New 52 Review – “Aquaman #1”

DC’s King of the Sea is back in the relaunch. This title is a very pleasant surprise.

General Information

Title: Aquaman #1

Author: Geoff Johns

Illustrator(s): Ivan Reis (pencils), Joe Prado (inks) and Rod Reis (colours)

Cover Date: November 2011

Cover Price: $2.99

Buy the digital edition.

Premise

Aquaman is as strong and durable as one has to be to survive at the bottom of the ocean. He is the determined, dedicated and quick-acting individual he needs to be to be a king. Unfortunately, nobody seems to recognize that.

High Point

Officer 1: “I can’t believe we just got upstaged by Aquaman.”
Officer 2: “The boys at the station are never gonna let us hear the end of this.”

Low Point

Does he have super healing, or was the wound just left out of the art?

The Scores

This feels original. We’ve got the classic look to Aquaman, but he’s exhibiting all the physical and personality characteristics this type of character would have to possess. The fact that the world sees him as a laughingstock helps play into it, giving a very different tone to the usual “fish out of water” story. I give it 6 out of 6.

The artwork is excellent. Aside from the vanishing wound, which may or may not be a power I’m unaware of, I have no complaints at all. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story is surprisingly strong. Something big is brewing, and we get a strong sense of what’s going on in his personal life that he’s going to need to deal with. I give it 6 out of 6.

The characterization is fantastic. The reason I’ve never been an Aquaman fan is that he’s never been the character he needed to be. He’s finally got the power of Sub-Mariner, along with the necessary leadership skills, but without cloning Namor’s personality. I’m very, very impressed. I give it 6 out of 6.

The emotional response is amazing. I didn’t know Aquaman could be a good title, but Johns found the needed approach. I give it 6 out of 6.

The flow is marred only by the vanishing wound. The script makes it seem like only a minute or so has passed, and yet it’s gone. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, this is possibly the most pleasant surprise of the relaunch. At the time of this writing, I’ve read 43 out of 52 titles, and it’s certainly the greatest surprise of that set. I give it 6 out of 6.

In total, Aquaman #1 receives 40 out of 42.

The New 52

Here are handy links for the reviews of all 52 new #1 issues:

Bureau 42