It's no secret I'm a huge Aquaman fan. And to me nothing sounds better than an Aquaman book with Geoff Johns writing, Ivan Reis penciling, Joe Prado inking, and Rod Reis coloring.
The Good
Aquaman isn't just battling evil in the ocean. You quickly find out he has no problem taking the battle to the surface in order to save people. Anyone who thought this may have been a book featuring a guy swimming in the ocean with a school of fish following him is incredibly wrong. For years, I, and many other Aquaman fans, have been trying to explain what Aquaman's powers are, aside from "talking to fish." This issue does a great job not only explaining but showing readers what this amazing character is capable of. Let it be known, don't mess with Aquaman.
Aquaman has a bit of a chip off of his shoulder, and rightfully so. The character, personality-wise, had a redesign, and it's 100% for the better. He still cares for his people and his wife, but don't bring up the wrong topic around him because he gets pretty pissed off. He's nothing like the lame version of him on Super-Friends.
What got me most excited about this book was the new villains: They're creepy, malicious, and not a typical villain trying to take over the world. It's also nice to see a collective of villains, and in this case a race of beings, than a singular villain. "The more, the merrier."
Ivan Reis' art is phenomenal. He was one of my favorite artists when he popped in and out of Green Lantern, and I love seeing him work with Geoff Johns again. He's a solid, contemporary, talented guy, and the addition of Joe Prado's inking and Rod Reis' colors really make this book pop.
The Bad
While I loved every moment of this book, there is one element of this book I can see people not liking. This issue spends a lot of time telling the reader that people hate Aquaman. It gets to a point where you become just as aggravated as Aquaman looks. The whole issue really just tries to disprove the statement "Aquaman sucks." At the same time, this needs to be done, since this character has been crapped on for years, even though he's had some outstanding runs.
No water hand. I loved the water hand. Maybe it's under his glove?
The Verdict
I've read all 52 of the "New 52" and Aquaman is my favorite. Is it because I've always been an Aquaman fan and I've been waiting for a series to do the character justice? Yes. Aside from my incredibly biased opinion of the character, is this a good book? Hell yes. It's about time someone revamped this character, and there's no one else better at DC than Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. The character's personality has been redesigned, and his powers explained, so this is a great jumping on point. I love the new villains and the art, but the whole Aquaman disproving why he sucks bit got a tad redundant. I highly recommend this book. I <3 Aquaman.
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