Aquaman request.

[comicfan4Life]

I've been reading comics since I was 6 and I'm now 15. As I got older at about age 12, I began getting interested certain heroes that no one gave chances. Mostly indy comics. Now I find myself a fan of Aquaman. I started reading him at about age 13. And I was only able to find the waterbearer tpb, so I was wondering do you guys know of any good tbps I can pick up along with some good back issues? P.S, Aquaman does not suck! Damn it feels good to say that.t:

 

[yenaled]

Only two Aquaman trades exist. Time and Tide and the Waterbearer. The JLA arc The Obsidian Age (Book 1 and 2) are Aquaman heavy as well so worth checking out.

You should be able to find back issues at your comic shop, the current volume has been excellent so far. And continues to be. If you aren't picking it up find from issue 40 where Buisiek took over. It's a new Aquaman in the lead but I think it's a good transition.

 

[trustyside-kick]

yenaled is right; there are only two Aquaman trades.

It's time like this where I wish DC had those books that Marvel has, the ones title "Essential". Course, those are normally older issues all bunched together...but I'm sure if DC would do this they would make a lot of money off of it.

When I too became more eager in Aquaman I had similar questions. I ended up getting a hold of the '94 series, '03 series, and collect the current series eventually.

I haven't finished up the '94 series (where he loses his hand) but it's been great so far.

I did not enjoy the '03 series at all after the Waterbearer arc. If I were you...I wouldn't get anything past the Waterbearer arc. Sub Diego was pure crap (to me at least) and basically acted like the whole Lady of the Lake thing never happened aside from showing Orin with the water hand. The only other stories I would recommend getting from the '03 series aside from what I said is the last few before Infiite Crisis happened. Then again...even those issues from the '03 series aren't imporant if you know/heard what happened to Atlantis right before Infinite Crisis started. I disliked everything inbetween the end of Waterbearer and the beginning of OYL so much that I regret spending money on the series.

The current series is very nice. I'm enjoying it a whole lot; can't wait til they explain what happened inbetween the end of IC and before OYL.

 

[yenaled]

It's time like this where I wish DC had those books that Marvel has, the ones title "Essential". Course, those are normally older issues all bunched together...but I'm sure if DC would do this they would make a lot of money off of it.

DC has Showcase which are exactly the same as Essentials. There is an Aquaman one being released in February.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Really? I thought I saw something like that but it was like real old issues...as in stuff from the '40s and such for certain characters; or so I thought.

Any clue what series is going to be in that book you mentioned?

 

[hippie_hunter]

Sub-Diego was awesome and I'm glad that Sword of Atlantis is touching up on it again.

 

[yenaled]

Yeah they are starting with early issues and making their way through the years.

I'm sure eventually they will get to more modern series but they have a lot of stuff to get through first. The first Aquaman one will collect most of the Adventure Comics run #260-284 Plus I think some of the first Aquaman series.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'm definetely getting the Aquaman Showcase on account that Aquaman is my favorite superhero.

 

[trustyside-kick]

You liked Sub Diego, hippie_hunter?

There were things here and there that I could tolerate...but overall I didn't enjoy it while I read it. I accidentally went backwards and am now reading the '94 series and liking it a lot though.

One of my biggest problems with the Sub Diego stuff was the artist.

 

[hippie_hunter]

You liked Sub Diego, hippie_hunter?

There were things here and there that I could tolerate...but overall I didn't enjoy it while I read it. I accidentally went backwards and am now reading the '94 series and liking it a lot though.

Yes, granted that I started on it late. The end of it was fantastic though and I felt bad for Aquaman that he lost his remaining son and his adopted son was presumed dead.

One of my biggest problems with the Sub Diego stuff was the artist.

Agreed, the artist just wasn't suited for Aquaman.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Yes, granted that I started on it late. The end of it was fantastic though and I felt bad for Aquaman that he lost his remaining son and his adopted son was presumed dead.

Yea, that part was sad and all to happen to Aquaman; I'm not hating that stuff. What I disliked was the transition from Waterbearer to Sub Diego. There are several things that were introduced also in the Sub Diego stuff that we never even saw answered or resolved though. Also, it felt like Sub Diego completely and utterly acted like Waterbearer never happenend aside from Orin's hand. No references to the Lady of the Lake or the Secret Sea; I mean...wtf? You know?

Agreed, the artist just wasn't suited for Aquaman.

I was so surprised because the artist for the Waterbearer arc was real good. Since I've gone backwards and now collected the '94 series...I look at it and it's also full of great art and artists. Makes me wonder why the Sub Diego stuff was drawn poorly.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I know what you mean, I was hoping that they would have reflected a bit more on the events before Sub Diego.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Say would you know where I can find the eariler series of Aquaman?

