The Aquaman Shrine

Random Panel of the Day #397

2012-02-24T12:03:00.001-05:00

Aquaman #4 Original Art

2012-02-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

This is yet another piece of Aquaman original art from the Louvre-like collection of F.O.A.M.er Ray DeForest!

This time around, it's the cover to Aquaman #4 (1989) by Curt Swan and Al Vey, featuring a creepy shot of Mera. Here's the finished version:

On an unrelated note, I'm organizing an Ocean's 11-type gang that I hope will enable me to break into Ray's house and abscond with his amazing collection of original Aquaman art. If anyone's interested and has the necessary experience in forging, pickpocketing, or bomb ordinance, please drop me a line.

Another great piece, perfect for Mera Month. Thanks Ray!

Random Panel of the Day #396

2012-02-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

Ashley Hay: Mera!

2012-02-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

Since it is Mera Month, we thought it was the perfect time to talk to one of the real-life Meras seen walking the floor at comic-cons! So today we're chatting with F.O.A.M. member and Mera fan Ashley Hay, who makes for one stunning Queen of the Seven Seas:

The Aquaman Shrine: So why do you like Mera so much over, say, other superheroines like Wonder Woman, Supergirl, etc.?

Ashley Hay: I enjoy most female comic characters but there was something about Mera that caught my attention right away. I enjoyed that she was brought into the comic because of Aquaman needed a queen but they made her just as powerful as her male counterpart. She doesn't necessarily follow the mold of many comic characters who go through crazy hard times and it makes them what they are and into a hero. She goes though hard times too but she has these powers from her native planet and comes to earth and decides to help her King keep order in the sea and around the world. She doesn't sit back and let her guy do everything. She is not the lead in the comic but she is just as important. I like that dynamic.

AMS: When did you first discover the character?

AH: When I started dating my now fiance. He had a bunch of Aquaman comics and I started reading them. I loved her right away and my affection for her and Aquaman only grew as I read on.

AMS: Mera is pretty unique among superheroines in that she's a superhero, a queen, a wife, and a mother--the latter trait being extremely rare in comics. Did any of these facets hold special resonance with you?

AH: I think it resonances for me because women wear so many hats these day and she has so many roles. I am not a mother, but I hope to be someday. I would like to be a working mother and I know how much work that will and can be. A relationship is also something you need to work at and she does all these thing and helps run a Kingdom. It is no small feet. Not to downplay Aquaman of course but most of the mother's I know work pretty dang hard and are superheroes in their own right.

AMS: When and how did you first decide to try your hand at Mera cosplay?

AH: I made the Aquaman costume for my fiance, Cole and then knew I wanted to do a Mera costume. I didn't know which of her costumes to do until I saw the Ame-Comi figure of her. I knew I wanted to do that version (slightly altered) but I would need some help. I got that help from awesome cosplayer BelleChere and I give her full credit for that costume. :) She is a seamstress wizard!

AMS: What kind of reaction do you get at cons when you're there as Mera?

AH: I think she will get more notice this coming year at SDCC because the New 52 were not out yet so she was a character not lots of people knew, plus I picked a costume based off a figure. Whether people knew the character or not they still really liked it. People that knew who I was were super impressed and so nice. I was lucky enough to met Jim Fletcher at the DC booth who designed the figure. We took pictures together and the sculptor came over and we all took even more photos. They were so cool!

AMS: Just how uncomfortable is that costume?!?

AH: It isn't that bad really but after a while the corset gets a little hard to keep wearing. You don't get a lot of breathing room so after seven hours I am ready to get out of it.

AMS: Do you collect any Mera merchandise? There's not a lot, but just a few years ago there was *nothing.*

AH: I have some stuff but most of it is custom stuff from Etsy like earrings. I would love a Mera shirt. All I have are Aquaman ones. I also have the Mera bust figurine and DC was awesome enough to send me the Ame-Comi figure I based my costume off of.

AMS: Do you have any thoughts/opinions on the Meras from other mediums? The cartoon versions, the one on Smallville?

AH: I like her in the cartoon but I have never seen Smallville so I am not sure. I think she gets portrayed appropriately in most mediums though.

AMS: Little kids don't necessarily know that they aren't seeing the "real" superheroes in front of them at cons or wherever. Did you get a lot of response from kids to your costume, or was it mostly adults who took notice?

AH: I get kids who think I am a mermaid and a few who know who I am. When Cole dresses up as Aquaman a lot more kids pay attention to him. I can't wait to get into our costumes together and go to our local con. Kids mostly love anyone in a costume it seems. :)

AMS: What do you think of Mera's increased presence in the DCU, post-Blackest Night?

AH: I love it! I am so happy she is getting more love and people are really starting to enjoy Aquaman and Mera again. She is a more serious character but she looks good and has her husband's back.

AMS: Anything you'd like to see done with the character in the future?

AH: More costumes!!! I know each character has their specific outfit but I would like to see her in some fun outfits, maybe even a dress or armor.

Random Panel of the Day #395

2012-02-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

Cover Girl

2012-02-22T00:03:00.006-05:00

Thanks to F.O.A.M.er Joseph Brian Scott for the idea!

"Mera" From DC Comics Out Tomorrow!

2012-02-21T15:03:00.001-05:00

Random Panel of the Day #394

2012-02-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

Young Justice Volume 3 on DVD!

2012-02-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

Warner Bros. was kind enough to provide the Shrine a copy of Young Justice Season One, Volume Three on DVD--which hits the streets today--as the prize for yet another contest!

Young Justice Season One, Volume Three features four episodes of the series:

"Bereft"

"Targets"

"Terrors"

"Home Front"

Each and every episode of Young Justice has been reviewed by Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett, so click the graphics above to read Andy's comments on the episodes that appear on this DVD!

The last time we did a Young Justice contest, the Shrine asked people to submit their ideas for possible new members, with a poll deciding whose choice was best. This time, we're leaning on the amazing number of talented artists we have out there, and asking contest entrants to simply draw, paint, or sculpt(!) a pin-up of the show's resident Aqualad, aka Kaldur. It can be any size, any medium, and feature any of the Aqua-Family or Young Justice team--but it's gotta feature Aqualad in some way!

All entries must be submitted to the Shrine by 11pm Sunday, March 18. Mail them to my email address with the title "Young Justice Contest" in the subject line. The Shrine will then post all submitted entries a few days later, and a poll voted on by fellow Aqua-Fans will decide the winner of the DVD!

As an added bonus, anyone who is not already a member of F.O.A.M. who sends in a drawing will automatically be enrolled in its hallowed halls. In addition to that, if you have a website or blog that features your creative work, the Shrine will tweet that web address to it's thousands of followers on the Aquaman Shrine Twitter feed!

The Aquaman Shrine's readership is an extraordinarily talented bunch, as each new contest reveals. We love showing off all of your work, so we can't see what dramatic interpretations of the new Aqualad you come up with. Get out your Crayons and get to work, Aqua-Fans!

If you prefer to sit back and watch the contest from the bleachers but want to own Young Justice Season One, Volume 3 on DVD--and throw the Shrine some coin in the process--you can order it via Amazon below:

Mera: The Next Generation

2012-02-21T00:03:00.001-05:00

The Shrine received this picture and accompanying story from F.O.A.M.er Wil Radcliffe:

A few weeks ago I won an Amazon gift card for doing a random survey. Originally I'd planned to use it to buy myself one of those sweet Retro Aquaman action figures. But having recently bonded with my daughter Julia after our first trip together to the comic book store, I decided to get her a Brightest Day Mera action figure instead. Considering this is Mera Month at the Shrine, I thought it appropriate to share this picture of one of the new generation of Aquaman/Mera fans! Julia was extremely excited to get her very first action figure!

