When most people think of Aquaman, they think of a pretty-boy wearing a goofy outfit who talks to fish. While it's true that all superheroes went through a period of being extremely childish and cheesy, Aquaman never really outgrew that reputation in the way that characters like Batman and Superman did. For years, Aquaman has been the subject of obscurity and is probably everyone's least favorite Justice League superhero. From a personal standpoint, I have seen some really fantastic representations of the character that are nothing like what I just described. The version of the character that appeared on SMALLVILLE was seriously badass and the version that appears in Netherrealm's INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, a one-on-one fighting game, even looks fierce as hell in addition to being a regular boss. Because of these prior experiences with the character, I went into AQUAMAN VOLUME 1 THE TRENCH (THE NEW 52) with a healthy degree of optimism and was very happy that I was not disappointed.
What fans rightfully considered to be one of the lamer characters in the DC lineup has come out in THE NEW 52 with by far the strongest first volume that I personally have read. Aside from comparing it to the rest of THE NEW 52's offerings, this is just a fantastic graphic work in general. The story kicks off with Aquaman dealing with the reputation of being kind of a joke. No one on the mainland takes him seriously or even believes that his kingdom, The Lost City of Atlantis, is real. Being half human on his father's side and half atlantean on his mother's Arthur finds himself in a spot where he belongs to neither the realm of land nor the depths of the sea. He's a bit lost and only seems to be sure of two things: his love for the "mermaid" Mera, and a desire to use his powers to protect the shores along with the people and creatures that live there. Arthur's desire to help others is put to the ultimate test when a hoard of flesh eating sea-humaniods emerge from the depths and begin to harvest the human population that lives in the small seashore town in which Aquaman makes his home with Mera. The police force is at odds about letting Aquaman help, but the jilted hero takes matters into his own hands and takes on the mysterious race of monsters with Mera's help.
It would be hard to say more about the specifics of the plot without ruining something, but it should THE NEW 52. I didn't feel like I was trying to catch up with anything nor was I left to guess about some of the finer details of the story. Yes, the first issues do reference Aquaman's history as a character, but only in the vaguest sense. And yes, there is certainly a sense that Aquaman has been around for a while, but the fact that nobody really seems to understand him gave me the feeling that I was meeting him for the very first time. It also helped a lot that little snippets of backstory were thrown in to help shape my image of who Arthur and Mera were before the start of this story. Some readers may be bothered to hear that there is not necessarily any tangible arch nemesis for Aquaman, but this actually worked for me. The hoard of sea monsters is genuinely terrifying and gruesome and Aquaman's struggles against them revealed some openings for a much broader threat. This is a story that is filled with as much mystery and intrigue as our real-life oceans provide and although the conclusion felt satisfying, I definitely craved more.
be made abundantly clear that this was by far the best and most accessible volume that I have read in
Another big part of what made this such an absolutely unhindered delight were the fantastic main protagonists of this tale. Both Arthur and Mera were phenomenal. I loved them as individuals and was touched by their relationship as a super-powered couple. Both characters are estranged from both the land and the sea, but seem to find a home in one another. Things aren't always perfect for them though as both struggle with the fact that they are not accepted anywhere and that their intentions are
never fully understood. It felt very true to life how the general populace refers to Mera as Aquawoman rather than acknowledging her as a unique individual and how they hold fast to silly beliefs about Aquaman's powers and habits. A lot of people talk about this pair, but no one ever really seems interested in actually knowing them as ... well as people. The stark reality of this plight definitely cut a little deep for me, but this made it all the more rewarding when a select couple of humans do extend a hand of friendship to Aquaman and Mera. It's this personal angle that makes the story feel as meaningful as it does. It's the quality of the dialogue - the tender way that Mera and Aquaman touch each other - the way facial expressions are drawn - that really made me connect with these two.
Lastly, there are all of the gorgeous visuals and intense action shots in this comic. I think my favorite visual piece out of the THE NEW 52 series that I have sampled is still THE FLASH VOLUME 1 MOVE FORWARD (THE NEW 52), but this one is also quite stunning and daringly takes on some very complicated shots. It also does a nice job of making the scenes on land look different from those underwater and flashbacks to the past usually have this sort of hazy quality to them to visually separate them from the current events. All in all, it is just a really good looking comic that oozes with details like the scales on Aquaman's shirt and Mera's bodysuit. Every face looks distinct and are easy to identify and then there are the gruesome monsters
that are a truly horrific image to behold. The action shots are also quite bloody and the gore is eerily realistic. It's nothing so over-the-top that it distracted from my enjoyment of the story, but rather just enough to put me on edge and worry about what might become of the heroes trying to stop the flesh-hungry beasts.
I would very quickly recommend this volume to anyone who enjoys graphic works of fiction. It shines in ways that I have yet to see any other DC comic succeed and is really just a compelling work of fiction period. I am also happy to report that although I read this as a Kindle eBook, I did not experience any formatting or readability issues like I did with the digital versions of the first volumes for both THE FLASH and BATMAN. No matter who you are, it's worth giving this series a look. It requires absolutely no prior knowledge in regards to the world of superheroes and at its core it doesn't even really feel like a traditional superhero story-line. This is a series that has me pleasantly surprised and it's one I will definitely be continuing.
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Top reviews from other countries
Jared
Excelente para adentrarse en el mundo de Aquaman
Reviewed in Spain on January 31, 2019
Shehbaz
"How's it feel to be nobody's favorite super-hero?"
Reviewed in India on March 19, 2016David Graham
Dieser Neustart hat sich gelohnt!!!
Reviewed in Germany on November 28, 2014
