Jeff Parker's run on AQUAMAN has given readers a new sense of adventure and fun as he takes on sea monsters and elements from his own past. Now, Aquaman has learned his mother is still alive in the current story line "Maelstrom." Issue #36 of AQUAMAN, part two of this story, is currently available and Jeff Parker took some time to answer a few of our questions.
COMIC VINE: In the last issue, we find that Arthur's mother isn't dead because her essence wasn't pulled into the sunken continent. How long is this current arc going to be and how did it feel to toy with Aquaman's history and mythos?
JEFF PARKER: This arc runs to issue 40, so it’s six parts. I loved that in the New 52, Aquaman’s history and the mythos of Atlantis is still wide open, it really gives me a chance to build in some intriguing backstory - and tie Atlantis into the DC universe in new ways.
CV: You introduce the idea of dead Atlantians being sucked into this battery like room. What was your thought process behind this concept and what role will this play in this story and down the road?
JP: It’s not just the room, it’s every part of the sunken continent and anything built or carved out of that strata. I was considering a lot of elements that have been presented so far, like how the dimensionally blocked-off realm of Xebel functions for instance, and other things yet to come like how the Atlanteans could adapt to aquatic life so quickly. It’s a big theory, and we start to get a handle on it with what we discover in Maelstrom. But there’s more revelations beyond this.
CV: Lots of your run, thus far, has dealt with the unknown and beasts from the sea. What do you find appealing about these elements?
JP: I feel like Aquaman works really well with discovery and adventure, and the ocean is still a big mysterious frontier that he’s best suited to find challenges in.
CV: Has there been any specific elements or concepts from Aquaman's past volumes you've wanted to touch on during your run?
JP: None that I want to just re-use, we’re trying to keep the fresh start feel for quite a while here. But there are some bits I want to sneak in without foreshadowing, surprise them. It’s a mistake though to assume just because some character existed in a particular form in a previous version that we will eventually replicate that. I really want Aquaman and Mera to be the focus.
CV: You already have a quite a few issues of the series under your belt. Remembering back to when you started, did you have any goals for this series or anything you wanted to bring to the character and do you think you've accomplished that?
JP: I felt like Johns soundly accomplished the ‘take Aquaman serious’ goal in his run, so to me the next step was to find a way to make readers relate to the character better. Because that’s what keeps readers coming back, if they can connect on some level. So I’ve focused the fact that he not only had a relatively normal upbringing in a small town, all of whom still know him because he doesn’t keep his identity a secret, but that he deals with the constant pulls of two worlds and different heritage. I think a lot of us can relate to that, having parents of different cultures or races. Trying to figure out where you belong, that’s pretty universal.
CV: What can we expect in upcoming issues of the series?
JP: The search for where his mother Atlanna went keeps turning up more discoveries, and gets dangerous fast.
CV: What are your feelings on Topo and how soon until we get a one-shot Topo story?
JP: If there’s demand for a Topo short, I can happily oblige that. I’ll start planning it this week!
CV: At NYCC, you mentioned Gorilla Grodd appearing in AQUAMAN. Were you serious or was that a joke?
JP: Now you know it’s no joke! It’s maybe my favorite story of the run so far, it really came together. I’ve also wanted to push Grodd a little further into being a certain type of villain, and you’ll see that in 37.
Thanks to Jeff Parker for answering our questions and make sure to check out his current run on AQUAMAN!
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