The Shrine always loves hearing about the next generation of F.O.A.M. members! Thanks Wil and thanks Julia!

Random Panel of the Day #393

2012-02-20T12:03:00.000-05:00

Memories of Mera: Laurie S. Sutton

2012-02-20T09:03:00.000-05:00

I grew up with Mera.

When I first met her I was a gawky 5th grader following Aquaman and mooning over Aqualad. I wanted a seahorse instead of a pony. Mera had the coolest superpower I had ever seen (and I had seen many). I tried to imitate it in my imagination, but all I could come up with was shooting jets of water from my fingertips and calling myself Water Lass. I know. Lame-o. But Mera inspired me. She hit my adolescent radar and stayed there.

As a young reader I really enjoyed the adventures of the Aqua Family. Those were innocent times and innocent stories. Aquababy burbled "goo goo ga" and Mera was a loving mommy. If there were any real serious aspects to the stories they went right over my pre-teen head. But I sure noticed the Nick Cardy art! His depictions of Mera are in my memories forever.

In later years I lost touch with Mera. Not her fault. It's all on me. But when I met her again she had lost her child. All the innocence had gone, too. She was being written and drawn with a sharper edge. It was a rough reintroduction for me. I hardly recognized the Mera I had grown up with. I can't say I liked her. She disappeared from my life for a long time after that.

Eventually I came to hold editorial sway in the worlds of the Warlord and Arion, but I never got the chance to connect the modern-day Queen of Atlantis with that history. I would like to have given her a crown of great magnitude.

And now Mera has no crown at all. She has given it up to follow a beloved husband who is experiencing a crisis of character. She has more fortitude than I.

Neptune only knows what the future holds for Mera. I'll try my best to follow where her adventures take her. And adventures there will be! She's not the sort to sit and knit seaweed.

--Laurie S. Sutton

A lifelong comics fan turned pro, Laurie S. Sutton has been both a writer and editor in the field. She is currently writing books for Capstone for their DC Superheroes and Supervillains line.

The Fire and Water Podcast: Episode 13

2012-02-20T07:03:00.000-05:00

THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST: Episode 13
The official podcast of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE and FIRESTORM FAN

Get ready for a very special episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST! In this show I chat with legendary Aquaman artist Nick Cardy! Recorded in September 2011, Nick talks about Aquaman, comics, his career as an artist, and his experiences in WWII.

Have a question or comment? Send us an e-mail at: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net

Also, you can leave a comment on our sites:
THE AQUAMAN SHRINE - http://www.aquamanshrine.com
FIRESTORM FAN - http://firestormfan.com

Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-fire-and-water-podcast/id463855630

Outro music by Daniel Adams and The Bad Mamma Jammas!
http://www.facebook.com/BadMammaJammas

Thanks for listening! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

Who's Who in The DC Universe: Mera

2012-02-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

I posted Mera's entry from the 1990 Who's Who in the DC Universe series once before, but it was during the first few months of the Shrine and I still was figuring out what I was doing (that presumes I ever did figure it out, but I digress).

This beautiful shot is by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story; I'm not sure who colored it but whoever did did a great job: it's a gorgeous piece all around. Here's the back page getting everyone up to date (circa 1991, at least). Click the graphic to see a readable version:

One quibble: Mera first appeared in Aquaman #1? Someone at the DC offices has an extra "1" lying around on their desktop...

Aquaman Shrine Special Citation of Merit

2012-02-19T17:16:00.001-05:00

Random Panel of the Day #392

2012-02-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

Adventure Comics #168 - Sept. 1951

2012-02-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "Aquaman: One-Man Crew!" by George Kashdan and Ramona Fradon.

It's Adventure Sunday!

I don't even know what to say about that kid at left. I really don't. Nice ranch home in the back there, though.

Meanwhile, Aquaman marshals all of the creatures of the sea to help a friend in need:

The scheming Jules Rogers sees all this, and contacts the spy he has on board The Cathay. The spy sets off some dynamite, blasting a hole in the ships' hull, which will enable Rogers to rescue all aboard and look like a hero.

But Aquaman steps in, commanding two whales to keep The Cathay from tipping over and taking on water. Captain Cleary worries they can't keep doing that forever, but Aquaman is one step ahead of him:

...and with that, so ends another adventure with Aquaman!

This is a fairly low-key adventure, because the stakes are (relatively) small; Aquaman was always willing help out his Surface Dweller pals keep their jobs, as evidenced just last week!

Hands down, my favorite part of the story was the final panel:

...this pretty much sums up the appeal of Aquaman to me in one handy shot. Nice job, Mr. Kashdan and Ms. Fradon!

Young Justice - "Secrets"

2012-02-18T15:03:00.001-05:00

Episode Eighteen: "Secrets" - Airdate 11/18/11

It's Young Justice Saturday!

by Andy Luckett

As we pick things up this week, it's the Halloween episode on Young Justice, and the kids are getting in the spirit. But before we get to that, trouble is afoot. There's been a robbery at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, but only one item was stolen; The Sword of Beowulf; yes, that Beowulf. According to the curator, the sword is beyond priceless both in monetary and historical value, but the Detective handling the case seems less than impressed. The curator tells him that according to ancient legend, the sword holds fantastic power for anyone who is pure of heart and speaks the Olde English incantation, "Abannen affo Beowulf" (as best as I can make out, anyway). The Detective, still unimpressed, assumes the perp has fled, but a sinister voice comes out of the shadows.

A tall man with claw scars over one eye, and a glowing spot where his heart should be located, jumps down from the rafters holding the sword, whose scabbard looks like one of Grendel's severed arms from the ancient poem. He calls himself Harm (in the third person, no less) and proceeds to speak the incantation, activate the sword, and attack the curator and the gathered cops. Of course they stand no chance against the enchanted blade, and the curator, saved for last, is confused as to how a criminal like Harm can wield the sword with an obviously evil heart. Harm responds, "The legend said the heart must be pure. It never said pure good."

Back at the Happy Harbor cave headquarters, the team is preparing for their school's Halloween dance. Kid Flash is channeling his inner Michael J. Fox with a Teen Wolf-inspired get-up, Superboy is allowing himself to be wrapped in gauze for a half-hearted mummy look, and Miss Martian uses her shapeshifting to create a wicked zombie bride motif. Captain Marvel drops in (and at this point no one in Young Justice knows his alter ego is ten-year old Billy Batson) wearing zombie facepaint and assumes he has been invited to the dance as well. Miss Martian, seeing him as an adult, assumes he has his own party to attend, and tells him not to worry about them at the dance. To break the awkwardness, Artemis and Zatanna arrived, sporting vampire and witch costumes respectively.

After watching MM and Superboy cuddling a bit, Zatanna asks Artemis how long they've been a couple. Artemis then realizes that they are, and gets a bit pouty, no longer wanting to go to the dance. Looks like she was a bit warm for Superboy's form too. Some guys have all the luck. To cheer Artemis up, Zatanna suggests they take a girls night out, and uses a backwards-spoken spell to change them into their regular costumes. A quick trip through the Zeta teleporter to Manhattan and its time to hit the streets.

Back at the dance, the team (minus Robin, Aqualad, Artemis, and Zatanna) are surprised to see so many of their classmates dressed as Justice League members. Mal Duncan is dressed as what he calls "Superman, done right", which as an in-joke is actually Superboy's original comic book costume from his Reign of the Supermen days. Marvin, dressed as Batman, is concerned about reports of Martians invading Earth. Other students are receiving similar reports on their mobile devices, but one partygoer points out that Martians aren't hostile, citing Martian Manhunter as an example.

