Once Upon a Geek

Thanks to everyone that stopped by during AQUAMAN WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek.  Based upon comments and number of hits, it seemed to be of interest to lots of folks.  I’m glad to hear that.

Today is an addendum to AQUAMAN WEEK.  Below you will find a picture of my Aquaman figures.   I don’t buy every Aquaman figure that comes out, but I do have quite a few of them.  My collection includes the original Mego Aquaman, the Super Powers Aquaman, Total Justice/JLA Aquaman figures, some HeroClix, a JLA PVC of Aquaman, DC Direct figures, a Mattel DC Universe Classics Aquaman, a Super Friends Aquaman, a custom figure built by a  friend, and many more.  Click the picture to enlarge the image.

Kind of a funny story… Shortly after Aquaman lost his hand and replaced it with a hook in the comics, a friend and I were discussing DC action figures.  The idea of an Aquaman action figure with a hook came up.  I was convinced that DC would never produce such a figure, and yet I wanted one really badly.  I figured DC wouldn’t make a hooked Aquaman action figure for two reasons: (1) Aquaman wasn’t very popular, so why make an action figure at all; and (2) the concept of piranha eating your hand and then replacing it with a sharp hook seemed a little out there for a kids toy.

During this discussion my enthusiasm got the better of me and I said, “Dude, if they made an Aquaman action figure with a hook, I’d buy like twelve of them.”  Well… along comes the Total Justice action figure line.  It just so happens that they made an Aquaman with a hooked hand.  My friend was kind enough to remind me of my enthusiastic statement.  Being a man of my word, I bought twelve of the action figures as you can see below.

The four in the front represent the four variant versions there were.  In the front row, the far left figure was the standard Total Justice Aquaman.  The back two rows are also the standard Total Justice Aquaman.  In the front row, the far right figure was the standard JLA Aquaman (only real difference from the Total Justice figure was the pants had black instead of dark green).  Again in the front row, the second from the left (with the gold shoulder pad) was the variant edition from the Total Justice line.  Finally, in the front row, the figure third from the left (with the silver shoulder pad and blue pants) was an oddball repaint from a series only sold at WB stores.

So I guess I was crazy for sticking to my word and buying all these figures.  However, I was smart and waited until the toyline was dying and they were on clearance.  I may be a man of my word, but I’m not a fool with my money. 

Long live Aquaman, king of the toybox!

AQUAMAN WEEK concludes here at Once Upon a Geek.  To close out the week, I thought I would talk a little about the future of Aquaman.

CURRENT STATUS

Before we get into it, you should probably know that Aquaman is currently dead.  Yup, he’s sleeping with the fishes, literally and figuratively.  Well… to be exact, the original Aquaman is dead; the one we all grew up with on the Super Friends.  There is a new Aquaman that is alive and swimming, but he’s slightly different.  Rather than the Aquaman we know (a.k.a. Orin or Arthur Curry), the new Aquaman is Orin’s adopted cousin.  He’s the sword-and-sorcery Aquaman I’ve mentioned a few times this week.  There is a whole bunch of confusing origin-stuff I could cover, but I’ll skip to the bottom line.  The new Aquaman goes by the name Joseph and has inside him a piece of Orin’s soul.  He looks somewhat like Orin and even has some memories of the original.  So while he’s not the original, he makes a pretty good substitute.

I’m not really going to talk about it here, but the original Aquaman does appear in the ‘DC Kids’ comic book ‘Super Friends’.  In addition to the comic book, they also have some action figures.  This is a line for real little kids and doesn’t have any connection with regular continuity.

FUTURE TIDES – COMIC BOOKS

Geoff Johns has stated that the original Aquaman will make an appearance in the forthcoming ‘Green Lantern: Blackest Night’ storyline.  We know this storyline will feature many characters returning from the dead as ‘Black Lanterns’.  Now the real question is, what will happen to these characters after the storyline?  Will they return to the DCU proper, or return to the grave?  Based upon other conversations Johns and Sciver have had, it’s assumed by the fans that the original Aquaman will be back for good.

It’s also well known that Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver are interested in tackling  the original Aquaman.  These are the guys who did ‘Green Lantern: Rebirth’ which brought Hal Jordan back as the primary Green Lantern.  Next year they will be producing ‘Flash: Rebirth’ which will return Barry Allen as the primary Flash in the DCU.  So they’ve got a history of returning classic characters to greatness and pushing them forward into exciting new adventures.  So it’s quite possible we’ll be reading an ‘Aquaman: Rebirth’ in the next few years.  For further background on this click here.

