Aquaman and the Others #1 - May 2014

Comics Weekend "Legacy of Gold" by Dan Jurgens, Lan Medina, Allen Martinez, and Matt Milla.

Aquaman comics history was made earlier this week, with the debut of Aquaman and the Others. While the Sea King has had ongoing features in multiple series simultaneously before, he has never headlined two titles at the same time. For us Aqua-Fans, this book's mere existence feels like a victory, a confirmation of the faith we've had in this character since we first discovered him.

After an opening scene with Atlan retrieving what he calls The Gold of Legacy--and murdering to get it--we flash forward to the present, where a team of jumpsuited assassins attack Prisoner of War:

In the midst of the battle, the Prisoner's Manacles of Force seem to lose their power, leaving him to fight them off with just his fists. They retreat, but promise to be back. The same thing happens in Brazil, with Y'Wara. Another group also attacks new Other Sky, but she manages to drag them to the parallel dimension she can transport to and gets some answers: these assassins are after the artifacts that The Others use. Sky realizes she has to tell the rest of the team, since everyone is in danger!

On the Mediterranean Sea, the Other known as The Operative is similarly attacked, except this mission is more successful: they grab the magic Key and start to make their escape, until:

On The Operative's flying fortress, Aquaman and The Others compare notes, and the Sea King explains their connection to Atlan. He also posits a theory that since the artifacts are kept apart, they might be growing weaker over time, which could explain why they're power. Y'Wara thinks they aren't worth it anyway (having, indirectly, cost the lives of Vostok and Kahina), but the argument is interrupted by an explosion: namely, a wing of The Operative's plane is blown off!

Meanwhile, in Iran, a young woman named Sayeh is in the hospital, suffering from violent delusions. Her brother-in-law tries to see her, but is told visiting hours are over. But an explosion coming from Sayeh's room, and when they enter, they see:

 

...you better bet this is to be continued!

 

A solid start to the series, Aquaman and the Others sets up a good, mysterious reason for this disparate group to get together. If Elongated Man was around, his nose would be twitching for sure.

I am less thrilled over the story's strong connection to Atlan--I'm just done with stories about superhero fathers--but since the items that help give The Others their powers are ancient Atlantean artifacts, I guess that can't be helped. Still, once this mystery is solved (five parts, really?) I hope that this is the last we hear or see of people from Atlantis' past. But Dan Jurgens is a solid comic book writer (and has even written Aquaman before, and quite well) and I'm looking forward to more adventures of Aquaman leading this team.

As I mentioned above, it is truly amazing that Aquaman is headlining a second book. This might be the best the Sea King has ever had it, no qualifiers, and so the Shrine says let's all sit back and enjoy it.

Aquaman and The Others Cover Art

Anyone remember Ivan Reis and his friends Joe Prado and Rod Reis? 

They're the artists formerly known as Team Aquaman and the Shrine has confirmed that while the guys are quite busy with their Justice League and Forever Evil work, they've squeezed yet another gig into their schedule: Ivan, Joe & Rod are scheduled to be the ongoing cover artists for Aquaman and The Others! When the cover to #1 premiered last month it only seemed fitting that it was drawn by the artists who designed The Others and we're super happy to report that it wasn't just a one-time thing. So if you miss the early days of Aquaman in the New 52, you have at least two chances each month to see them drawn by the all-star artists who made the Sea King's first book a best-selling hit!

We'll have the cover to A&TO #2 on the Shrine next Monday but until then feast your eyes on the original art from #1 and click on over to Comic Art Fans if you have a few extra dollars to spend and would like to own this little bit of Aquaman history!

 

Aquaman and The Others

 Aquaman and The Others #1 cover by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Rod Reis

Today is a big day in Aquaman history: DC Comics has officially announced Aquaman and The Others, marking the first time ever the Sea King will headline two titles in ongoing publication! We've been teasing a "The Others" series ever since one of our early conversations with Ivan Reis and Joe Prado so it's nice to see it finally made official. It's worth noting that by adding "Aquaman and" to the title DC makes the distinction between a franchise and a spin-off, indicating their vote of confidence in Aquaman's ability to carry multiple titles at once. Aquaman and The Others launches on April 2 and will be written by our friend Dan Jurgens with art by Lan Medina!