Meanwhile, in a secure room within YJ headquarters, Batman and Red Tornado are overseeing a secret meeting with Aqualad, Robin, and Red Arrow. The Dark Knight wants to know if Aqualad and Robin believe there is a mole on the team as Sportsmaster claimed. Aqualad and Robin both do not believe so, as they have seen no evidence or outright deception from their teammates. Red Arrow is suspicious of Artemis, revealing to a surprised Aqualad that she is not Green Arrow's niece. Robin knows the truth, but Batman cautions him to keep her secret identity intact. Batman himself is more wary of Superboy, claiming how little they know of his Cadmus programming. But Aqualad stands firm, saying that his experience with these people assures him that their allegiances lie with the team.

Back in Manhattan, Zatanna and Artemis are riding around on some sweet bikes, looking for trouble. Zatanna tries to get Artemis to open up about her frustrations, but Artemis just wants to hit someone. They make their way around, stopping muggings and robberies, sometimes while staying on their bikes. This attracts the attention of Harm, and as the girls walk to their rides after another crime foiling, the bikes explode and Harm appears.

Meanwhile, blocks away, the action is being watched by a mysterious girl dressed all in white. Harm and the ladies battle it out, all the while with Harm taunting them in his annoying third-person way of speaking. Despite this, he is seriously powerful, so when Zatanna sees the girl in white motion for them to follow her, they take the opportunity to get some distance and figure out a way to put some harm on Harm. They try to speak to the girl, but all she does is point and keep saying, "secret".

Back at the dance, a booming voice cuts in over the PA system announcing itself as Homeland Security and advising everyone to stay inside the gym. Superboy uses his x-ray vision to look outside, where he sees one of his classmates speaking into a voice modulator and chuckling to himself about "the best Halloween prank ever."

In Manhattan, Artemis tries to bait Harm into fighting her without weapons. He agrees, and while they fight, Zatanna tries to lift the Sword of Beowulf, but is hit with energy and put down for the moment. Seeing no alternative, the girls keep running, until they find themselves on the roof of Harm's building. This invasion of his space really cheeses him off, even though the two heroes were only following the girl in white. Harm uses his sword to knock them unconscious with bolts of energy.

Back at the school, Superboy, Miss Martian and Kid Flash start to turn the tables on the prankster, who it turns out is Marvin. In a classic bit of freak-outery, Miss Martian shapeshifts into a scary Marvin the Martian (perfect, right?) and scares the Bat-pants off of Marvin. He of course flips out and tries to convince the dance party that the Martians are real. No one believes him, and the YJers get to prank the prankster thoroughly.

Back at Harm's house, Artemis and Zatanna wake up tied to chairs. Harm is very upset that they (in his mind) knew the location of his house. While he isn't watching, the girl in white sneaks in and frees Zatanna, who is understandably confused by the situation. Zatanna frees Artemis, and they flee through Harm's house, blowing up the kitchen in the process. As they emerge from the storm cellar, they find a grave in the backyard marked Greta Hayes.

To make things more disturbing, the girl in white emerges out of the grave in her ghostly form. Zatanna, having seen a photograph in the room she was held, recognizes the girl as Harm's sister. She asks her how she died, and the girl produces a dagger that belongs to her brother. As the heroes realize the horror of what they are seeing, Harm appears. Artemis asks him how he could do that to his own sister, and he replies that in order to make his heart pure, he had to destroy the only thing he loved. As Greta approaches him, he becomes more and more uneasy, saying that he is not sorry for what he has done.

Finally she steps up and removes the glowing heart from his chest, destroying it. (Apparently this is not his actual heart, since he is still alive). Without this power, Artemis is able to easily take Harm down. The ladies promise Greta that she will receive a proper burial, and that they will not forget her.

This was a very ambitious episode, yet one that was pulled off nicely. It's interesting to note that while the secondary "dance prank" storyline was not as important or dramatic as the main Harm/Secret plot, it was necessary to provide some much-needed comedy relief.

I'm surprised the creators were able to get the concept of a villain killing his sister past Standards and Practices at all, though it was handled relatively delicately. Still, a very dark plotline for a show aimed at tweens and younger. Harm is easily the most evil villain ever seen on this show or its comic counterpart, simply based on this one act. While the other villains reach for money or world domination and cause suffering, how many are this cold? It seems Harm was able to achieve his pure evil status he needed to wield the sword, but I can imagine kids being a bit disturbed by the ending of this episode.

Speaking of the B-plot, I enjoyed all the little touches that were used for the Halloween proceedings. Obviously Wally has great taste in 80s movies with his costume, and Miss Martian looks very George Romero-approved. Superboy's deal was kinda funny too, since he obviously doesn't go in for dressing up, so he just goes out in his regular clothes with a few bandages wrapped around him. The appearance of the 90s Superboy comic costume was amusing, especially since the real Superboy takes a look and doesn't care for it at all. And Miss Martian's guise as Marvin the Martian (in which a Martian scares a kid named Marvin) was creative. Of course Marvin the Martian is a Warner Brothers-owned character too, but adding the Godzilla roar was a nice touch.

Aqualad had a very small part in this episode, and didn't get to join in the fun of the dance (he probably wouldn't want to go with anyone but Tula anyway). But his scene did advance the lingering plotline of the mole on the team. I have a feeling that when the mole is revealed it won't be Artemis or Superboy, simply because it's too expected. So for now Aqualad is suspicion-free, but we'll see if that comes back to bite him later. Oh, and a quick note, there was a kid dressed as Aquaman at the dance, complete with fake beard, so an extra happy face sticker for that.

Random Panel of the Day #391

2012-02-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman #22 - Aug. 1965

2012-02-18T00:03:00.001-05:00

Comics Weekend "The Trap of the Sinister Sea Nymphs" by Bob Haney* and Nick Cardy.

This issue of Aquaman opens with the Sea King and his bride in a playful moment--but a big surprise is awaiting our hero:

Kandor realizes that Mera is not Hila, and is angry at her betrayal. But first, he turns his attention toward Aquaman, demanding to know where the home of the Seven Golden Eels are. Aquaman of course refuses, so Kandor responds by putting the Sea King into a series of death traps to get him to talk.

First is the Test of the Thousand-And-One Harpoons, which is just what it sounds like: a phalanx of razor-tipped harpoons are fired at Aquaman all at once, but thanks to his superior speed and skill, he uses a snagged harpoon to bat the rest of them away. Next is a Pulverizing Pendulum, followed by an Army of Armadillo Warriors (Kandor likes his alliteration).

Aquaman comes out the winner in all three challenges, so Kandor takes matters into his own hands:

Aquaman finds Kandor a more difficult foe, and is assisted by Hila, who steps in having seemingly changed sides once again.

Mera regains her powers and joins the fray, just in time for Kandor to spray Hila with a cloud of mind-controlling gas, flipping her back yet again! Kandor then sics Hila on Mera, and the two engage in a fight to the death!

It looks as though Mera has defeated Hila, and she has, but we learn that it was Mera who Kandor accidentally gassed, turning her against her husband (confused yet?)! To make things even worse, the Armadillo Army goes rogue, and turns against Kandor by unleashing a machine known as the Juggernaut against all of them:

...The End!

This is another important moment in Aqua-History, since it features the debut of Hila, Mera's sister. Of course, Geoff Johns has said that the new villain Siren is *not* Hila, but I don't think it's unfair to surmise the latter inspired the former.

