{"id":19,"date":"2008-04-03T07:00:36","date_gmt":"2008-04-03T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/2008\/04\/03\/that-fish-guy-sword-of-atlantis\/"},"modified":"2010-08-10T23:32:18","modified_gmt":"2010-08-11T03:32:18","slug":"that-fish-guy-sword-of-atlantis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/wordpress\/2008\/04\/03\/that-fish-guy-sword-of-atlantis\/","title":{"rendered":"That Fish Guy – Sword of Atlantis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SwordWell, it was bound to happen sooner or later.\u00a0 Shag’s doing a post on “Aquaman<\/a>“.\u00a0 <<insert lame “talking to fish” joke here>><\/strong><\/em> Now that you’ve got that out of your system, let’s get down to it.\u00a0 Wanting to write this VERY lengthy post is what actually fueled my drive to create ONCE UPON A GEEK.\u00a0 I wanted a place where I could post something this insanely long without feeling like I had overstepped my posting boundaries.<\/p>\n

I wanted to stand up for one of the most under-rated periods of Aquaman’s 67 year publishing history.\u00a0 Specifically, the “Aquaman, Sword of Atlantis<\/a>” run.\u00a0 Initially, I was a very vocal opponent of this run.\u00a0 However, in all fairness, I had only read the first issue or so.\u00a0 And honestly, I didn’t really “get” what they were trying to accomplish.\u00a0 So like everyone else, I bad-mouthed the book.\u00a0 I recently took the time to read the entire “Sword of Atlantis” run, issues #40-57.\u00a0 I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book… well, at least the\u00a0first half of the\u00a0run.\u00a0 We’ll get into the second half\u00a0in just a second.<\/p>\n

To give you some background…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"SubAquaman has certainly gone through a lot of bad periods.\u00a0 However, one of the worst in my opinion had to be from 2003 – 2004<\/a>.\u00a0 This would be the period by\u00a0Rick Veitch<\/a> who sought to take Aquaman in a more mystical direction.\u00a0 While an interesting idea, it really wasn’t received well by the fans.\u00a0 Surprisingly, in 2004 things turned around dramatically when writer Will Pfeifer came on board (and later John Arcudi<\/a>).\u00a0 They really took Aquaman back to basics.\u00a0 Gone were the mysticism, the scruffy half-naked look,\u00a0and the over-the-top anger.\u00a0 What remained was a solid superhero comic that just happened to take place underwater.\u00a0 It was somewhat reminiscent of the popular and enjoyable\u00a01960’s Aquaman\u00a0series<\/a>, but with modern day sensibilities and storytelling.<\/p>\n

During this run (issues #15-39), a portion of San Diego plunged into the Pacific Ocean.\u00a0 Through a series of circumstances, the residents in those portions of San Diego survived and\u00a0adapted to water-breathing.\u00a0\u00a0This underwater city was re-named “Sub Diego<\/a>“.\u00a0 This setting\u00a0created a really interesting backdrop for Aquaman’s adventures as he essentially became the hero of this town.\u00a0 Also during this run, Aquaman acquired a new sidekick, Aquagirl<\/a>.\u00a0 Finally, Aquaman’s long-estranged wife Mera<\/a> also returned to the series.\u00a0 All-in-all, this was the best the Aquaman comic had been since the departure of Peter David<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apparently the whole “Sub Diego” storyline didn’t drive sales of the book high enough for DC’s liking.\u00a0 So\u00a0in 2006, DC was on the verge of cancelling the monthly Aquaman title.\u00a0 That was until Kurt Busiek<\/a> came forward with a proposal for Aquaman.\u00a0 If you don’t know Kurt Busiek<\/a>, he is a well-respected comic writer with some great credits to his name: Marvels<\/a>, Astro City<\/a>, Thunderbolts<\/a>, Avengers<\/a>, Iron Man<\/a>, Untold Tales of Spider-Man<\/a>, JLA\/Avengers<\/a>, Superman<\/a>, and Conan (for Dark Horse)<\/a>, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

Kurt had this original idea to\u00a0turn the Aquaman series into a sword & sorcery<\/a> book.\u00a0 Let me be fair and mention that traditionally, I loathe sword & sorcery stuff.\u00a0 I just have no interest in\u00a0fantasy (yes, even Lord of the Rings).\u00a0 Now Kurt had some experience in this genre writing the very popular Conan series for Dark Horse<\/a>.\u00a0 DC decided to let Kurt go forward with this concept, thus saving the Aquaman series from cancellation.\u00a0 It was conveniently timed with the “One Year Later<\/a>” storyline DC was putting together.\u00a0 In this storyline, all their mainstream superhero comics shifted forward one year, leaving the reader to wonder what happened during that missing year.\u00a0 In the case of Aquaman, Kurt’s plan was to follow a new character rather than the original\u00a0character of Aquaman (a.k.a. Arthur Curry or Orin).<\/p>\n