Check out the official solicit over on IGN!

Aquaman (Vol.8) Annual #1 - 2013

"A Choice of Evils" by John Ostrander, Geraldo Borges, Ruy Jose, Rod Reis, and more.

Aquaman's first annual in many years kicks off with the Sea King in the midst of battle:

...but then we cut over to a small island which is the base of operations for The Operative. Across the island is his grandson Aaron, spending some time with the young woman named Sky, who we last saw in Aquaman #20. The Operative is none too happy about this meeting, but their argument is interrupted by an attack of some sea creatures, followed by:

After some flying monkeys steal Vostok's helmet (that was fun, typing that), one of the sea creatures zaps Aaron, knocking him out. Sky, using her Shaman powers, channels a healing spirit, and she, Aquaman, and The Operative carry the unconscious Aaron into the mist.

While in this other realm, a spirit warns Sky that she and her friends are going to face an evil sorceress of immense power. This being manifests itself, going after the trio, but they escape back to "our" reality. Aquaman decides to call in the other Others, which of course includes his former flame Y'Wara:

Back at The Operative's HQ, they determine who this sorceress is: a woman named Madame Xan, who resides in Hong Kong. Y'Wara transports the whole team there, where Xan is trying to use Vostok's helmet.

Much to her chagrin, the helmet rejects her. Seemingly trapped on Earth without it, Xan decides to destroy the planet. But first, she needs to prepare for the attack that is coming. Our heroes appear in Tokyo, but they all find themselves split up, face to face with their own versions of Xan, who can take many familiar forms:

Xan tries to get Aquaman to see her side of things regarding humanity, underlining how badly the Surface World has treated the seven seas. Aquaman is not moved, and with a snap of her fingers, transports them all to a Hong Kong harbor, where they see a tsunami approaching.

Aquaman issues orders to the team, but one of them has fallen for Xan's words: Y'Wara, who attacks the rest, which leads to a knock-down, drag-out with the Operative. Meanwhile, Aquaman goes after Xan:

Using his trident, Aquaman seemingly defeats Xan, ridding Hong Kong of the tsunami. Y'Wara realizes the error of her ways, and is so upset that she decides, then and there, to quit the team. She teleports away, asking the rest to make her apologies to Aquaman.

When Arthur returns, he is concerned about Y'Wara, but says they simply have to give her time to recover. In the meantime, they go back to the spirit realm to visit Aaron:

 

I think my favorite part of this story was it's self-containedness (yeah, that's a word). After extended story arc after extended story arc in the main series, it was nice to have a (semi)complete story here.

Once again, however, Aquaman seems to be nearly a bystander in his own book--it's Sky that really frames the story, but I guess that's understandable, since this is clearly meant as a big launch pad for The Others series to come. At the rate this team is losing members, I think Aquaman's going to have kick off some sort of membership drive soon!

The art, by the simple fact of being the work of so many people, is inconsistent in places, but overall I thought the book looked pretty good: The Others are a visually compelling group of characters, and they contrast well against the bright and shiny Aquaman. And as usual, the coloring by Rod Reis (with help from Hi-Fi) bathes the book in beautiful hues.

More than anything else, I'm simply glad this Aquaman Annual exists: after so long without one (fourteen years, in fact), it's awesome to have tangible proof that this new series is one of the New 52's most enduringly popular series.

Aquaman (Vol.8) #20 - July 2013

"Skinwalker" by John Ostrander, Manuel Garcia, and more.

This issue of Aquaman opens not with Aquaman nor in Atlantis. No, we find ourselves in Arizona as a man with a rifle finds the corpse of a steer, looking like its been ripped apart. It doesn't take him long to find the culprit:

We flash up to the heavens, where The Operative's flying fortress is skipping across the sky. A conversation with his grandson is interrupted by Aquaman, P.O.W., and Y'Wara, who transport aboard without warning.