Incredibly, Hila did not return, which seems amazing to me--having a twin Mera show up seems like such an instant plot device that I can't believe no later Aquaman writer ever decided to use it.

The Shrine probably does not compliment Nick Cardy's work enough--partly because we generally don't cover his era on Aquaman as much as some others, partly because his work is so consistently excellent that it's almost easy to take it for granted. But in this issue, Cardy's skill at body language really shines through--which only makes sense, since he had two identical Mera's to keep straight throughout the book. In particular, I love this panel:

Comics of the time could only get a way with so much, but Cardy adds just a hint of sauciness to Hila's face and body language that suggests this is not the woman we--and Aquaman--think it is. The book is full of little details like this, making this issue one of Nick Cardy's finest Aquaman efforts. And that's saying something.

I put an asterisk next to Bob Haney's name up above, because there is no proof he wrote this. But I use the same reasoning here that I did last week, for the same reasons.

One last thing about this comic--this:

I could make this one hell of a Random Panel of the Day, but I'm not gonna. Get your minds out of the gutter.

Random Panel of the Day #390

2012-02-17T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman Art Gallery: Tom Beland

2012-02-17T07:03:00.000-05:00

Sometimes being a superhero's wife isn't all it's cracked up to be, as on display in this piece by True Story, Swear to God creator Tom Beland.

This sketch was commissioned by and in the collection of Uber Aquaman Fan (and F.O.A.M. member!) Laura Gjovaag, who posted it on her Unofficial Aquaman Website back in 2010. Bonus detail points for having some of the popcorn kernels floating away!

Super Powers T-Shirt

2012-02-17T00:03:00.000-05:00

When people ask me why I have such a grudge against Shazam!, I can point to stuff like this as Exhibit A.

Someone had to go out of their way to take Aquaman off of this, because he is on the original piece (which comes from a JLA Treasury Edition), a decision that Make Rob Angry, Make Rob Want To Smash.*

If I wanted to really petty, I could point out that Aquaman is starring in a top-selling book, while Captain Mar--oh, excuse me, it's Shazam! from now on--is still nowhere to be seen in the New 52. I think, sometimes, it's like you want to fail!

(h/t: F.O.A.M.er Jason Motes Bowles)

*Shrine Correspondent Russell Burbage pointed out to me that Captain Marvel is actually on the original illustration, which appeared in the 1975 DC Comics Calendar. It was Aquaman who was added when the piece was re-used for the JLA treasury book. So, to be fair, I guess my outrage should be watered down a bit. And yet it isn't.

Random Panel of the Day #389

2012-02-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman (Shrine) on the Web: RevCast

2012-02-16T09:02:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was the guest on the RevCast podcast, where the subject was Aquaman! You can listen or download the show here, or find it on iTunes.

Thanks to the RevCast crew for having me on!

Aquaman Art Gallery: George Perez

2012-02-16T00:03:00.001-05:00

This con sketch of Aquaman with Mera appearing in somewhat ghostly form behind him comes with a story, so I'll let newest F.O.A.M. member Kent G. Hare tell it:

"I'm a bit dilatory in submitting this, but would like to share it with you in anyway. Last weekend I attended Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con where I had the pleasure of meeting George Perez and getting a sketch from him of my first favorite comic book character, Aquaman. There's a funny story to accompany it.

The fact that Perez was doing sketches at all was a surprise to me because, as I understand it, he no longer does so at cons because of the overwhelming demand and pressures on his time. Instead, he normally draws commissions that have been allocated by lottery. Expecting to get only a few books signed by him, I considered myself exceedingly fortunate to have the opportunity to get a sketch. I decided to push it a little and asked if he could possibly do one of both Aquaman and Mera, but he regretfully told me he was only doing single-character head-sketches. I wasn't too disappointed since I'd expected that answer.

I watched as he sketched it, but of course I was on the other side of the table and therefore seeing the image forming upside-down. I wondered what all the little squiggles were, but figured they were fish. I settled up with him without really stopping to take a good look at the finished product right-side-up, then immediately made a bee-line for the door and my vehicle to get it out of the fray as quickly as possible before something could happen to it. I had come totally unprepared for properly carrying a 9"x12" sketch. I carefully deposited it in my car and returned to the con.

It was only several hours later, after the end of the day's con activities and a two-hour drive back to where I was staying, that I took a proper look at it. And realized exactly what he had done, working in an ethereal image of Mera's face peeking around from behind Aquaman himself. I burst out in amazed (half-maniacal) laughter that my sixteen-year-old son characterizes as 'Bwahhahhahhh!' I was, needless to say, delighted.

Incidentally, I saw the couple dressed as Aquaman and Mera several times over the course of the day. I was, however, never in a position to get a good snapshot of them. All I had was my iPod Touch camera anyway. The pictures that have subsequently appeared on the Internet, including on the Shrine, are better. They were magnificent--especially her.

I really enjoy your blog and have it feeding both to my own blog's list of favorites and to my Facebook page. Thanks for everything you do."

Thank you, Kent, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Random Panel of the Day #388

2012-02-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

F.O.A.M.'s Fortune

2012-02-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

We would like to thank F.O.A.M. member Daria Brooks for subscribing (only $1 a month--cheap!), which helps keep the Shrine continue its mission of covering All Things Aquaman!

Thanks Aqua-Fan!

Mera Cubee

2012-02-15T08:30:00.002-05:00

From F.O.A.M.er Joshua Wolf comes another in his series of custom "Cubee" figures, this one of course perfect for Mera Month!

Click the graphic to download a full-size schematic so you can make your own angular Queen of the Seven Seas, that way your Aquaman Cubee isn't lonely anymore!

Check out Joshua's blog for more of these amazing creations!

Aquaman Stock Art

2012-02-15T00:03:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of new Aquaman stock art around, thanks to the influx of places like Zazzle, where you can partially make your own swag. Aquaman alone has 32 pages of stuff there, and you can get this solid illustration on shirts, hats, skateboards, and even iPhone cases!

I don't know who drew this piece--its obviously the same person(s) who's been doing the stock art that appears in places like the Music of DC Comics CD, among others. Its pretty solid stuff, and of course its great that its Classic Aquaman!

One minor thing: More Mera!

Random Panel of the Day #387

2012-02-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day from The Aquaman Shrine

2012-02-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

I lack the oratory skill to properly convey how *awesome* I think these Aquaman and Mera Valentine's Day cards by F.O.A.M. member Luke Daab are.

Luke created the #1 vote getting Aquaman Shrine Header of 2011, so not long after that I asked if he would be interested in coming up with another custom image, this time for Valentine's Day. He generously said yes, and then went above and beyond by delivering this triptych of adorable Aqua-Valentines. Check out more of Luke's work at his website, DaabCreative.com.

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

Aquaman #9 May Solicit

2012-02-13T10:05:00.001-05:00

AQUAMAN #9

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
1:25 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale MAY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• Aquaman and Ya’Wara star in part three of the epic “The Other League!”
• More secrets are revealed about the team Aquaman belonged to before the Justice League!
• Plus: Mera learns a startling truth about Arthur's past from Dr. Shin.

Note: Aquaman #9 cover art had not been released at this time. We will alert you with any updates!

Aquaman #7 March Solicit (Updated)

2012-02-13T08:39:00.001-05:00

AQUAMAN #7
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
1:25 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale MARCH 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Who destroyed Atlantis? In the start of a new storyline, we follow the hunter as he stalks and kills his prey, claiming their weapons and armor as trophies. A golden shield, a golden helm…and the final prize is the most powerful of all: a golden trident. The only problem is, he’s going to have to go through Aquaman to get it. Who is he? What is the secret of Aquaman’s trident? And how does this all tie into the destruction of Atlantis?