Enough background.\u00a0 On with Shag’s initial thoughts on “Sword of Atlantis”… <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"AquamanSo in early 2006, the first issue of the “Sword of Atlantis<\/a><\/span><\/span>” run (issue #40) hits the stands as part of the “One Year Later” storyline.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a tremendous flop.\u00a0 There was an angry outcry from Aquaman fans, and the non-Aquaman fans just didn’t care enough to pick it up.\u00a0 During the issue we’re introduced\u00a0to a young water-breathing man\u00a0coincidentally named Arthur Curry<\/a> (for the sake of distinction, we’ll just call him “Arthur” going forward).\u00a0 This Arthur is not\u00a0the original\u00a0Aquaman (for the sake of distinction, we’ll just call the original\u00a0Aquaman … well “Aquaman” going forward) that we saw just published last month in\u00a0issue #39 which actually took place a year earlier.\u00a0 This Arthur Curry is younger,\u00a0looks slightly different,\u00a0doesn’t go by the name Aquaman, and has an entirely different background.\u00a0 Well… entirely different background as compared to the Post-Crisis Aquaman origin.\u00a0 In fact, this new Arthur’s background is very reminiscent of the Golden Age Aquaman’s origin<\/a>, as well as the origin of the Golden Age hero Neptune Perkins<\/a>.\u00a0 Nothing really to read into here, just a nice nod to the Golden Age.<\/p>\n

By the end of\u00a0this first “Sword of Atlantis” issue,\u00a0Arthur is wearing a fantasy-based version of Aquaman’s costume and carrying a sword made from coral.\u00a0 Umm… okay, I guess.\u00a0\u00a0 We’re also introduced to a new supporting cast, including the Dweller of the Depths (a Pirates of the Caribbean Davy Jones<\/a>-looking character) and King Shark<\/a> (an old Superboy villain).\u00a0 It’s also worth mentioning that the art in this issue was provided by Butch Guice<\/a> and colors by Dan Brown.\u00a0 Upon first glance to me, the art and coloring just looked really muddy and indistinct.<\/p>\n

To sum up for the listeners at home… My opinion at first is that this brand-spanking new direction for Aquaman features:\u00a0a new lead character (that just looks to be a bad mimeograph copy of the original), a Pirates of the Caribbean knock-off,\u00a0a talking half-man\/half-shark (whose name is NOT Cobra McPunch),\u00a0really messy art, and a shift from superheroics to sword & sorcery.\u00a0 Hmmm… sounds like a formula for suckage to me at this point.<\/p>\n

I really didn’t like this\u00a0issue the first time I read it.\u00a0 In fact, I was one of the fanboys yelling how crappy the comic was (regardless of how good Kurt Busiek had been in the past on other books).\u00a0 I had a really hard time with the dramatic changes after really enjoying the Sub Diego period as much as I did.\u00a0 I continued to buy the comic (because I will always support an Aquaman book).\u00a0 However, I was so underwhelmed, these issues just sat there unread for about two years.\u00a0 In fact, by the time I finally got around to reading them the series had already been cancelled at issue #57.<\/p>\n

Shag’s opinion after re-reading the first issue ….<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

After the dust had collected almost too thick to see through, I finally got up the nerve to sit down and read these issues.\u00a0 I will be the first to admit that my first impressions were wrong.\u00a0 Boy was I wrong.\u00a0 Kurt Busiek’s run on Aquaman was really great!\u00a0 This time I “got” it.\u00a0 I had to let go of my preconceived superhero comic notions;\u00a0let go of the Aquaman I had always known; and give sword & sorcery a try.\u00a0\u00a0As I mentioned before, I’ve never\u00a0really been a big fan of sword & sorcery, but it really worked for me here.\u00a0 I think I just had to look at this book differently.\u00a0 There is a fine history between sword & sorcery and comic books; such as Conan<\/a>, Red Sonja<\/a>, Claw the Unconquered<\/a>, and Tor<\/a>.\u00a0 Kurt Busiek had recreated that flavor here in Aquaman, one of the most unlikely places.<\/p>\n