So if we get an ‘Aquaman: Rebirth’ that returns Orin to the role of Aquaman, what happens to Joseph?  I for one hope they don’t get rid of him.  I think there is plenty of room for multiple aquatic heroes. If Geoff Johns can write a book with numerous Green Lanterns and at least three Flashes, then why can’t we have two Aquamen?

FUTURE TIDES – TELEVISION

Cartoon Network has a new show called “Batman: Brave and the Bold”.  It features Batman teaming up with other heroes each week.  On Friday, November 28, an episode is scheduled to air that features Batman teaming up with Aquaman. In this series Aquaman’s a bit different than he is in the comics.  This Aquaman has an enormous barrel-chest and sports a close-cropped beard.  Additionally, I believe he’s supposed to come off as extremely confident with the occasional corny one-liners.

The target demographic is ages 6 to 15, so it might be a little kiddie for us grown geeks, but I’m willing to give it a try. Feel free to check out either the Cartoon Network web site or the DC HeroZone web site.

FUTURE TIDES – TOYS

Aquaman has a handful of action figures scheduled for release in 2009.  There are two particular upcoming figures that I’m pretty excited about (pictured below).  Besides these two, there are also Aquaman action figures planned for the ‘Batman: Brave and the Bold’ line and for DC Direct action figures.

Here is Aquaman from Mattel in the blue camo suit.  I can’t wait for this figure!

DC Direct is putting out an Aquaman-Joseph figure in the Superman/Batman line.  Looks cool!

SURFING THE WEB

Looking for more Aquaman?  Be sure to check out these sites:

• The Aquaman Shrine – The single best Aquaman source on the web.  Rob does a great job sharing Aquaman-related news, displaying memorabilia, and writing about 14,000 other blogs.
• The Unofficial Aquaman Website - A good Aquaman news site
• Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog – A funny comic blog (often with Aquaman bits) from Laura “Tegan” Gjovaag and the Chamber of Bloggers
• The Comic Treadmill – A discussion about opinions on comics, comics-related materials, movies, and games. Lots of Aquaman support here on this site.

Thanks again for hanging out all week!  This will do it for AQUAMAN WEEK!  Well.. sort of.  I’m planning an addendum sometime next week to cover my Aquaman action figures.  So watch for that too!  Long live the King of the sea!

AQUAMAN WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’re featuring Aquaman’s exploits on television!

First up is a scene from the original Aquaman cartoon (1967/1968).  You gotta love seeing Aquaman, Aqualad, and Mera all riding giant seahorses!  Plus Black Manta, Tusky the walrus, and Ted Knight doing the narrations!

Here is the opening to the Justice League of America cartoon (1967/1968).  These adventures ran as ‘guest star’ cartoons during The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.

The original Super Friends opening (1973).

A later incarnation of the Super Friends cartoon, Super Powers: The Legendary Super Friends Show (1984).

Aquaman made an appearance in Superman: The Animated Series (1999).  This time he was voiced by Miguel Ferrer!  How cool is that!?!?!?  In this scene, we see why it’s good to be the King (and have your own personal army at your disposal).

Aquaman made several appearances in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series (2001-2004).  This video is a highlight reel of his various appearances in those cartoons.

Here is a recap of Aquaman’s (A.C.) appearance in the fifth season episode of Smallville entitled, ‘Aqua’.

Here is a trailer for the Aquaman pilot (2006) that was never picked up by the WB/CW.  For more information on this unaired pilot, please click here.

I thought we’d wrap things up with a video game trailer.  Here is the Justice League Heroes (2006) videogame trailer starring Aquaman.

Be sure to keep you eyes peeled for the new Brave and the Bold cartoon series!  Aquaman will be making a guest appearance soon.  I know I can’t wait!

Come back tomorrow for more Aquaman action!  Thanks for reading!  Don’t forget, be sure to check out THE AQUAMAN SHRINE. The best Aquaman site on the net!

AQUAMAN WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek…

Today we’re spotlighting some of my favorite Aquaman covers through the years.  As I mentioned on Monday, I didn’t start collecting Aquaman fanatically until 1990. However, I’ve gone back and picked up just about every major appearance of the character since the early 1960s. Here are a few of my favorite covers from all the various Aquaman series and appearances.