In case you missed it over the weekend, Aquaman scribe Geoff Johns released the above image of Arthur & his companions in "The Other League" making their debut in the Sea King's seventh issue. Stay tuned for more solicits on the Aquaman Shrine later today as we bring you the scoop on #9 as well!

Random Panel of the Day #386

2012-02-13T00:03:00.001-05:00

Aqua-Family Character Designs by Ivan Reis

2012-02-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

This gorgeous, regal (yet heartwarming) shot of three members of the Aqua-Family by Ivan Reis was done during Brightest Day and published in the back of Justice League #5.

But DC cropped the piece so only Aquaman could be seen, leaving out Mera and Aqualad. But thanks to Ivan and F.O.A.M.er Ivan da Costa we Aqua-Fans now get to see the whole piece! Click it to see a larger version and enjoy!

Thanks to Ivan and Ivan for this superb contribution to Mera Month!

Random Panel of the Day #385

2012-02-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Adventure Comics #167 - Aug. 1951

2012-02-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "Treasures of the Sea!" by Jack Miller and Ramona Fradon.

It's Adventure Sunday!

I love mobsters that hang out in suburban back yards. You've got to diversify in this post-WWII economy!

Meanwhile, a new era quietly begins for the King of the Seven Seas, Aquaman!:

Aquaman brings back a bag full of clams, loaded with pearls...or the microscopic beginnings of pearls, actually, meaning he has kept his promise to Captain Stillar, while simultaneously tricking him.

Stillar, sick of this, orders Aquaman on a third mission, and promises if there are any Aqua-shenanigans at all, he will shoot the Sea King on the spot. He then tells Aquaman of a sunken Spanish fleet, whose ships were filled with gold. Aquaman is instructed to bring back every bit of it. So...

...and with that, so ends another adventure with Aquaman!

Up top, I said a new era of Aquaman "quietly" started with this issue, and looking over this story over backs that statement up, I think. "Treasures of the Sea", by Jack Miller, is pretty goofy and silly, and reminds one of a lot of the kinds of Aqua-adventures that came before.

But of course the big change is the addition of Ramona Fradon to the strip, who would become one of the artists most identified with the character. She doesn't receive credit here (no one did), so I wonder how many comics fans even noticed. But I think you can see the joie de vivre that Fradon brought to Aquaman in panels like this:

John Daly's Aquaman was a cheerful, good-natured, but generally staid fellow (as were most Golden Age superheroes). Fradon's Sea King is goofier, beefier, a little more excited about being a superhero. Aquaman's body language is more bold, as are the ink lines: everything drawn by Ramona Fradon looks vibrant and bright, more alive.

Eventually the stories would catch up to Fradon, which undoubtedly helped Aquaman as a strip survive, even as most of his fellow superheroes got retired in favor of funny animals and bland houses of mystery.

Aquaman #7 Cover Preview

2012-02-11T23:59:00.001-05:00

A late night reveal--the cover to Aquaman #7!

(h/t: F.O.A.M.er Brian Knippenberg)

Random Panel of the Day #384

2012-02-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Young Justice - "Disordered"

2012-02-11T12:03:00.001-05:00

Episode Seventeen: "Disordered" - Airdate 11/11/11

It's Young Justice Saturday!

by Andy Luckett

Previously, the team had been left emotionally devastated after a training simulation backfired, resulting in Miss Martian telepathically convincing the rest of the group that the horrific events were completely real. After Martian Manhunter finally brought them back to consciousness, the damage had been done.

After a few days, Young Justice is still hurting; moping around and lost in their thoughts. Batman arrives in Happy Harbor to check on their progress with Martian Manhunter, but sadly little has changed. To combat these developments, Black Canary has set up therapy sessions with each member to give them a chance to talk about their experience. Superboy is first, but not surprisingly, Canary is unable to get much from him except an angry storm-out.

Meanwhile, a flying car suddenly appears out of a boom tube in Metropolis. It carries five superpowered youths calling themselves The Forever People: Vykin the leader, Bear the powerhouse, Dreamer the telepath, Seraphin the West-obsessed gunslinger, and Moonrider, who remains a nonverbal enigma. They are using a Mother Box to track stolen New Genesis technology, and the first item is close by.

Back at Happy Harbor, Superboy readies his bike for a ride, but Sphere (the rolling vehicle/sidekick) blocks his way, surprising him (and Wolf) by transforming into a sleek, shiny, three-wheeled bike. That would be awesome enough, but the Sphere-cycle is also able to fly, and Superboy and Wolf take to the skies. After a little joyriding, the pair encounter the Forever People, who accuse him of stealing Sphere, or as they call it, the New Genesphere. Mother Box, the living computer, pipes up and informs Vykin that Superboy did not steal the bike, but rather rescued it in the desert back in the episode "Bereft". That being the case, The Forever People introduce themselves to Superboy and allow him to help them find the next piece of stolen equipment they seek, the Rescue Drill.

Back in Happy Harbor, Black Canary continues her therapy sessions with Artemis. At first, the young archer doesn't want to discuss her feelings, but Canary suggests she tell the team that her cover identity as Green Arrow's niece is false. Artemis disagrees, especially concerned about what Wally will think. Next up is Aqualad, who is more open and admits to feeling guilt over his decisions within the simulation. He wants to pass on the leadership role, but knows that no other member is ready for it, admitting that even Robin is too young. He decides to keep himself as leader for now.

Superboy and the Forever People discover the location of the missing drill at a construction site. Seraphin wants to go in bullets first, but surprisingly, Superboy argues for a stealthy approach. After Dreamer distracts the topside guards by impersonating one of their mothers, the group descends into the giant drill hole in the ground to find Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim and Whisper A'Dare wielding alien tech to steal gold from a nearby bank. Mannheim fires up his tech, incapacitating Vykin. Dreamer quickly realizes that this technology is not from New Genesis, but rather its dark sister world, Apokolips.

Back again to Happy Harbor, we find Wally in the chair talking to Black Canary. He plays it nonchalant, saying that his simulated death was no big deal. That is, until Canary brings up how he reacted to Artemis dying, at which point he nearly chokes on his popcorn. Canary accuses him of being in denial, to which he replies, "I'm comfortable with that."

Back at the construction site/crime scene, the heroes decide to take the fight out of the tunnel and into the open. But the criminals aren't far behind, driving the Rescue Drill to the surface. The Forever People respond by calling The New Genesphere to protect them, but calling it a "she", which is news to Superboy. The diversion gives the five teens a chance to speak the word "Tarru" and meld, Voltron-like, into a being they call Infinity Man. Finding themselves suddenly outclassed by the huge automaton, Mannheim and his cronies escape into a boom tube, but Whisper A'Dare is captured. Probing her mind, Dreamer finds a picture of Desaad, Darkseid's chief torturer and really bad news. The technology is being supplied to the Mannheim gang by him under the direction of Darkseid.

Back again at Happy Harbor, its Robin's turn to talk to Black Canary. While feeling guilt and shame for all of his friends' deaths, he is most ashamed that he no longer feels the drive to take on the mantle of Batman when he comes of age, preferring to remain his own brand of hero.

The Forever People and Superboy are able to track more Apokoliptian technology to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. However, it turns out that Mannheim's gang is hiding inside. As the groups engage each other, one of Mannheim's henchmen splits in two to reveal Desaad in the flesh. As the five teens again become Infinity Man, Desaad commands Mannheim to "deliver the Father Box". After throwing it into the midst of the still-forming Infinity Man, the device overwrites the giant's circuits into a form that obeys Desaad. It attacks Superboy and Wolf, who rush to fight alongside the New Genesphere.