Aquaman explains to The Others what he's been doing the last few weeks/issues, and asks his former team to go a mission for him:

It's at this point that Aquaman departs the book, and we follow The Others in their attempt to retrieve the power glove, which is now in the possession of the skinwalker. 

After a brief fight, The Others and the young woman named Sky (who is a Shaman) defeat the skinwalker, getting back the glove. The Others plan to depart, with Y'Wara promising they will be back. The issue ends with Sky and the ghost of her mother watching the plane take off as the sun sets.

This issue was clearly designed with two purposes in mind: one, to give the current creative team a month off, and two, to work as a "backdoor pilot" (to borrow a TV term) for The Others, should DC decide to give them their own series (something that's been hinted at, on and off, ever since they first appeared). I can only assume the introduction of Sky is meant, eventually, to bolster the team's ranks a little in case they do need to carry their own book.

Aquaman's cameo in his own title reminded me of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane showing up for about five minutes in Superman III, before she departs the movie. It felt weird to have this side trip in the middle of the storyline (and one that, IMO, is already dragging a bit), but that's what fill-in stories are for.

Writer John Ostrander has pulled this duty for Aquaman before, and his custom-built one-offs are uniformly very good (see here and here). I wasn't as thrilled with this one, mostly because I just didn't want to take this detour at all--but of course that's not Ostrander's fault. If DC does choose to give The Others their own book, I think he'd be a great candidate to write it.

Speaking of cameo appearances, Aquaman pops up even less in Justice League #20 (also a fill-in issue, at least on the art side). After Despero opens a can of major, er, league whupass on the JL's new members Firestorm, Element Girl, and The Atom, the rest of the team assembles to clean up a large chunk of the Watchtower that has crashed to Earth. It's here where the Sea King shows up:

Wow, Aquaman is regularly featured in two books, yet this month he's barely appearing in three pages total! Better luck next month, Arthur!

Aquaman Vol. 2 The Others HC May Solicit

AQUAMAN VOL. 2: THE OTHERS HC

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale MAY 15 • 160 pg, FC, $22.99 US

• Aquaman joins up with his old teammates, The Others, to learn who destroyed Atlantis! But as they seek the truth, Black Manta is stalking them all—and Mera learns some dark truths about Aquaman! Don’t miss this second AQUAMAN hardcover!

• Collects AQUAMAN #7-13.

Aquaman (Vol.8) #13 - Dec. 2012

"The Others, Conclusion" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Julio Ferreira, and Rod Reis.

Aqua-Dog makes the cover! Salty FTW!

In other news, The Others storyline wraps up, kicking off with a flashback to six years go, when Manta escaped Aquaman in the snowy hills of Russia. We then flash forward to the present, as Vostok lays dying:

Aquaman continues to insist he hunt Manta alone, and smashes his way through a cliff face with his bare hands in pursuit. Just as he sees his target, Manta, in possession of the Atlantean orb and scepter, teleports away.

Back on The Operative's flying headquarters, they are able to track Manta. Dr. Shin blames himself for betraying Arthur and his father, but Aquaman is feeling guilt too, insisting he has "blood on his hands." He turns to Mera for forgiveness:

Manta reappears in the middle of a storm-tossed ocean, where a massive, insect-like Atlantean ship rises out of the water to meet him. Manta's unknown partner sends out his(?) emissaries to deliver payment, after which he will hand over the scepter.

But just as the hand-off is about to take the place, the Sea King arrives!

Aquaman demands to know who is inside the craft, wondering aloud if it is brother Orm. But whoever is inside isn't ready to face him just yet.

That leaves the job up to Black Manta, who fires a heat blast at Prisoner of War. With Prisoner down for the count, Manta prepares to deliver a killing blow, but once again Aquaman is there at the right moment:

Aquaman breaks Black Manta's arm, and that leaves him helpless at the Sea King's feet. Manta dares Aquaman to kill him, but he relents, refusing to kill in cold blood.

