Arthur Curry / Aquaman Appreciation Thread 2020

[Flash Gordon]

Planning on doing another strong reread to get ready for the upcoming issue.

Man, I'm sad to see this run end- KSD's last issue was hella strong but there was so much to like in it I wanted more! The previous Aqualad 2 parter was a serious chore to get through, almost unreadable, but man did the book come back with a vengeance. Also washed away my gripes about Orm going back to big Bad Guy, because hey thematically this makes sense right?

Vulko's line about "Atlantis is the most technologically advanced society on Earth and we still use steel cages to hold people" was fire. I wish we could get another 3 or 4 issues of this before the conclusion.

[Frontier]

spoilers:

Andrina definitely sounds more like a proper princess name. Still no idea where it came from...

end of spoilers

[Vordan]

Took longer than it should have, but I’m glad Aquaman and Mera actually did get married. Feels like KSD did a good job tying up loose ends while also still leaving the board relatively cleared for whoever takes over after Future State.

[Robanker]

spoilers:

Not gonna lie, I wish we got the ceremony on panel because they can still get interrupted and deny the marriage if the next team doesn't want to pull the trigger.

end of spoilers

[lemonpeace]

this spread man! THIS is the power of Aquaman!

solid ending to my personal favorite Aquaman run. this issue continued to highlight the stuff I loved about this run. We got Jackson and his comradry with Arthur (plus Mecha Manta!), the sweetness of Arthur and Mera's relationship, the Sea Gods of Amnesty Bay popping again, Mother Shark narration, and most importantly the way KSD interprets and uses The Call. I'm gonna miss this more mature laid-back and emotionally nuanced Arthur, I hope they don't regress him to typical action hero stoicism; I love beach bro papa Aquaman LOL

[Frontier]

I've kind of had my fill of shirtless beach bro Aquaman, but I admit I'm biased .

[lemonpeace]

I've kind of had my fill of shirtless beach bro Aquaman, but I admit I'm biased .

shirtless while I'm fine with it, I can take or leave no biggie; I'll die on the beard hill tho. that's the Aquaman I grew up with, it's the look of his biggest incarnation, I dig it. it just occured to me he was shirtless most of the time in Justice League as well, maybe that's where my tolerance of it comes from.

[Robanker]

The more recent beard is a compromise I can live with (shorter beard and hair), but I prefer a clean shaven Aquaman with a shirt.

[Frontier]

I remember growing up with Aquaman in the DCAU and them going for the bearded, PAD, Aquaman, but the one that made the most impact on me was Johns and Ivan Reis' depiction of Arthur, so that probably colors my perception a lot.

[lemonpeace]

I remember growing up with Aquaman in the DCAU and them going for the bearded, PAD, Aquaman, but the one that made the most impact on me was Johns and Ivan Reis' depiction of Arthur, so that probably colors my perception a lot.

you know what I think it was, I grew up on the DCAU Aquaman but I wasn't a big comic guy for a while so the only other exposure to Aquaman I had were shitty Family Guy and Robot Chicken jokes which leaned on the clean shaven look. that may have turned me off to it because the look just doesn't do anything more me. I really loved the John's era, from him onward Aquaman became one of my top 10 heroes, but I couldn't help my brain always kinda seeing it as they were trying to make the look cool; which is ironically what they were actually trying to do with the look i enjoy from what i understand LOL it didn't distract from my enjoyment but like with Duke, I just would've preferred something else. I think the compromise at the end of KSD run is a fine balance so long as the restrict the shirtlessness to when he's not in active duty at the least. him showing up shirtless in Justice League missions seems may a smidge too inappropriate even for me.

[Agent Z]

I still don't like Arthur having those tattoos when he isn't Polynesian.

[Frontier]

you know what I think it was, I grew up on the DCAU Aquaman but I wasn't a big comic guy for a while so the only other exposure to Aquaman I had were shitty Family Guy and Robot Chicken jokes which leaned on the clean shaven look. that may have turned me off to it because the look just doesn't do anything more me. I really loved the John's era, from him onward Aquaman became one of my top 10 heroes, but I couldn't help my brain always kinda seeing it as they were trying to make the look cool; which is ironically what they were actually trying to do with the look i enjoy from what i understand LOL it didn't distract from my enjoyment but like with Duke, I just would've preferred something else. I think the compromise at the end of KSD run is a fine balance so long as the restrict the shirtlessness to when he's not in active duty at the least. him showing up shirtless in Justice League missions seems may a smidge too inappropriate even for me.

There's nothing Ivan Reis can't make look good in my book .

I still don't like Arthur having those tattoos when he isn't Polynesian.

Yeah, and it's pretty much the reason they keep him shirtless even though they don't actually do anything.

[Korath]

this spread man! THIS is the power of Aquaman!

solid ending to my personal favorite Aquaman run. this issue continued to highlight the stuff I loved about this run. We got Jackson and his comradry with Arthur (plus Mecha Manta!), the sweetness of Arthur and Mera's relationship, the Sea Gods of Amnesty Bay popping again, Mother Shark narration, and most importantly the way KSD interprets and uses The Call. I'm gonna miss this more mature laid-back and emotionally nuanced Arthur, I hope they don't regress him to typical action hero stoicism; I love beach bro papa Aquaman LOL

I just love this page spread but...

Bruce, what are you doing here ? I mean, you use your usual cape and cawl when the pressure should kill you. And you'll do what, move slowly so sea-dwellers can hit you easily ?

I still don't like Arthur having those tattoos when he isn't Polynesian.

Considering that he has earned them and not had them made to look hype, I love them.

And yes, I know, someone out there is probably screaming cultural appropriation, but that just bull.

[Agent Z]

I just love this page spread but...

Bruce, what are you doing here ? I mean, you use your usual cape and cawl when the pressure should kill you. And you'll do what, move slowly so sea-dwellers can hit you easily ?


Considering that he has earned them and not had them made to look hype, I love them.

And yes, I know, someone out there is probably screaming cultural appropriation, but that just bull.

What's bull is anyone dismissing cultural appropriation as a problem.

[lemonpeace]

What's bull is anyone dismissing cultural appropriation as a problem.

maybe it's just me but I don't think this particular case is cultural appropriation tho. i mean for one, it's not like aesthetically they're all that far removed for Jackson's tattoo. also, it's a homage to his most iconic iterations and in story it both resonated with the connectivity theme of the run and it was added pretty tastefully. far moreso than the clear white savior type of appropriation of a Iron Fist or a Richard Dragon or even early Dr. Strange where they are just taking the culture to use it as window dressing for their white character. he didn't come in and conquer their culture and slapped the tats on to show how he's become the bestest polynesian fighter of blahs blahs chosen one blah, he earned it as a mark of familial connection and gratitude. they have narrative and intertextual significance to his character (and I think the meaning lines up in real-life too, I have to check) so I think it's a fine nod; if maybe a bit overindulge at times. mind you I'm not polynesian, so I can't 100% stay how strict or lax they are about cultural diffusion. if it's one of those things that requires some kind of strict cultural vetting of some sort then sure, it's probably inappropriate, but I think it works fine so long as they let him dress for the occasion when it's time to get to business.