This Alan Davis drawing was used as the cover to Aquaman #17 (2004).  What an amazing piece!  The perspective is really striking and it truly demonstrates Aquaman’s super-strength.  One of my all-time favorites.

Here is Aquaman’s first appearance from More Fun Comics #73 (1941).  He didn’t get the cover since he was only a back-up feature.  Sorry for the size, it was the best image I could find of this page.  Notice that Aquaman’s gloves are yellow.  They were yellow through pretty much the entire Golden Age and changed to green in the Silver Age.

If you want to see more of the splash pages from the Golden Age Aquaman stories (or any Aquaman comic book cover), check out the fantastic Aquaman Cover Gallery.  What a great site!

Don’t piss off Golden Age Aquaman… he’ll throw a polar bear at your ass.  Seriously.  Here is the splash page from More Fun Comics #85 (1942).

Here is Aquaman’s first solo appearance from Showcase #30 (1961).

Shortly after his try-out in Showcase, Aquaman graduated to his own comic.  Here is the cover to Aquaman #1 (1962).  Look out tadpole!

Not a special issue, but simply a cover that I like – Aquaman #9 (1963).  I think the sea horse and waves look cool.

The wedding of Aquaman and Mera in Aquaman #18 (1964).

One of my favorite covers from the original Aquaman series – Aquaman #42 (1968).  Very creative layout and lighting from the brilliant Nick Cardy!

I love this Nick Cardy cover – Aquaman #56 (1971)!  It’s so ridiculous that it’s awe-to-the-sum!  This was actually the first Aquaman back-issue I purchased.  It also happens to be the last issue from the original series.

Adventure Comics #452 (1977). This is the issue where Black Manta murders Aquaman’s infant son.

I like the dual peril on this cover by the great Rick Buckler.  Nice way to show the dilemma. Adventure Comics #478 (1980).

I’m a real sucker for old plots that are dependent upon Aquaman’s need for water every hour.  My favorite bits are when they actually clock his dependency.  As if he would automatically keel over at exactly 60 minutes without water.  Hysterical!  Here is Aquaman #44 (1969).  While the premise is ridiculous, the perspective, faces, word balloons, and lighting are amazing in this cover by Nick Cardy.  One of my favorites.

Another great example of using Aquaman’s dependency on water as a plot device.  Check out the condensation coming off the pitcher!  Too funny!  Great Neal Adams cover here on Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #115 (1968).

Team-ups!  Team-ups!  Team-ups!  Here is Brave and the Bold #82 (1969).  Check out that zombie look on Aquaman’s face!

Brave and the Bold #142 (1978).  I’m digging the telepathic circles!

World’s Finest #203 (1971).  Great Neal Adams cover, but let’s be honest about this… If Superman lost his sight, would he really be this useless?  And even so, would he really turn to Aquaman for help?

You can always count on old-school fake-death stories to be fun.  Here is Aquaman’s funeral from Aquaman #30 (1966).  I love that Metamorpho is a pall-bearer.  What the funk is that about?

Another Aquaman death story, this time from Justice League of America #122 (1975).

Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984) was important because in the story Aquaman officially disbanded the Justice League.  He then reformed a new League with several young heroes-in-training.  It was a neat concept, but sadly the “Justice League Detroit” era is not fondly remembered by many.  For me, it was the first time I collected JLA on a regular basis, so I love this era!

Just a nice cover of Aquaman and Mera from the “Justice League Detroit” era.  I love it when they frame the cover with the team faces!  Justice League of America #242 (1985).

The first appearance of the blue suit – Aquaman mini-series #1 (1986).

The second Aquaman mini-series #1 (1989).  David Devaje created a very interesting cover for this issue.

Atlantis Chronicles (1990) was an outstanding mini-series by Peter David that explored the mythical origins of Atlantis.  This series created the foundation for Atlantis that is still used today.  Beautiful art by Esteban Maroto.

A nice Kevin Maguire cover from the second Aquaman ongoing series – Aquaman #3 (1992).

Another Kevin Maguire piece as Aquaman gets his revenge on Black Manta for killing his son – Aquaman #6 (1992).

Aquaman #0 (1994) from the third ongoing series drawn by Marty Egeland.  In the story by Peter David, Aquaman goes bat-sh!t crazy after losing his hand.  So what does he do? He shoves a harpoon into the pulpy-meaty stub of an arm that he’s left with.  Niiiiiiiiiice.