From Wikipedia<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Sword and sorcery\u00a0is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That is a great description for this series.\u00a0 Here was the\u00a0sword-wielding Arthur battling creatures and mer-people, all the while being the reluctant hero.\u00a0 Women pass into and out of his life.\u00a0 And the Dweller of the Depths is his magical mentor, while Arthur’s partner is the human\/shark hybrid King Shark (son of The God of All Sharks).\u00a0 Also, the majority of the plot was driven by\u00a0quests and small personal\u00a0stories (like searching for Arthur’s father, learning from the Dweller of the Depths, and talking with the ghost of Vulko).<\/p>\n

Remember how I said I thought the art and coloring looked\u00a0muddy and indistinct?\u00a0 I was an idiot.\u00a0 Admittedly, the colors are of a darker palate, but that’s on purpose.\u00a0 This is the bottom of the ocean and sunlight doesn’t really reach this far down.\u00a0 Murky is actually the perfect word to describe the bottom of the ocean and the excellent color choices for this book.\u00a0 And the art.\u00a0\u00a0THE ART!\u00a0 Brilliant!\u00a0 I was a fool, why didn’t I see it before?\u00a0 The art style of this book was purposefully emulating the old sword & sorcery comics.\u00a0 This was Joe Kubert’s Tor<\/a> art style reincarnated, with a tip of the hat to\u00a0Barry Windsor-Smith’s Conan<\/a> style.\u00a0 Without the perspective of the past, I think it’s very hard to appreciate Butch Guice’s art on this series.<\/p>\n

Overall, I felt Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice created a great sword & sorcery comic.\u00a0 They also threw in some DC Universe continuity items without really breaking the sword & sorcery mold.\u00a0 Issues #40 – 49 contained some really great things like: the rag-tag survivors of Atlantis led by Mera, great sword fights, the Windward Home (an enormous gothic-looking house floating on the ocean that housed the Sea Devils<\/a>, the aged Golden Age hero\u00a0Red Torpedo<\/a>,\u00a0the widow of the Silver Age hero Prince Ra-Man<\/a>, and the ghost of Vulko), Ocean Master<\/a>, a flashback story featuring\u00a0the original Aquaman, a cool reinterpretation of the Fisherman<\/a>, and the eventual realization that the Dweller of the Depths is actually the original Aquaman horribly transformed.<\/p>\n

You can get issues #40-45 in the trade paperback “Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis<\/a>“.\u00a0 If you are interested, your local comic shop should be able to order it for you.<\/p>\n

Issues #50 – 57 of Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I can not speak as favorably about the following issues of the “Sword of Atlantis” run.\u00a0 These were written by Tad Williams<\/a> and drawn by Shawn McManus<\/a>.\u00a0 While Tad is an accomplished fantasy writer, I feel this run really never found its legs. To me it seemed confused as to whether it was a superhero comic or a sword & sorcery comic.\u00a0 Obviously Tad did his research because there were many nods to various eras of Aquaman.\u00a0\u00a0In Tad’s run we saw the return of: Tempest<\/a>, the\u00a0denizens of Sub Diego<\/a>, Cal Durham<\/a> (a supporting character that hadn’t been\u00a0unused for 25 years), a reimagined Topo the Octopus<\/a>, Koryak (Aquaman’s illegitimate son), Aquagirl<\/a>, and Black Manta<\/a>.\u00a0 We also\u00a0got some new developments, such as the Deep Church of Dyss, the Clownfish, and the fact that a piece of Aquaman’s soul resides in Arthur.\u00a0 Again, even with some interesting ideas, the comics never really came together for me.<\/p>\n

In my opinion,\u00a0Shawn McManus’ art on this run was not his best work either.\u00a0 I’m a HUGE fan of his and think his Doctor Fate<\/a> series is one of the best drawn comics of the late 80’s\/early 90’s.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I just wasn’t feeling it here.<\/p>\n

After the cancellation…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"AquamanSince the cancellation of the Aquaman book, the new Arthur has appeared in a few places.\u00a0 He was in a Batman & the Outsiders mini-series<\/a>, as well as an issue of Superman\/Batman<\/a>.\u00a0 In both cases, he remained the sword & sorcery character and was handled well.\u00a0 Rumor is that DC has plans for Aquaman in the near future, so my hope is they find a way to make the sword & sorcery Arthur a viable character (rather than just re-writing him and returning him to the “classic” Aquaman).<\/p>\n

In conclusion…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I feel like I owe Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice an apology for my initial reaction to their “Sword of Atlantis” run.\u00a0 This really was a great comic and I’d recommend it to anyone willing to take a chance on a sword and sorcery comic.<\/p>\n

Thanks for your time.<\/p>\n

Tell the world about ONCE UPON A GEEK:<\/h3>