Meanwhile, M'Gann speaks to Black Canary, telling her that she no longer trusts herself to use her telepathic abilities because of the damage they caused her teammates. Canary responds by saying that perhaps a better solution would be to train with Martian Manhunter until M'Gann can regain her confidence in her powers.

Back with Superboy, the retooled Infinity Man puts up quite a fight, even dropping an entire passenger plane on Superboy. While he is on the ropes, Sphere attacks Infinity Man and is able to reinstate his control to the side of good, even giving him a power boost in the process. Superboy, in effect "driving" Infinity Man, takes down the Mannheim gang in short order, though Desaad escapes after injuring Sphere. Vykin uses Mother Box to start the repair process for Sphere, but it takes a bit of protest from Superboy before The Forever People allow him to keep her on Earth.

Superboy returns to Happy Harbor and tells the team his story. Wally immediately renames Sphere "The Supercycle" and Batman orders more study on her. Meanwhile, Superboy allows himself to open up to Black Canary, telling her that he feels guilty for feeling happy that within the simulation, he was able to take Superman's place once he and the other heroes were killed, and achieve what Superboy has wanted to be since he was awakened in Cadmus. Canary tells him that she doesn't know how he can assuage his guilt, but that the first step must be admitting it.

Man, did Jack Kirby have a world-class imagination and talent for fantasy world-building, or what? While all of Kirby's New Genesis/Fourth World creations have never necessarily been my favorite corner of the DC Universe, it is amazing how many ideas and concepts he introducing in that framework. The Forever People seem like a powerful and interesting group, especially their ability to form Infinity Man. I would've liked to have seen them team up together with the full Young Justice lineup, but this episode served as more of an introduction than a full-scale epic. Hopefully in future episodes the rest of the YJ team will get some action in the Fourth World realm.

As I have been noticing especially in the Young Justice comic book series lately, there seems to be a tendency toward member spotlight stories, and this episode was no exception. Superboy goes out and has all the fun while the rest sit in and discuss their feelings. While the two plots were nicely balanced, it still makes this feel less like a show about a superhero team. While we were able to delve a bit more into the psyches of the young heroes, to me it isn't a great substitute for their personalities being revealed through action and conflict. Aqualad received only one scene this time, and his response to the events of last episode didn't reveal much that I didn't already know; AKA he is too hard on himself, he takes his leadership role very seriously, and he feels protective over the others, especially Robin.

That is my only major complaint about this series (and comic). The characters are consistent, they are flawed yet heroic, the DC Universe is well-represented, and the action is well-handled. I just want to see the writers cut loose on some big plots that aren't revealed to be a dream or an imaginary story.

Aquaman Shrine Fundraiser: Mera by Rod Reis

2012-02-11T09:31:00.002-05:00

We don't talk about it much, but the Shrine is looking to raise some funds so we can keep getting bigger and better. We do take some money in via monthly subscriptions (those who have subscribed: consider yourselves awesome!), but that represents on a tiny, plankton-sized sliver of the Shrine's daily audience.

So now we're trying something a little more tangible: instead of asking for donations to simply support the Shrine's continued existence, we've put up this beautiful original mixed-media illustration of Mera by Aquaman color artist Rod Reis on eBay. Rod has generously donated this piece to the Shrine, so that all proceeds that come from the sale will go directly to us, and help keep the Shrine doing what it's been doing for over five years--being the #1 source for Aquaman on the web!

So if you're interested in purchasing this beauty, head on over to eBay via this link and bid bid bid!

Thanks Rod!

Aquaman #23 - Oct. 1965

2012-02-11T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "The Birth of Aquababy" by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.

We continue Mera Month with a look back at yet another huge--and in some ways unprecedented--moment in Aquaman and Mera's superheroic career: the day they became parents!

Aquaman and Aqulad encounter a trio of sirens, whose alluring--but deadly--call entices the Sea King, so much so he covers his eats to prevent himself from hearing them. Aqualad is confused, because to him they "look like old sea-hags"!

Aquaman has Garth lash him to his seahorse to keep him from listening to the sirens, and they manage to move on. Suddenly, their steeds grow frightened, and dump Arthur and Garth off them, where they fall into a pit of quicksand coral!

Aquaman sends out a command to a nearby giant squid...but will it arrive in time?

Aquaman faces the creature, which has the ability to change shapes: it goes from sea snake to sea urchin to a giant poison anemome, all within seconds!

It chases our heroes, and Aquaman has them hide inside a hunk of coral. The anemome sees Aquaman's hand sticking out of the hole, and stings him repeatedly. This would probably kill the Sea King, except...Aquaman's shirt and glove are empty! He took his tunic off (!), causing the creature to use up all its poison!

Aquaman then hauls off and hits the anemome, and it changes back to its original form, a harmless old man named Sinquo. Aquaman knows who Sinquo is: a criminal exiled from Atlantis years ago. Despite this, Sinquo offers his foe the serum Aquaman came for, honoring the fact he was bested in combat.

Aquaman and Aqualad make a speedy turn back to Atlantis, but the trouble isn't over! An undersea volcano erupts, sending them smashing into a reef. Aquaman, too weak to move and partly covered in debris, calls his finny friends to grab the serum and carry it, bit by bit, creature by creature, across the sea all the way to Atlantis!

Unfortunately, just as it nears Atlantis, a pilot whale carrying the serum is so exhausted from the long journey it drops the vital liquid down a crevice in the ocean floor! Now what?

Suddenly a deadly, monstrous sea creature comes to life, thanks to the powers of Arthur Jr.! Aquaman surmises Sinquo put something in the serum to give their son his amazing--and uncontrollable--powers!

After he accidentally destroys a building, some citizens of Atlantis declare AquaBaby a menace, and demand he be exiled! Aquaman and Mera, of course, reject such a notion, and leave as a family--along with Aqualad.

They find a place to rest many miles away, and Aquaman leaves the three to find food. While they sleep, Aquababy wanders away, into the path of a band of giant ape-like creatures:

...The Beginning!

As a story, this isn't really one of Mera's finest moments--she doesn't get that much to do, but I guess you can't expect much superheroing from someone in the midst of childbirth.

Amazingly, no one seems to know who wrote this comic! Even the second volume DC's Showcase: Aquaman book lists the writer as "unknown." My hunch it's the work of Bob Haney, who is credited with starting on the book as of #26. Considering Haney's penchant for gleefully throwing a monkey wrench into established continuity (introducing long lost brothers, nephews, and other assorted family members), I'd say this was his work.

Another hint that he wrote this is page five, where we get to hear the internal monologues of both Aquaman and Aqualad:

Before this, superheroes (DC ones, at least) still really didn't ever show fear or apprehension or even really have any sort inner thoughts other than ones dealing with whatever foe was in front of them. Here, Aqualad is worried he's going to be the odd man out in the new family dynamic.

I don't mean to overstate this moment--it's hardly the groundbreaking sturm und drang that was going on across the street at Marvel--but this whole issue feels like a giant step in a new direction of superhero comics writing, so the Shrine is going use its well-earned reputation as an authority on All Things Aquaman to state that this is the work of Bob Haney. Unless we're wrong.

Of course, Nick Cardy was doing excellent work on Aquaman in every single issue, but there are some extraordinary moments here. Aquaman's final battle with the Morrkas is almost Alex Toth-like in its direct simplicity and elegance of movement:

As we mentioned on the Top 10 Memorable Mera Moments list, this story forever altered Aquaman's core concept, the changes of which are still felt to this day. So while Mera didn't get all that much to do, of course none of this would have been possible without her!