The return of Mera in this yummy cover by Marty Egeland – Aquaman #12 (1995).  It’s a shame she’s always crazy.

Cool cover by Jim Calafiore during Peter David’s tenure on the book – Aquaman #17 (1996).

Another great Marty Egeland cover – Aquaman #23 (1996).  This one features many of the superheroes with ties to Atlantis – (L to R) Tsunami, Aqualad, Aquaman, Power Girl (at the time she was thought to have come from Atlantis), Arion, and Neptune Perkins.

One last great Marty Egeland cover – Aquaman #24 (1996).  I just love the spinning hook aimed right at the exposed throat.  Totally bad ass.

Justice Leagues: Justice League Atlantis (2001). Not a great comic, but a neat idea forming a JLA with members solely from Atlantis.

JLA #75 (2003) – The conclusion of “The Obsidian Age”, subtitled “The Hunt for Aquaman”.  Nice imagery of Aquaman as a living water being.

Aquaman #7 (2003) from the fourth ongoing Aquaman series.  DC tried to take this series in a magical direction, but it didn’t stick with the fans.  Regardless, cool swashbuckler-like cover from Yvel Guichet.

A nice heroic Aquaman by Howard Porter – Aquaman #12 (2004).

A return to a more traditional Aquaman look and story – Aquaman #19 (2004).  Great Silver Age-like cover from Alan Davis!  I really enjoyed this particular run by Will Pfeifer.

I just thought this was a cool demonstration of what Aquaman could do with his water hand by Patrick Gleason – Aquaman #29 (2005).

A cool cover that symbolizes the storyline where Black Manta was using Aquaman’s DNA against him.  Another cover by Patrick Gleason – Aquaman #32 (2005).

The issue that changed everything – Aquaman #40 (2006)!  A new character took over the role of Aquaman in this Kurt Busiek-written issue.  This was the beginning of the Sword-and-Sorcery era.  Upon second reading, I really fell in love with these Busiek stories and Butch Guice’s art was perfect.

This image was used on the cover of Aquaman #54 (2007).  An attractive piece featuring the new Aquaman by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson.

The new Aquaman schools the Man of Steel in this great cover by Shane Davis for Superman/Batman #45 (2008).

This next one is a really neat one.  It’s a cover recreation of IRON MAN #120 with Aquaman instead of Namor.  The drawing was done by the original artist, Bob Layton, and commissioned by Vincent P. Bartilucci (a HUGE Aquaman fan).  Check out Bob Layton’s official web site.

Come back tomorrow for more Aquaman action!  So seriously, have you checked out THE AQUAMAN SHRINE yet?  If not, why are you broken?  Just go visit the site and fall in love with it already!

AQUAMAN WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek!

Aquaman takes a lot of heat from comic book fans and comedians alike.  With his particular powers and the general public’s awareness of him, he makes an easy target.  However, he really deserves more respect than he gets.

Aquaman achievements…

Many people don’t realize this, but Aquaman is one of the few superheroes that continued to be published in the late-1940s/early-1950s (the era between the Golden Age and the Silver Age) while most other superhero characters disappeared into obscurity.  In the mid- to late-1940s, superhero comic books were losing popularity while the comic industry as a whole was expanding.  Comic book publishers were dropping superhero books faster than you could imagine.  These comic books were replaced with more popular tales such as westerns, romances, crime dramas, war stories, horror, science fiction, humor, and the like.  Only a small handful of superhero comics continued to be published during this era.  Those from DC include Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman; with back-up features starring Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and Robotman.  With the multitude of characters created in the early-1940s, obviously Aquaman had a strong appeal with the readers to make it through those lean years.  It’s really surprising to think he outlived characters such as Green Lantern and Flash.

Another little known fact is that Aquaman was the second DC character to be animated way back in 1967. Lots of people know he had a cartoon, but many don’t realize that he beat Batman to animation by a year.  Aquaman started off as one-half of The Superman-Aquaman Hour, but his segments were spun off into their own show the next year.  Not to shabby for a guy who can talk to fish.

Show some respect and laugh a little…

Here are a few Aquaman-related bits that I enjoy.  The first was put together by an Aquaman fan as a response to all the flak he takes.

