The New Official Aquaman Thread

[TheCorpulent1]

So, I started reading all the post-Crisis stuff I could find on Aquaman because I missed the character after re-reading the Sub Diego run. There's a somewhat underwhelming '86 mini-series, a couple specials (one of which features Aquaman's post-Crisis origin which, for the record, I vastly prefer to his pre-Crisis origins), and another decent mini-series written by Keith Giffen in '89.

And then there's The Atlantis Chronicles by Peter David and an Italian artist named Esteban Maroto. Guys, if you consider yourselves fans of Aquaman or are interested in the history of Atlantis, read this series. It's a chronicling of Atlantis' history from a few centuries after Arion's (an ancient Atlantean wizard with stories in Warlord and his own series back in the '80s) departure through to almost the present day, told through the (often biased) eyes of Poseidonis' royal historians. It's bloody fantastic. Not only does it explain how Atlantis sank (before the Obsidian Age, anyway), how the Atlanteans learned to live underwater, where the mer-people of Tritonis come from, the story behind the curse of Kordax that saw baby Aquaman abandoned on Mercy Reef, Aquaman's namesake, and lots of other stuff, it does so in a really compelling set of stories filled with sword and sorcery action, political intrigue, royal court drama, romance, the rise and fall and changing of an empire, and pretty much anything else you could want from a story. Wikipedia's page claims that Peter David mentioned The Atlantis Chronicles as his best work, in fact. There's no citation, so who knows if he actually did, but I can certainly see a case for it. Maroto's art is also great. He has a very loose, light style that seems to be typical of Italian artists, based on the ones I've seen, and it works really well for the story. His designs of Atlantis' architecture and styles of dress (which subtly evolve as they learn to adapt to underwater life) are lovely.

Seriously, guys, read this.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Oh yea, I read the Atlantis Chronicles a while back. It's great stuff.

 

[Hush]

Now I have to go to my shope and hunt, thanks Corp!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You'll thank me unsarcastically when you read it.

 

[Hush]

Im sure i will, what year was it released in?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

1990, I believe.

 

[Hush]

Thanks buddy, it maybe a next pay check thing but i may make the trip to go find it.

 

[trustyside-kick]

I had to turn to ebay for Atlantis Chronicles when I got it.

I've been to almost every Houston comicbook shop and they almost never have any Aquaman before PAD's 1994 Run unless it's the few Silver Age issues of his first volme or hi Bronze Age appearances in Adventure/Action Comics. I know that's just in Houston, but Houston is a big city is all I mean by it. Wonder how it is in other states trying to get your hands on Aquaman comics at local shops.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Between Mile High Comics and mycomicshop.com, all the issues are available for about $2 or less each online.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Yea I got it on eBay before I knew of mycomicshop. My bro showed me it like a year ago or so. Great site.

 

[Hush]

My shop is great about back issues, its 21 years old and man oh man Steve is a great guy, he knows me by name and treats me like family. If he doesnt have it, i will result to going online.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Just finished the last issue. Shame that Arthur never gets to know his mom. She was cool.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Then again, she comes back in Larsen's crap run doesn't she? Then disappears?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Don't know, I haven't read the PAD/Larsen series yet. I'm on the 13-issue series before that one now.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Between Mile High Comics and mycomicshop.com, all the issues are available for about $2 or less each online.

Just how is mycomicshop.com, I've been thinking about using it to get a few back issues of Aquaman, Avengers, and whatnot.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Don't know, I haven't read the PAD/Larsen series yet. I'm on the 13-issue series before that one now.

The '94 Series is good, just that when PAD takes off Larsen comes in and does some questionable stuff. I don't overall HATE the run, just a few things he did. Then Jurgens took over and the title canceled with issue 75.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Right, didn't Larsen do some questionable stuff with Dolphin or something?

Just how is mycomicshop.com, I've been thinking about using it to get a few back issues of Aquaman, Avengers, and whatnot.

I've never used it myself, but I hear it's good. Mile High Comics is the site I usually use. I'm beginning to realize they're a bit overpriced compared to other sites, though.

 

[trustyside-kick]

I haven't used Mile High Comics but I've used mycomiship.com.

I like it, though I don't know how it compares to MHC. If your purchase is at least $50 you get free UPS Ground Shipping I believe, and they are based in Austin, TX. When you put your order in, they take about 2-3 to process the order (aka grab your issues and get them all set), and you have multiple options for shipping, but usually UPS Ground is the cheapest or second cheapest option.

 

[CConn]

I bought the entire vol. 4 run of Aquaman for 45 bucks (shipping included) on eBay yesterday.

I'm ungodly excited.

 

[trustyside-kick]

I see so many websites number them differently because of the minis he has had...so when you say Volume 4 what do you mean?

 

[BrianWilly]

Have y'all noticed how Aquaman always seems to be -- without exception -- depicted with his trident nowadays? It's not just Johns, Morrison was doing it too, and that wasn't even the real one. He never used to have a trident and now he just does all the time.

Is that how they're going to try to market him now? "His superpower...is trident!"

 

[trustyside-kick]

Yea he hasn't used the trident Poseidon gave to him in the PAD run since OWAW (while it didn't look the same they implied it was the same trident) but just like with all the toys all of his appearances have the trident. Maybe they think it will make people like him more? I personally like him using Poseidon's trident more often. Aquaman is great without it but the thing is always just sitting there and not being used.

 

[Hush]

Its a nice prop, oh and Volume 4 of Aquaman is the part of the series right before they re-released it as Sword of Atlantis.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I've been counting his minis as separate volumes, since they're all just titled "Aquaman." So vol. 1 is the '60s series, vol. 2 is the '86 mini, vol. 3 is the '89 mini, vol. 4 is the '91 series (which I'm reading now), vol. 5 is the PAD/Larsen/Jurgens series, and vol. 6 is the Veitch/Ostrander/Pfeifer/Arcudi/Busiek/Williams series. At least by my counting.

As for the trident, I'm glad he's using it again. If they're gonna stupidly cover up his water hand with those god-awful gloves again, it seems fitting that they'd replace it with an equally awesome magic weapon like the trident. Assuming, of course, it's actually Poseidon's trident and not some random hunk of surprisingly unrusted metal.

 

[yenaled]

some random hunk of surprisingly unrusted metal.

You know it will be.