One final note--I had to chuckle at this panel:

Given Aquaman and Mera's...healthy sexual relationship (as seen in Brightest Day and Aquaman), it made me laugh to see Arthur determined to go get a lifetime's supply of serum. Which, with these two, is probably a lot more than most of us would ever need.

Random Panel of the Day #383

2012-02-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman Art Gallery: Luke Batt

2012-02-10T00:03:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this piece by artist Luke Batt, and I really love it! The coloring, the design, the body language, and the affectionate looks Arthur and Mera are giving each other warms my cold, cold heart.

Check out more of Luke's work on his DeviantArt page!

Random Panel of the Day #382

2012-02-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman #12 Original Cover Art

2012-02-09T00:03:00.002-05:00

The original to this Mera-centric cover for Aquaman #12 comes courtesy F.O.A.M.er Ray DeForest, whose collection of original comic art is truly a wonder to behold. (I keep lurking outside Ray's house in my Beagle Boys domino mask, but I have yet to find a way in)

Here's the published version, by Martin Egeland and Howard Shum:

Ray also contributed the custom-made pillows for yesterday's post, so he's on a real roll during Mera Month. Thanks Ray!

Aquaman Art Gallery: Mike Allred

2012-02-08T13:07:00.002-05:00

The Shrine actually tweeted this first (oops!), but better late than never: here's Mike Allred's take on the cover to Justice League #4, posted yesterday on his blog, under the heading "Aquaman Rules!" We agree, Mike!

I love the face-down Wonder Woman. I don't know why, but it makes me laugh.

Random Panel of the Day #381

2012-02-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

Memories of Mera: Paul Kupperberg

2012-02-08T07:06:00.003-05:00

What made Mera such a big deal in the 1960s? When she first showed up in Aquaman #11 (September 1963), she was just another pretty but damp damsel in distress for Aquaman to rescue. Over the next year, she seemed there just to fill the role of a sort of underwater Lois Lane; girlfriend, abductee, troublemaker, prankster. It was, in short, the typical role of "girls" 1960s superhero comics.

Until "The Wife of Aquaman" in Aquaman #18 (November-December 1964).

Not a hoax. Not a dream. Not an imaginary story. A comic book character, one with a long history and his own title, a founding member of the Justice League of America yet, actually got married, for "real" in the pages of his own comic book. These days, when stunts like marriages and births and deaths are as common as pointless six-issue story arcs, that doesn't sound like such a big deal. But in 1964, it was unprecedented. The most famous superhero wedding of the 1960s, that of the FF's Reed Richards and Sue Storm, didn't take place until the following year (in Fantastic Four Annual #3). And, just around the time Reed and Sue were tying the knot, Aquaman and Mera were starting what is likely comics' first mainstream superhero family in Aquaman #23 (September-October 1965), "The Birth of Aquababy!"...from pregnancy to childbirth in one tidy little 24-page story.

(Of course, while Aquababy may have been conceived and birthed in a single issue, he never did manage to grow much older. He was still a baby when I came along to kill him off in the Mera back-up feature I wrote for Aquaman #58 - 60 (November 1977 - March 1978); in real time, he would have been approaching Bar Mitzvah age by then.)

So take that Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Reed Richards, and Sue Storm!

DC Comics, Jack Miller, Nick Cardy, Arthur Curry, and Mera (did I mention that Nick’s Mera was also way hotter than Jack’s Sue Storm?) beat you to it! Isn't it about time those guys got the recognition they deserve?

--Paul Kupperberg

Aquaman Family Pillows

2012-02-08T00:03:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago F.O.A.M.er Ray DeForest sent in pics of a custom-made Aquaman pillow he bought on Etsy. He liked it so much he ordered a larger, Aqua-Family-style set, featuring Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad! Totally adorable!

Here's a link to the maker's Etsy page, where you can see even more Super-Pillows on display. Thanks Ray!

Random Panel of the Day #380

2012-02-07T00:03:00.001-05:00

Challenge of the Super Friends, Episode 3

2012-02-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

Episode 3: "The World's Deadliest Game"

This episode of Challenge of the Superfriends opens, as they usually do, with the Legion of Doom. Inside the giant Darth Vader head, one of the members, Solomon Grundy, is unhappy with his team's lack of success re: destroying the Super Friends, chiding them on their "stupid plans." This is Solomon Grundy saying this.

Anyway, Brainiac has a plan, the first step of which involves Wonder Woman, Hawkman, and Black Vulcan, who are in space helping NASA repair one of their busted satellites. Brainiac shoots a beam into space, which "cloaks" the Earth, making it appear invisible! So when the trio of heroes tries to go home, they find the Earth...gone!

The heroes then get a "message" from Superman (actually Toyman throwing his voice) telling the three Super Friends to find them in a far, far away sector of space. There's a momentary bit of confusion as to how the other heroes got there, but the Super Friends are a "can do" bunch, so they head out into deep space.

After traveling trillions of miles(!), Wonder Woman, Hawkman, and Black Lightning get caught in a black hole, and end up deposited on a crazy toy world, built by Toyman, where toy-related death traps await them at every turn:

Back on Earth, the rest of the Super Friends learn what has happened (thanks to oh-so-clever clues by the Legion of Doom), and try to find their friends. Various false leads take them to the Grand Canyon, where Captain Cold and Scarecrow are waiting to unleash their own death trap.

The mine shaft the Super Friends are in is flooded, but Superman and Green Lantern help everyone escape--including Aquaman, who meekly follows along:

Back on the toy planet, Wonder Woman and the others face new dangers, including a giant-sized dollhouse and its wailing inhabitant. This is where Hawkman gets to utter the immortal line, "That's no baby!":

The rest of the Super Friends learn where the others have gone--inside a black hole! In a cringe-inducing moment, Aquaman warns that entering a black hole means certain death, leading Flash to bravely suggest they have to follow anyway. Thanks Aquaman, you big fraidy-cat:

While on a planet inside the black hole, the Super Friends meet a race of women who attack and turn them all to stone. Flash, being the only one not affected, manages to free his friends and the search continues. Its a weird little sequence, since it doesn't have anything to do with the plot. Superman, for his part, is very tan:

(I guess Hal took Kal for some trips around the sun).

Finally, all the Super Friends meet up in deep space, and escape the black hole. They find the Legion of Doom back on Earth, where they are robbing the countries of the world blind. A fight ensues (sort of, since we never see any punches thrown), leaving the Legion a crumpled mess:

The Legion of Doom seems utterly defeated, but of course they have a back-up plan: Brainiac shoots a beam at himself and the others, transporting them away. This leaves the Super Friends to, once again, vow that the next time they meet, the bad guys won't get away:

...not The End!

I really wonder why the Legion of Doom bothers with these cockamamie schemes to get rich, which always lead to the Super Friends putting a stop to them. The inventions they come up with have such practical, money-making potential they could make each of the Legion of Doom into Steve Jobs. Heck, the tourism income alone from Toyman's Toy Planet would be more than whatever they could get by stealing all the world's gold, or whatever. Maybe they should listen to Solomon Grundy.

On a separate note, I've generally never bought into the theory that Aquaman's lack of use in the Super Friends caused him to get the reputation as lame. But I have to say, this episode certainly goes far towards proving that theory: Aquaman gets nothing to do except tag along, and the one time he says something its to try and get the rest of the heroes to chicken out, only to be corrected by The Flash. Yeesh.