This has been making its way around the internet for a couple years, but first appeared at “McSweeney’s Internet Tendency“.

AQUAMAN,
KING OF THE SEVEN SEAS,
HAS FUCKING HAD IT
WITH YOU, MAN.
BY GLEN WELDON

- – - -

First off, I don’t talk to them. OK?

That’s, like, the first thing. Let’s start there.

It’s not like I’m all, Hey, Peter Pufferfish, what’s up? and he’s all, Yo, nothing much, brah.

It doesn’t work like that, all right? I mean, most of them don’t even have brains, for one thing. They have maybe a bump at one end of their spinal cord, a pimply little swelling of ganglia, if they’re lucky.

Language is not a looming issue, is what I’m saying.

No, how it works is: I command them. Period, the end. Command, as in bend them to, you know, my will and whatnot. Fuckin’ A.

Even the ones with actual for-real brains, the cetaceans. If I want, you know, a pod of Burmeister’s porpoise to ram the hell out of Black Manta’s Manta Sub, that shit gets done. If I totally want, like, a southern minke whale to go hump a giant squid (its most hated enemy, by the way), I just go doodoodoodoodoodoo and it’s like Show World down there. Not that I would, because, you know, gross, but I’m just saying: I don’t ask. I’m not going to be all, If you wouldn’t mind terribly much, please, Mr. Southern Minke Whale, go get your nasty freak on with that giant squid.

Just, you know, FYI.

And it’s not training. I read that on some blog: “He just trains them to do all that.”

Dude, I can get 6 million krill to gunk up the engine of a getaway ship by having them hurl themselves up the intake jets. Mass sea-monkey suicide. OK? Try that shit with operant conditioning, with some big-titted blondie waggling a smelt, see what you get. Think they’re meting out kick-ass sea justice over at Epcot? Shyeah.

But everyone takes their shot. Fucking YouTube and shit. Cartoon Network. Suddenly every hacky comic’s got a tight five-minute chunk on lame old Aquaman. “Haw haw haw, he’s so laaaaame, hee hee hee, go talk to a guppy!”

It’s all good. Somehow I manage to suffer through it. I soldier bravely the fuck on, comforted only by the small but telling fact that I’m absolute goddamn ruler of-what was it again?-oh, yeah: the EARTH.

The PLANET.

And you, you’re, like, star of open-mike night at the Mirth Shack in Jacksonville. And your MySpace blog? OMG! ROTFLMAO!

You used to be cool, man.

When you were a kid, you’d sit at the bottom of the Stupaks’ pool, remember? Used to sit there and pretend the kickboard between your knees was Storm the Giant Seahorse, and you’d stay under for as long as you could, going doodoodoodoodoodoo.

Remember there was that orange T-shirt you had? Remember that? That was cool.

You sure seemed like a happy little kid.

But, you know, I get it. Whatever, that was a long time ago. Now you’re all, Wonder Woman never even let him fly her plaaaane, and whatnot. And that’s, you know, fine.

I could command you. You, those Robot Chicken assholes, alla y’all. Command you all to, you know, quit it.

I don’t make, like, a big deal about that, but I could. You’re just a fish at heart, dude. Down deep in your forebrain. I fuckin’ could.

But I won’t. That’s not how I roll. I’m a hero. Plus, I’m King of the Seven Seas, so, you know, I got shit to do, right?

No, it’s fine. You rock on with your bad self, dude. Mazel tov.

Seriously, though, leave my lady out of it. That’s not cool, man. Mera, she doesn’t get it like I do. She’s sensitive. I start hearing you talking shit about her, or her hard-water powers, or that time she turned evil, and I will fuck your shit up. Count on it.

This next one is a song called, “Arthur Curry”, by a band named Ookla The Mok.  They are a fantastic “geek rock” band that does bits about comic books, Star Trek, and lots of other geek-related interests.  Be sure to check them out and buy their stuff!

This particular song pokes fun at Aquaman while celebrating him at the same time.  Below you’ll find a fan-created video of the song followed by the lyrics.

