Dan Abnett & Brad Walker are taking over the new adventures of “Aquaman” this month. (Artwork courtesy of DC Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
If there was one character in the DC Comics Universe that deserves the title of Most Valuable Character, the title should go to Aquaman.
Thanks to the superb stories of from solid creative teams such as Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis; Jeff Parker & Paul Pelletier and Cullen Bunn & Trevor McCarthy, the King of the Seven Seas has moved to the front line and joined Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as one of DC Entertainment’s most recognizable superheroes.
As DC Comics begins its Rebirth chapter, Aquaman’s adventures will be handled by the creative team of Dan Abnett and Brad Walker. For the veteran comic book writer, Abnett was invited to return the title after a 20-year absence when he took over for Cullen Bunn near the end of The New 52 companywide storyline.
“At the time, it made quite clear that my filler issue was an audition, and clearly I acquitted myself well, and it translated into the Rebirth relaunch.” Said Dan Abnett. “Aquaman has been a particular favorite of mine in the DC Comics world, and I am very excited to be working with people like Brad (Walker).”
For Walker, taking over Aquaman’s art duties meant a chance to return to Earth after illustrating the adventures of both ongoing titles: Green Lantern: New Guardians and Sinestro.
“It’s been a nice transition to come back to something that is visually more open in a sense that we could use a lot more color to brighten up the world.” Said Brad Walker.
While other DC Comics creative teams might have a challenge rebooting their titles, both Abnett and Walker realized that Aquaman and his world did not need drastic changes and could continue to work on the groundwork that their predecessors started.
“The book was in beautiful shape in part to the stories that Geoff Johns told during The New 52,” Abnett said. “We have done our best to continue building on the foundation Geoff laid.”
Joining Aquaman in his new adventures will be his longtime love interest and fan-favorite heroine: Mera.
“I think Mera is one of the most underrated characters in the DCU,” Abnett said. “She has a great personality and is overall a fantastic character. In my opinion, she is the co-star of this book.”
Aquaman and Mera’s love story will be front and center of “Aquaman.” (Artwork courtesy of DC Comics)
In the pages of the DC Universe Rebirth one-shot, fans were ecstatic to learn that Aquaman proposed to Mera. While the event will play a significant impact in the storyline, fans might have to wait a little longer to see their favorite couple get married.
“There are going to be some exciting things that are going to happen for them to make it to the altar.” said Abnett.
For Walker, the Aquaman and Mera relationship was the first crucial element that he grabbed onto when he received Abnett’s first script and was very concerned about playing a role in their potential break-up.
“I immediately e-mailed Dan, and our editors and I pleaded: “Please don’t tell me that we are going to break them up!” said Walker.
While the creators reassured both Walker and the fans that Aquaman and Mera will stick together through thick and thin, their individual way of thinking might be the cornerstone for some problems down the road.
“Both of them are foreign in our eyes, but she is a little bit more foreign to him,” Walker said. “She does not understand all his decision making and the way that he thinks.”
Black Manta is back! (Artwork courtesy of DC Comics)
While Aquaman and Mera continue to work out their differences, fans can expect the King of the Seven Seas’ longtime nemesis, Black Manta, to rear his ugly head during the first half of the series’ kickoff.
“His apathy towards Aquaman is driven by revenge and in some respects, our first story arc focuses on Black Manta’s character development,” Abnett said. “He is a force to be reckoned with and is our primary villain for the first act.”
Aquaman and Black Manta’s intense rivalry can be dated back to the thirtieth-fifth issue of the Aquaman series’ first volume in September 1967. For nearly 50 years, Aquaman and Black Manta’s epic battles were chronicled in various forms of animation including the popular 1978 cartoon series: Challenge of the Superfriends. While fans considered Aquaman a joke character, his longtime rival received a fan club.
“I feel Black Manta benefited in the opposite direction where it did not matter if he was portrayed as this goofy and over-the-top villain, he became one of the show’s most recognizable villains,” Walker said. “If you asked kids what would a cool villain look like, they would probably describe Black Manta.”
In addition to Black Manta, another one of Aquaman’s adversaries will make his unwelcome return into Aquaman’s life: his deadly half-brother, Orm, also known to fans as the Ocean Master.
“Ocean Master is Aquaman’s perennial arch nemesis and is always lurking in the background in the most dangerous way as he does throughout the DCU.” Said Abnett.
With both Black Manta and Ocean Master closing in on our favorite ocean-based hero, the King of the Seven Seas might receive some necessary backup in the form of two of his popular supporting cast members: Garth (the first Aqualad) and Jackson Hyde, who became Aqualad in Geoff Johns’ maxi-series: Brightest Day and was MIA for a majority of The New 52.
“As Aquaman’s primary custodian, it would be a terrible shame if not all the Aqua-related characters in the DCU were connected,” Abnett said. “I am also writing Titans, which is where Garth is. There might be continuity crossover, and I believe that both of them will be aware of what each other is doing.”
Meanwhile, it is unknown when his two sidekicks will eventually meet and trade stories of working with the Kings of the Seven Seas. Brad Walker humorously revealed that their paths might cross sooner than you think.
“It’s not like the ocean’s that big,” said Walker. “They are bound to run into each other…eventually!”
The Aquaman: Rebirth one-shot will drop on June 8 while the first issue of the relaunched Aquaman series will go on sale June 22.
