Aquaman is understandably the butt of many jokes. He communicates with fish and is kind of the king of Atlantis. But also, kind of a pussy. (except when he has a beard and a harpoon hand) Namor: the Submariner of Marvel could kick the crap out of Aquaman. He’s hardcore, badass, and slick. Then we get Geoff Johns. The forerunner of DC comics decided to bring his magic to one of the biggest jokes in comics. Little did he know, the joke was on us, because “Aquaman” is one of the best, most fun books around.
In the New 52 Aquaman is one of the characters that has basically kept his origin intact. The book opens with a shift in status, though. Aquaman leaves Atlantis with his wife Mera to realize where he really came from. He has since battled creatures from below Atlantis, creatures that even he didn’t know existed. The larger plot has been shown, someone is after him and after his former teammates, The Others. It’s shocking how much you can do with a character that no one knows they like. Johns has turned Aquaman from a reject to the A-lister his fans always wanted him to be.
There is so much good being put into the title it’s impossible to stop reading. Johns has crafted a world for Aquaman away from Atlantis, and set him leaning about his human side. Mera (whom, everyone jokingly refers to as Aquawoman) is easily one of the best supporting characters around. Worthy of her own title. She’s his rock and because she is more rough than he is, watching her integrate herself into the human world is one of the most engaging parts of the book.
Aside from Johns at his best since “the Sinestro Corps. War” the art has been top notch with superstar Ivan Reis as regular artist. While his art is always superb, the effort he puts into “Aquaman” shows his passion for making the book work. Together, they are an unstoppable force. If people aren’t reading the book they are missing out. It’s the most fun of all the new 52 and one of the best period. It’s tough to admit you like Aquaman, but you will have to after just one issue of his title.