Ookla The Mok
Less Than Art
Arthur Curry

- – - -

VOICEOVER: Seconds later, at the Hall of Justice…

Batman’s got an attitude, everybody takes him seriously
And Superman never made any money, well try to tell that to DC
All the other members of the Justice League
Say I have useless super powers and make fun of me
But I know there will come a day
When they’re gonna stare in slack-jawed wonder as they hear me say

CHORUS:
I am Aquaman and nobody better mess with me
I may be nothing to you but I am a king beneath the sea
Let’s see you get by underwater as well as I do on the ground
I am Aquaman and you better not mess around

There are days I swear I would rather have
The proportionate strength of a praying mantis
Than be the last lost noble prince
Of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis

Batman’s got the Batmobile, Diana’s got her invisible jet
It seems like everybody else can fly, even Samurai
but a stupid seahorse is all I get
Green Arrow’s sharp but I couldn’t be any duller
My orange costume’s uglier than any other color
I’m not as tough as Batman or as cute as Gleek
I’m a little taller than the Atom but smaller than Apache Chief

CHORUS
I am Aquaman and nobody better mess with me
I may be nothing to you but I am a king beneath the sea
Let’s see you get by underwater as well as I do on the ground
I am Aquaman and you better not mess around

Clark Kent wouldn’t be the same if he didn’t have his Lois Lane
Green Arrow’s got his Black Canary
Even millionaire Bruce Wayne has that thing on the side
with his ward Dick Grayson
But there’s just one girl that I would marry

Wonder Woman, all the world is waiting for you
And the magic that you do.
You can make a hawk a dove, You can end a war with love,
You can make a liar tell the truth.

Batman signed a movie deal though you know he doesn’t need the cash
And all the second-rate superheroes get TV shows
even the pre-Crisis Flash
But not me, I guess that I don’t rate
My comic book’s been canceled more than Dr. Fate
I know that I’m no Brainiac but I’m no fool
I know not even Peter David can make me cool

CHORUS
I am Aquaman and nobody better mess with me
I may be nothing to you but I am a king beneath the sea
Let’s see you get by underwater as well as I do on the ground
I am Aquaman and you better not mess around

And finally, a quote from Aquaman himself that demonstrates another reason why he is a force to be reckoned with.  When his kingdom faced the threat of invasion, Arthur – King of Atlantis – had this to say in Aquaman #75:

Green Lantern has a Power Ring.  Superman has a cape.  Batman has an attitude and a fancy car.  Me?  I have an ARMY.  And I intend to use it.

Come back tomorrow for more Aquaman action!  And as I mentioned before, be sure to check out THE AQUAMAN SHRINE – the best Aquaman site on the net!  And Rob has been kind enough to post some of my Aquaman memorabilia on his site.  What a nice guy!

It was bound to happen sooner or later… it’s AQUAMAN WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek! Now for all you Aqua-haters out there, please give this week a chance.  Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something interesting. If nothing else, hang around so you can make pithy “go talk to some fish” comments.

Why I Like Aquaman…

If you’ve read my blog before, then you know I’m an Aquaman fan.  Why is Aquaman one of my top five favorite superheroes?  That’s a tough question.  I’m not sure I can really put the answer into words.  I just like the character.  For example, how do you answer the question, “Why does chocolate taste good?”  It just does.  I’ll try to quantify some of what interests me about the character, but I’m not sure it will answer the big question.

First off, I like the idea of a superhero that is royalty.  King Hero! Here is a guy that is ruler of an entire nation, and yet he’s bad ass enough to go out there and fight on the front lines to protect his subjects.  Maybe this is a concept that is easier understood by British readers.  After all, here in the United States we don’t truly understand the love that the people typically feel towards their royalty. On top of being the sovereign King of Atlantis, he’s also considered the King of the Seven Seas.  That means while Superman protects Metropolis and Batman protects Gotham City, Aquaman has to cover the other 75% of the planet.  That’s a pretty big jurisdiction.

Second, I like Aquaman’s origin (all the various versions).  In the Silver Age, Aquaman was the son of an exiled Atlantean and an air-breathing lighthouse keeper.  I liked that Aquaman was of two worlds.  He belonged both above and beneath the waves, yet didn’t fully belong in either.  Everything he earned was through his own hard work and dedication.  The modern Aquaman was born to Queen Atlanna and the mysterious wizard Atlan in the Atlantean city of Poseidonis.  He was then left for dead as an infant on Mercy Reef due to old superstitions.  He was raised by other sea creatures and later tutored by an air-breathing lighthouse keeper.  I like the mythical origins of Aquaman’s story.  Go and read “Atlantis Chronicles” some time.  It covers the origins of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis.  Great reading!

