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dee9401's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read with fantastic art. I thought it started out strong, but felt a little rushed in the last few "issues". Georff Johns really can tell a story and I'll probably take a look at the next collection when it comes out. Ivan Reis's artwork outshines the story and pushed this book from 3 to 4 stars for me.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Hooked on Books
Storyline: Aquaman has always been the big joke of the superhero universe. I always thought this was a little unfair, because I had always been so envious of his powers. He could stay underwater for the longest time, communicate with sea life and he knew where Atlantis was! Apparently Geoff Johns felt the same way because he brought Aquaman back and is attempting to depict him as the superhero I always knew he could be.
The premise of this story is that Aquaman is just as big a joke within the pages of the comic book as he is outside of it. People laugh at his costume, tease him about talking to the fish, ask him if he's going to dehydrate if he goes too far from the water and worst of all they tell him they don't need his help, even after he fights alongside them against a vicious attack from the creatures in the trench. He faces a major identity crisis about whether or not he should even try anymore. It's a fascinating story and one that sets straight all of our misconceptions about Aquaman and his mythos.
Characters: Aquaman (or Arthur Curry) is an incredibly interesting character in this new series. He's facing a major crisis of identity and Geoff Johns does an amazing job of depicting just how torn he is between doing what's right for the people, doing what he thinks will make him happy, and deciding whether or not to return to Atlantis. The people of Earth don't make it easy for him but he is always on their side and I found him incredibly sympathetic and relatable.
And then there's Mera, his wife and mermaid (just don't call her Aquawoman!). I never knew all that much about her and her role in the Aquaman story, but I can honestly say I never expected her to be so badass. Whereas Aquaman simply turns the other cheek to the people's mocking, Mera bites back with her sharp tongue and attitude. I really admired her ability to stand up for herself and those she cared about. Plus with the ability to manipulate the water, she's a pretty tough superhero in her own right.
Artwork: Ivan Reis is an amazing artist. I was floored by how detailed some of his panels are and how much emotion he's able to convey in such a small space. And the creatures from the trench! They're still giving me the shivers. But it is the full page pieces that are the real treat of this collection.
Readability for new comic book fans: If you have never read a comic book before (let alone an Aquaman comic) you can read this one. Part of the premise is that people no longer understand Auqaman, so the story sets out to educate you/them on exactly who he is and what he can do. It's a great intro into one of DC Comic's most famous heroes.
Storyline: Aquaman has always been the big joke of the superhero universe. I always thought this was a little unfair, because I had always been so envious of his powers. He could stay underwater for the longest time, communicate with sea life and he knew where Atlantis was! Apparently Geoff Johns felt the same way because he brought Aquaman back and is attempting to depict him as the superhero I always knew he could be.
The premise of this story is that Aquaman is just as big a joke within the pages of the comic book as he is outside of it. People laugh at his costume, tease him about talking to the fish, ask him if he's going to dehydrate if he goes too far from the water and worst of all they tell him they don't need his help, even after he fights alongside them against a vicious attack from the creatures in the trench. He faces a major identity crisis about whether or not he should even try anymore. It's a fascinating story and one that sets straight all of our misconceptions about Aquaman and his mythos.
Characters: Aquaman (or Arthur Curry) is an incredibly interesting character in this new series. He's facing a major crisis of identity and Geoff Johns does an amazing job of depicting just how torn he is between doing what's right for the people, doing what he thinks will make him happy, and deciding whether or not to return to Atlantis. The people of Earth don't make it easy for him but he is always on their side and I found him incredibly sympathetic and relatable.
And then there's Mera, his wife and mermaid (just don't call her Aquawoman!). I never knew all that much about her and her role in the Aquaman story, but I can honestly say I never expected her to be so badass. Whereas Aquaman simply turns the other cheek to the people's mocking, Mera bites back with her sharp tongue and attitude. I really admired her ability to stand up for herself and those she cared about. Plus with the ability to manipulate the water, she's a pretty tough superhero in her own right.
Artwork: Ivan Reis is an amazing artist. I was floored by how detailed some of his panels are and how much emotion he's able to convey in such a small space. And the creatures from the trench! They're still giving me the shivers. But it is the full page pieces that are the real treat of this collection.
Readability for new comic book fans: If you have never read a comic book before (let alone an Aquaman comic) you can read this one. Part of the premise is that people no longer understand Auqaman, so the story sets out to educate you/them on exactly who he is and what he can do. It's a great intro into one of DC Comic's most famous heroes.
coolnameguy's review against another edition
4.0
It's good. Really good. Arthur and Mega are great characters, the writing is solid, the art is amazing, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. But honestly the humans annoy the sh*t out of me. Like, how do humans exist in Aquaman's world and think the same kind of things the average internet troll does? Like, you constantly see him merc dudes and vehicles and giant creatures and run at crazy speeds and tank bullets and explosions but they still think that? It makes no sense and it's the least subtle thing I've seen in a long time. I hope it quickly dies down because everything else is excellent.
raul3893's review against another edition
3.0
If someone told me how It felt being the no ones favorite superhero the shame would never wear off
tmwebb3's review against another edition
4.0
Never read any Aquaman before. This was good, and will have to read more.
cakemouse's review against another edition
4.0
A nice reboot of Aquaman. Loved the artwork, and the storyline was good. Interesting enough that I want to read the next volume.
chapterswithkyle's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read but overall boring, not really much plot. However, I enjoyed the last issue within this volume the most.
jedicook's review against another edition
3.0
The book deftly handled the tricky issue that Aquaman is more punchline than superhero today. Common misunderstandings people have about Aquaman ("You talk to fish, right? That's dumb!") are presented as simply what ignorant land-dwellers in-story believe, allowing Johns to correct the reader. The book succeeded in making me believe Aquaman is a badass, which I wouldn't have thought possible.
imjustadow's review against another edition
2.0
eh it hits all the aquaman story beats, and throws in genocide, racism, and sexual assault (although all of those things were presented and addressed in such a 2011 way. not terrible, hope the rest of the aquaman series is better