Waylon Weighs In: A Review Of Aquaman #1

One of the most anticipated titles for DC’s new 52 re-launch for me was defiantly Aquaman. No it is not because I love the character or he is near and dear to my heart. It is because Aquaman has been such a joke in the DC universe that I wanted to see what Geoff Johns would do with him. Johns has had a successful run with Green Lantern and did really well with Flashpoint, so I was interested to see if he could take a character, such as Aquaman, and turn him around in to a decent character. Throughout the years I have always thought that he had potential to be a break out character, but no writer has properly handled him. So here are my thoughts on Aquaman’s solo title in Dc’s new 52. As always I have made the attempt to avoid them, but be warned potential spoilers ahead.

The story does one thing right off the bat that Aquaman has needed; it takes him out of the water and makes him a viable character on land as well. Showing that he is not just someone that is going to patrol the seas is something that has been desperately needed for years. Something that seems a little too forced in the issue, however, is the fact that people know Aquaman is lame and has lame powers and he spends a little too much time defending himself. This also does lead to a good explanation of how he can communicate with fish though. On the flip side of him having to defend himself so much Johns did write the responses to the questions well, with Aquaman seeming annoyed by the questions yet answering them sternly while still being polite.

Another story with in the story is his relationship with his father. While it doesn’t take up much of the story it’s powerful none the less. There are only a couple panels that are devoted to showing him with his father as a little boy, but what little there is you get that he misses him dearly.

One other thing that I would have like to seen in the issue is the development of the villain. We get to see a couple of glimpses of them, but they only say a few lines and don’t give us a clear intention on what they are all about. Although they are menacing looking creatures we are left with pretty much no knowledge at all about them.

Another highlight of the issue is the art by Ivan Reis. The art jumps off the pages at you and really grabs your attention. It does a nice job of flowing from page to page with also telling the story as well as Johns words. To compliment the art is inker Joe Pardo and colorist Rod Reis. Reis really stands out with the coloring of issue. The vibrant coloring is really bright with distinguished colors and just makes the issue really pop.

Overall the story was great. Once again I think the fact that Aquaman is constantly defending himself kind of takes away from the issue and slows it down. Johns did a great job of conveying Arthur’s frustration of being considered a joke, however. The story line with his father was beautifully done and gives you a sense of him missing the father figure in his life. With the art by Reis and Johns making Aquaman a little more interesting I will definitely be sticking with this title.

3 1/2 out of 5

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