Third, I like that Aquaman is super-powered, but not overly so.  Given the moderate level of powers he has, he seems more relatable than the mega-powered characters like Superman or Captain Marvel.  Aquaman can get hurt and is fallible, but still powerful enough to get the job done.  Everyone knows that Aquaman can breathe underwater and talk to fish.  But many people don’t realize he’s super-strong (he can easily throw a car hundreds of feet), his skin is super-dense (to survive the pressures of the bottom of the ocean), he is able to swim at very high speeds, he can see in near total darkness and has enhanced hearing.  Additionally, on a few occasions he has used his telepathic powers (that he normally uses to “talk to fish”) on human beings. He was able to affect humans with his telepathy, even to the point of making them more agreeable to his suggestions.  Not necessarily the most moral of actions, but still a powerful demonstration of his abilities.

Fourth, I like the idea of exploring the wild unknown regions of the ocean.  There is so much about our planet that we don’t know.  How many times have you got sucked in by a Discovery Channel special about life in the ocean; it’s just plain fascinating.  The ocean is a great untamed frontier and it’s Aquaman’s job to keep it in line.  I think this was best demonstrated during the Kurt Busiek “Sword of Atlantis” run a few years back.  During that era, the ocean was essentially a sword-and-sorcery society.  Very rugged and untamed like something out of Conan.

Fifth, Aquaman was a family man.  Back in the Silver Age, Aquaman had the whole extended family thing going on: Mera his wife, Arthur Jr. his infant son, Aqualad his sidekick, and Aquagirl (Aqualad’s girlfriend).  As a parent myself, I kind of dig the idea of a family man superhero.  … Okay, I think I should clarify that what follows is not something I “like” about Aquaman, but something that really hits home with me as a parent. … In 1977 Aquaman’s world was changed forever when the Black Manta murdered Arthur Jr.  Lots of horrible things have happened to superheroes in the modern age, but this ranks up there as one of the absolute worst.  Black Manta murdered his infant son. Let that sink in for a second.  Reader, do you have any children, nephews or nieces?  Just imagine what it would do to your world if those children were murdered by a man simply because he hates you.  Holy crap.  I know if one of my children were killed by someone intentionally, I would never recover.  This one incident shaped the next 25+ years of Aquaman stories.  Mera, Aquaman’s wife, was driven insane by the grief; while Aquaman became an angry, surly person.  It was incredibly tragic and the idea still fills me with dread and rage when I think about the murder of a child in the real world.

Sixth, Aquaman is the underdog.  Most comic readers mock him, yet at the end of the day Aquaman is still the King of the Seven Seas and manages to save the world.  Admittedly, he’s not always the most useful member of the Justice League.  I think it’s fair to say that while he’s an “A-list” superhero and deserves the clout that comes from being on the Justice League, it really doesn’t make much sense for him to be on the team from a tactical point of view.  He should probably stick to the water, air-breathing cities near the water, issues related to the ocean or the environment, and function in a political capacity as King of Atlantis (i.e. Ambassador to the United Nations).  While most people mock him, it’s interesting that really popular writers like Peter David and Geoff Johns are excited about the opportunity to write him. That adds a lot to his credibility.

My Earliest Memories of Aquaman…

I haven’t always been an Aqua-maniac.  That didn’t happen until my college years.  However, I’ve always had a mild interest in the character.  My earliest memories of Aquaman are from the ‘Super Friends’ cartoon. By the way, if you ever want to research the ‘Super Friends’ cartoon, you’ve got to check out Will’s Ultimate Super Friends Episode Guide!  What an amazing resource!

There are two Aquaman appearances in the ‘Super Friends’ cartoon that have always stuck out in my mind.  The first involved Aquaman suffering a terrible transformation into some sort of shark creature.  The second involved Aquaman being time-lost in the prehistoric era, and he figured out a plan to communicate with the modern day Super Friends.  While preparing to write this blog post, I did some research and was able to find the actual cartoons online that I barely remember from my childhood.

Here is the episode where Aquaman is transformed into the shark-like creature.  As a child I felt sorry for Aquaman when seeing this change.  Aquaman was trying to protect everyone, but suffered from radiation exposure himself.  I was also a little freaked out when I learned that Aquaman evolved from a shark creature.  All this happens around the 5 minutes and 30 seconds mark.

