AQUAMAN #1
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
Interior, Night. 16 Year Old Johnny Destructo is laying on his bed, reading some comics and blaring either Public Enemy or Circus Lupus. A mysterious, geeky figure vrrrps into the room. “JD! I’m YOU! You from the future! The year 2011! I’ve come back in time to see your face when I tell you that I write for AICN, and this week, I hated a Frank Miller book and loved an Aquaman book!”
Young Johnny, unphased, replies: “Balderdash! I don’t believe you for a second. Frank Miller is amazing and Aquaman is lame. I’ll never like Aquaman! I’ll never be like you, old man! And waitaminnut. All the cool stuff you could have time-traveled to see, and you came back in time just to tell me that? Man. What a loser.”
Old Johnny, filled with shame, chokes out “I …but…SHUT UP! At least future you has had sex! With a woman!”, and with that, sobbing, vrrrps back to the future.
Geez o man, teenagers are jerks. But despite 16 year old me’s inability to comprehend it, I did, indeed love Aquaman #1. But JD, you might say. I’ve known you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper, and you’ve always hated Aquaman. And you would be right, nameless old friend that I’ve never met, I HAVE always hated Aquaman. Never once have I found him interesting or engaging as a character. I was almost interested with the whole Sub-Diego thing awhile back, when they sank all of San Diego, but within 2 issues, I was gone again. Strangely, though, Johns’ does something here that works: He brings him into OUR world for just a little bit. Not only is the character considered by many to be a laughing stock in our real world, Geoff has even the DC populace tease and taunt WaterFella right to his face! It’s pretty blatant and just damn RUDE, and even the COPS join in, but there’s something endearing about seeing Arthur deal with this sort of thing. It certainly makes him more human and relatable.
Arthur thwarts a bank robber get-away, he stops into a joint for a bite to eat, he talks, he makes a decision and a new threat is introduced. In retrospect, not much actually “happens” in this issue, but it certainly didn’t feel that way when I was reading it. It’s (ahem) packed to the gills. Not only did I enjoy every word bubble, but …
I poured over every glorious panel of artwork. Ivan Reis may be one of my top ten comic artists working right now. Alan Davis meets Neal Adams meets Mark Bright, with a little something special tossed in. He doesn’t over-do it with extraneous line work (see David Finch), and it isn’t what I would call “flashy”, unless you consider solid story-telling, dynamic compositions and a mastery over anatomy and backgrounds “flashy.” Even if I didn’t care for the story or words, I would probably still buy this issue as a “how-to” art book.
But dammit, I don’t care what anyone says, not even Young JD, I just might love Aquaman! Seriously though, don’t tell anyone.
Art: 5 - Excellent
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dude, how do you always seem to get comics the day before?
I work at a comic shop and get to read them the night before, for reviewing sake.
ahhh I see
in the words of Napoleon Dynamite, “Lucky”
Yeah…well…”Your MOM goes to college.”
Yeah, I am pretty lucky. I love working at a comic shop. It’s pretty rad. But just being a reviewer has been cool too..just a couple weeks ago, I got to sit with Jim Lee and Geoff Johns for an interview..SUPERrad.
Awwww man, I work at a shop too, but the owner doesn’t crack the shipment on Tuesday nights. 🙁 Maybe I should get on that whole reviewing gig though.
the owner doesn’t crack the shipment on tues???
uh-buh??
we get the shipment around noon on tuesday and spend the day counting and sorting and then getting all books pulled for our subscribers…even though you get them on tues, you do all that on wednesday anyway, as customers are waiting for their books?
Well, I’m at my full time job during the day, but yep. All the counting/bagging/sorting/etc is done during the day on Wednesday. Boarding and bagging everything isn’t even done by the time I get there around 7:30ish.
I don’t wanna talk HoneySmacks on your shop but…damn. That sounds like AWFUL planning. The books are sorted and out for the first customers to enter the store..
If you don’t mind my asking, why does your shop do it that way? Is there a benefit I’m missing?
Well-written reviews this week, Old Johnny Destructo.
Thanks a bunch, @player
and if I may: “play on”.
“……player.”
Get it? Get what I did there? See, it’s funny becau-
*BLAMMthunkk*
Is there a Week Ahead Future Johnny Destructo who can manage my pull list?
@unclerocco: that’s what I’m TRYING to do with these reviews, haha!
If you go in and buy Frank Miller’s Holy Terror today, that’s YOUR fault and I can NOT be held responsible!
That being said: this week’s run-down is as follows (thus far)
Teen Titans: Not too bad.
Aquaman: Rad!
The Flash: Rad!
Brilliant: Has potential, but not completely sold yet.
Ult Spidey #2: Rad!
Superman #1: Not sold yet. Action was soooo much better.