Morning arrives, and Manta is carted away by the police. The Operative offers to protect the other Atlantean artifacts, with the help of Y'Wara. Prisoner of War prepares to go back to his sad, lonely existence, but Aquaman offers him another path: using his powers to help heal the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We then see POW do just that; in Cedar Falls, Iowa, he arrives at a family's front door, offering them a chance to "visit" with their husband and father.

Meanwhile, back at Amnesty Bay:

The End...for now!

So (potentially) ends one of the great periods of Aquaman's 70-year history; as you all know by now, the 2/3rds of the art team, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, are bidding adeus to Aquaman and moving onto Justice League (of course, they are really only leaving Aquaman the book, not the character; the Sea King will be taking on a larger role in Justice League starting next issue). Along with color artist Rod Reis (who is, thank Neptune, staying on), they helped usher Aquaman into a new level of creative and popular success, led by the writing of Geoff Johns, who seemed to take making Aquaman and Mera "A" list characters again his personal mission.Together, this team was truly greater than the sum of its parts, and due to their efforts Aquaman has become, inarguably, the greatest success of the New 52.

As I've said every month since Aquaman #1, there was always at least one ka-pow moment in each issue, and I wasn't disappointed this time around--that full-page shot of Aquaman leaping out of the sea is simply beautiful (another moment is when Aquaman shatters Manta's helmet; I was lucky enough to see that page in black and white form and even without Rod Reis' spectacular colors it packed quite a punch).

I'm glad the issue ended with Arthur and Mera in a moment of happiness (with Salty the Aqua-Dog!). Neptune knows they won't ever really get much of that in their lives as superheroes, so you take it where you can get it. On a related note, I don't envy any bad guy whose plan is to separate Aquaman from his queen.

There will be new regular art team debuting on Aquaman soon, and the Shrine is eager to see what Paul Pelletier and Art Thibert bring to the world of the Sea King. In the meantime, let's all rejoice just how good us Aqua-Fans have had it recently; and offer up a round of applause to Geoff, Ivan, Joe, Rod, and everyone at DC who helped bring Aquaman back!

The Others Assembled!

Before meta-humans took on public identities as super-heroes, the man who would become Aquaman--Arthur Curry--was a part of an international group of adventurers each possessing a golden relic of great power...known so far only as "The Others." Their story has been kept shrouded in secrecy -- until now: Aquaman #7 (out March 28th) kicks off an multi-issue arc introducing the newest character creations by the amazing team of Geoff Johns, Joe Prado & Ivan Reis to the DC Universe! Take a look as we've assembled all the original designs for The Others here in one place (they debuted one-per-day on DC's Source blog last week)!

Kahina the Seer
The most elegant and stunning member of The Others...originally from Tehran, the Seer was once the conscience of The Others. The Seer has been inactive for the last few years, her whereabouts and activities unknown to Aquaman. Until now.



Prisoner-of-War
His identity is clouded by the mysterious powers he gained after his fellow soldiers were killed. The shackles he wears are golden like Aquaman’s trident, but a source of another power. When we meet Prisoner-Of-War he is a far cry from the man he once was…or will be.



The Operative
His exact country of origin is unknown but the Operative appears to have deep connections to every government on Earth. Other than Aquaman, the Operative is the only member of The Others to have never gone into hiding.

Vostok-X
The man known as Vostok-X was genetically designed to be the perfect cosmonaut. Heightened endurance, enhanced strength and intelligence and most importantly to the scientists overseeing the project, he was psychologically programmed through intense experimentation to embrace human isolationism. Vostok-X has not been seen for years.

Ya'Wara
She is a member of the Tapirape, an indigenous tribe of Brazil living in deep in the Amazon rainforest, she has a jaguar, she has a unique power and she has a connection with Aquaman that isn't going to make Mera very happy.


For the first chapter in their story, pick up Aquaman # 7 later this month!