow gloves take some getting used to!

I think I'm done with KSD's run. I gave the book five issues/one story arc, and don't like the story she's told or what she's done with the character. Hopefully it will be a short interlude, like Cullen Bunn's stint as writer, and I can come back and enjoy when someone new takes over. An eight year run of mostly good stories and art is not half bad for Aquaman. The Johns/Parker/Abnett Aquaman has been a fairly strong run. I can't complain.

[SJNeal]

Also, does anyone else miss the Silver Age title graphic?
7bc86e358178dcaa5eb6889bcecade4d.jpg
I know it's absolute cheese, but I love it so much.

I do like that one. I also like the short-lived 1991-1992 logo, that always looked like a slightly updated version:

[Psycwave]

The upcoming artist on Aquaman (believe he starts with issue 48) has been posting some snippets and images on his twitter!
https://twitter.com/VikBogdanovic





With the next two issues all about getting his memory back I'm sure these are all flashbacks or calls to events that have happened. I'm super excited for the road to 50!

[cranger]

Noticed Bogdanovic on Silencer and Terrifics. Great addition if he stays on past these two issues (#50 appears to be Rocha.)

[HandofPrometheus]

Bogdanovic is so good. I hope he never stops getting work.

[Frontier]

The upcoming artist on Aquaman (believe he starts with issue 48) has been posting some snippets and images on his twitter!
https://twitter.com/VikBogdanovic





With the next two issues all about getting his memory back I'm sure these are all flashbacks or calls to events that have happened. I'm super excited for the road to 50!

It's nice to see Aquaman wearing a shirt again, albeit a ripped one.

(I wonder if anyone remembers Johns had Mera ask him to shave the beard at the end of his run as one of her demands to come back as his queen).

[Psycwave]

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