 

[trustyside-kick]

Here's the way I see it:

With the '94 series, you can summarize it and it won't be enough. There are just too many details that go on where it's basically essential if you want to have a firm background and history about Aquaman.

With the '03 series, you can summarize the entire series and it is enough. More than half the issues during the Sub Diego stuff and before IC were so irrelevant or pointless that the details don't matter; I'm talking about those worthless issues where like Orm and Orin switch bodies because of one of his spells. Not saying that was a ****ty story or hating or anything...but it's one of those stories that don't have any meaning or importance when it comes to the having a firm background or history about Aquaman; nothing epic like losing his hand or facing an alien invasion. And no..to me...San Diego being submerged is not epic or big enough.

So obviously...I say if you are going to just start to read Aquaman comics you should try your best to get a hold of the '94 series, get the Waterbearer TPB, and read about everything else up to OYL in reviews or something, and collect the current OYL stuff since it's good.

 

[Tropico]

Wow, I'm practically completely opposite to you guys. I disliked the art and the majority of the Waterbearer arc but loved the art and story after it. The current Aquaman isn't my cup of tea either. I've been buying it mostly because I want to see if it picks up and if Orin/Dweller finally comes to his senses.

I have his complete run from the 90's until it ended during IC. There's a lot of cool stuff there and things that I would like to see explored since they're into this whole mystical angle, like Kordax and the whole Atlantean legacy/curse. I also have the Obsidian Age issues which were awesome for me because one part had Aquaman and the other had a team with Firestorm which is another of my fave heroes.up:

 

[trustyside-kick]

Oh yea...I almost forgot...JLA: Obsidian Age Vol. 1 & 2 are a must.

And yea, that's what I meant where I can't wait til they explain what happened inbetween IC and OYL. Where they explain what happened to Orin is going to be the best part for me I think. Also, another great thing about OYL is the mystical angle.

 

[comicfan4Life]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the help. I'll check to see if my comic shop has Time and tide tomorrow, aswell as a couple of back issues. Aquaman is a good character. He can do more than just talk to fish and swim! But for some reason people always think that when Aquaman is mentioned. I'll also try to pick up Obsidian age also.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

If only he had a good writer.

 

[Kitsune]

Sub-Diego was awesome and I'm glad that Sword of Atlantis is touching up on it again.

You mean the "We're underwater, but we still wear ties and sit in chairs like we were on land saga"

 

[comicfan4Life]

I recently bought a few back issues and the shop said they'll order time and tide. They said Obsidian age will be in tomorrow so I'll pick that up. I have some of the sub-diego issues. They're pretty good in certian issues when they portray Aquaman as a B.A, but its not Atlantis. It's just a part of San Diego, but underwater. The people act as though nothing happend at all! But that's to be expected. Its hard to give up certain functions of life that you've been used to for so long. So its an all right series. I kinda like it, but what caused that event to happen in the first place?

 

[explode7]

An Aquaman fan??? Theirs a first.

 

[Tropico]

I recently bought a few back issues and the shop said they'll order time and tide. They said Obsidian age will be in tomorrow so I'll pick that up. I have some of the sub-diego issues. They're pretty good in certian issues when they portray Aquaman as a B.A, but its not Atlantis. It's just a part of San Diego, but underwater. The people act as though nothing happend at all! But that's to be expected. Its hard to give up certain functions of life that you've been used to for so long. So its an all right series. I kinda like it, but what caused that event to happen in the first place?

I totally agree on the reasons why they still acted like they were on land. How can you modify what you've spent your whole life doing in a couple of months. Besides, all this sitting and sleeping in beds and wearing clothes is stuff that Atlanteans do too. If you read Sub-Diego from the beginning you'd see that they did struggle for a while and even as the series progressed I still got a feeling that these people were still adapting.

The event that caused Sub-Diego is revealed bit by bit but in the end it boils down to a conglomerate that got a hold of some of Aquaman's DNA and had a scientist develop a way to make normal people into water breathers. After spreading the chemical (thought the water supply I think it was) a seismic event was triggered that threw part of San Diego into the sea.

 

[trustyside-kick]

That's one thing that bothered me though...they never really concluded anything. Like if they still have Orin's DNA or if that thing they used to cause the seismic tremor/thing was still there. Basically, we eventually didn't see anymore things with that company.

 

[Tropico]

That's one thing that bothered me though...they never really concluded anything. Like if they still have Orin's DNA or if that thing they used to cause the seismic tremor/thing was still there. Basically, we eventually didn't see anymore things with that company.

Yeah, IC got in the way. Let's see what happens when they go to Sub-Diego next.

 

[GNR]

Aquaman fan?

Read JLA Year One by Mark Waid and the current Justice maxi series by Kreguer.