Aquaman is part of DC’s New 52 relaunch, and it seems like they felt safe reengineering the character a bit more than the others.
It’s not a reboot like Supergirl, but it is fresh, and the character has some interesting depth.
This first arc opens with Aquaman helping to stop a crime in progress on the streets of his city. He is met with jeers and not exactly taken seriously. One policeman evens asks if he wants a glass of water.
From there, Aquaman goes to a seafood restaraunt to try and order lunch. He’s still wearing his costume, so he gets stares and questions.
One blogger comes over and asks him things that help solidify Aquaman’s attitude and backstory for the reader.
In the background of all this exposition, a strange race of what look like black smoker fishmen ascend to the surface, and take the first step in what will be a battle against the people of the surface world.
Just as the book itself is struggling for acceptance and understanding, so too is Aquaman.
DC knows that Aquaman is one of their most ridiculed heroes, and now the hero himself is also aware of it, and it’s definitely an interesting sore spot.
No one takes him seriously, and everyone has misconceptions about who – and what – he is.
A sort of forth-wall nod to the reader who must be thinking the same thing: “Why should I take Aquaman seriously?”
And just as the book will be trying to show us the relevance of the story in our social consciousness, the character himself will be struggling to show his world, the world of DC’a New 52, how he is relevant to their struggle.
As with Supergirl, I wasn’t expecting much from Aquaman. Yet, I certainly have been forced to shift my attitude about the character.
Aquaman #1 is available wherever you pick up your comics, including the ComiXology store.