Super Friends: Journey Through Inner Space (1978)

When a military jet carrying a deadly radioactive isotope crashes into the ocean, Aquaman comes to the rescue, but when he retrieves the isotope, the deadly radiation leaks through the canister and Aquaman is transformed into the primitive sea creature from which he evolved. The Super Friends capture him and with the help of a Japanese shrink ray, Superman and Wonder Woman in the Supermobile are shrunk to microscopic size to give the beast another dose of the isotope in the hopes of returning Aquaman to normal.

Here is the episode where Aquaman was trapped in the prehistoric era and figured out a way to communicate with the Super Friends in the future.  I remember as a kid thinking his plan was brilliant; as an adult, it really doesn’t seem too feasible.  I guess this was a sign of things to come with my interest in time travel stories.  The scene I’m talking about happens around the 14 minutes and 25 seconds mark.

Challenge Of The Super Friends: Time Trap (1978)

Grodd supplies a time conveyor used to lure Aquaman and Apache Chief after Black Manta and Giganta into the prehistoric past. Then Green Lantern and Samurai are trapped in Camelot, and Batman and Robin in Imperial Rome. Aquaman thinks to bury his JLA communicator in the past to signal the Super Friends in the future, and Superman flies through the time barrier to rescue them. Then they confront the Legion at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.


Watch The Time Trap in Animation |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Collecting the Aquaman Comic Book…

As a kid I read a few comics here and there that featured Aquaman (Justice League of America, Crisis on Infinite Earths, etc).  However, it was the 1986 Aquaman mini-series that was my real gateway drug into the Aquaman universe.  The way I saw it back then, this was my chance to get in on the ground floor with a #1 issue.  Back in the 1980’s, #1 issues were really a big deal.  You never knew what comic was going to be the next big hit, so many of us bought almost every #1 issue just to see if the comic was any good or would become valuable.  On top of that, here was a character I had a mild interest in already from my ‘Super Friends’ watching days.  So it seemed like a win-win situation.

This particular mini-series was written by the great Neal Pozner and illustrated by the amazing Craig Hamilton.  It was a fantastic introduction for me to the Aquaman fishtank.  It dealt with Atlantis, Vulko, Ocean Master, and magic beneath the sea. The best known thing to come out of this mini-series was Aquaman’s camo (blue) costume.  It didn’t stay around long, but it looked awesome!  To this day I believe they should have kept this costume instead of returning to the orange and green.  Years later they gave Tempest (formerly Aqualad) a modified red version of the suit in homage to its popularity.

While I loved the mini-series, there was no monthly book to follow.  So my interest in Aquaman began to wane.  There were a handful of Aquaman Specials and mini-series to come out over the next four years.  I picked them all up, but only the 1989 ‘Legend of Aquaman Special’ really captured my interest.  Then in 1990 came the outstanding ‘Atlantis Chronicles’ mini-series by Peter David and Esteban Maroto.  This was a mini-series that began in ancient Atlantis thousands of years ago, and ended with the birth of Aquaman.

Around the same time, my good friend Ravenface had begun to collect back issues of old ‘Legion of Super-heroes’ stories.  He would regale me with his misadventures in trying to acquire these old comics and the wacky fun of the Silver Age stories themselves. Keep in mind, back then there was no internet to order from, or trade paperbacks reprinting old stories. Ravenface’s escapades inspired me to go on a back issue quest myself, however, I needed to decide what old series I would seek out.  After much consideration, I decided to give old Silver Age Aquaman comic books a try.  What a blast!  I enjoyed the hunt and the catch of the experience!  Those old Aquaman comics were so much fun.  Ironically enough, the first Silver Age Aquaman comic I bought was ‘Aquaman #56′ because I liked the cover.  Little did I know that was the last issue of the Silver Age series as it had been canceled with that issue.  I liked the issue and continued to buy more of the Silver Age Aquaman series.  I quickly expanded my search to include the Aquaman appearances in books such as Adventure Comics, Action Comics, and Worlds Finest.

I was officially hooked on Aquaman at that point.  So I was in prime position to be totally jazzed when the late 1991 Aquaman monthly book started.  I’ve been buying all related Aquaman stories since.

Come back tomorrow for more Aquaman action! In the meantime, check out THE AQUAMAN SHRINE run by the amazing cool Rob Kelly.  It’s the best Aquaman site on the net, as well as being one of the best overall comic book blogs on the net. I’ll be plugging this site all week, so you darn well better go check it out!