This episode's Aqua-Content: Low

Post Script: We're all familiar with the occasional animation mistakes that cropped up in 70s and 80s cartoons. Most are easily ignored, but occasionally they make you laugh--like this shot of the three Super Friends in space. A little somethin' for the ladies:

Hey Katar, do fries come with that shake?

I'm going to send this over to the two Hawkman blogs I'm aware of, Being Carter Hall and Hawkman and Hawkgirl Fans. I think they'll enjoy it--I know I did.

Random Panel of the Day #379

2012-02-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

Mera on the Web: Kicking Posterior

2012-02-06T08:41:00.002-05:00

Over on the DC Women Kicking Ass blog, there's a poll on who was the most "Kick Ass" Mera artist. Go and vote, Mera fans!

The Fire and Water Podcast: Episode 12

2012-02-06T07:03:00.004-05:00

THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST: Episode 12
The official podcast of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE and FIRESTORM FAN

Shag and I start the episode talking about THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #5 (by Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone, Yildiray Cinar, and Norm Rapmund) and AQUAMAN #5 (by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Eber Ferreira, and Rod Reis)! Next up we share some of your listener feedback! Finally, we end the show with a discussion on the overall direction of FIRESTORM!

Have a question or comment? Send us an e-mail at: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net

Also, you can leave a comment on our sites:
THE AQUAMAN SHRINE - http://www.aquamanshrine.com
FIRESTORM FAN - http://firestormfan.com

Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-fire-and-water-podcast/id463855630

Outro music by Daniel Adams and The Bad Mamma Jammas!
http://www.facebook.com/BadMammaJammas

Thanks for listening! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

AquaSketch by Rod Reis

2012-02-06T00:03:00.003-05:00

This g-g-g-gorgeous original painting by Aquaman color artist Rod Reis was sent to us to as part of "Mera Month"--click the image to drink it all in, and thanks so much Rod!

(Dear DC: I really think an Aquaman pin-up book is warranted at this point, don't you agree?)

Adventure Comics #164 - May 1951

2012-02-05T00:03:00.001-05:00

Comics Weekend "The Strangest Questions in the World!" by George Kashdan and John Daly.

It's Adventure Sunday!

Aquaman's expertise as King of the Seven Seas is put to the test in this month's adventure:

Aquaman gets the message from Brad, and relays a strange answer back. Brad orders the ship to throw all its seafood overboard immediately!

The order is carried out, and in a few moments everyone sees it worked! The seafood attracted a school of whales, and when the whales blow their spouts, it dissipates the dust storm. Score one for Brad!

A few days later, more trouble develops when a fire breaks out on a ship carrying millions in gold (the S.S. Ron Paul, apparently). The boat will most likely sink, taking the gold with it, unless...

...and with that, so ends another adventure with Aquaman!

The Department of Odd Questions had an annual budget for fifty-three billion dollars. Look it up.

I liked this story, despite the stakes being really, really, really low. Basically, Aquaman is using his amazing powers to help his buddy feel better about his job. I mean, come on. To make matters worse, Aquaman uses "your" when he means "you're" in the last panel. I'm guessing he's so bored mollifying Brad that he just got a little sleepy and careless, like the last page of a term paper written an hour before class.

But, once again, artist John Daly delivers a superb art job. Every panel is complete and well-detailed, but never crowded or visually unappealing. This guy was good!

Sadly, this was Daly's final Aquaman adventure. I guess I shouldn't say "sadly", because he was replaced on the strip by the incomparable Ramona Fradon, who is (IMO) one of the finest comic book artists that ever was, and eventually became one of The Great Aquaman Artists. So losing Daly for Fradon is almost the definitive win-win situation, for us Aqua-Fans.

That said, I'm a little sad there are now no new Aquaman stories by John Daly for me to discover...

"Aquaman Outsells The X-Men"

2012-02-04T13:16:00.002-05:00

This swell cartoon celebrating the Sea King's sales dominance over the mighty X-Men (not to mention the entire Marvel line) is courtesy F.O.A.M.er Andrew Kapellusch! Thanks Andrew!

Young Justice #12 - March 2012

2012-02-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

"The Pendulum" by Greg Weisman and Luciano Vecchio.

It's Young Justice Saturday!

Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here again with a review of Young Justice issue 12. Last issue, Batman and Robin foiled another plot of R'as Al Ghul's which ended in Ra's' apparent death. After Talia and Ubu scooped up the body and returned it to a Lazarus Pit, Ra's returned to life. However, soon after Ra's left, Clayface emerge from the Pit, calling Talia's name. Huh?

We pick up this issue not with Clayface and a perplexed Talia, but instead we see:

Busted! Aqualad is daydreaming about Tula as he and the other Young Justice members hunt for Clayface in a Gotham sewer. How did he get there? To find out, we flash back to a few hours earlier as Batman contacts the team at their headquarters. He tells them to track Clayface, but not to engage him until the Dynamic Duo can return with a strategy for taking him down. After that flashback ends, we flash back a few hours earlier, as Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox inspect a suspicious crate that has arrived at the Wayne Foundation building. Of course, the crate doesn't stay mysterious for long, as:

Batman and Robin show up and take on the mud monster, but he escapes into a nearby sewer, thinking about how he arrived in Gotham. So yes, we flash back again to the previous night. Clayface emerged from the Pit calling for Talia, who knows him as Matt Hagen. He asks her what she did to him, but at this point R'as returns, demanding that he sleep. Clayface, who apparently has to obey R'as' commands since he works for him, promptly falls asleep. He is then shipped to Gotham as a punishment for Batman's earlier interference.

R'as demands to know of Talia how Clayface came to be, and we flash back yet again to months earlier. Turns out, since Batman has repeatedly spurned her advances, Talia has fallen for Hagen, a soldier in the League of Shadows. Her father does not approve, saying that Hagen is beneath her and that Batman must be her intended. Yet Talia has found happiness with Hagen, and her father relents. They meet at a nearby waterfall, where:

Turns out that Hagen has inoperable cancer, and needs a Lazarus Pit to save his life. He tells her he needs her, and that since she is R'as Al Ghul's daughter, she can gain him access to the Pit. Insulted that Hagen is interested in her only for whose daughter she is, Talia reluctantly agrees.

She takes him to the Pit, where she tells him he must submerge. Predictably, as he does, she shuts the lid and locks him in. Should've seen that one coming, Matt! So, by being locked in the energized fluids of the Lazarus Pit for months, Matt becomes Clayface, and another grotesque Batman villain is born! As we see, however, the Dynamic Duo is not the only opponents he's after:

To be continued!

Okay, well, another issue of Young Justice that features cameos by Young Justice. Not that this issue was a bad read, it just seems like a strange choice of story for this book. Even Batman and Robin are relegated to the sidelines as we explore the origin of Clayface. I did enjoy seeing a more vindictive side to Talia that shows her less as a directionless pawn caught between her father and Batman, and more as a powerful woman not be be messed with. I do hope next issue that the action involves the team much more. And to be honest, the flashback upon flashback structure of this issue was a little unnecessary. At times it felt like watching that Seinfeld episode in India that plays in reverse.

As stated above, Aqualad makes only a couple of appearances in this issue, once daydreaming of Tula (which was a nice surprise for the opening page) and once in battle with Clayface at the end. But I do still feel that this comic as a whole has leaned more toward individual member stories than adventures where everyone works together. In the future I hope to see more team adventures that have a bit of that old Gardner Fox early-JLA teamwork feel, but we'll see.

Random Panel of the Day #378

2012-02-04T08:19:00.001-05:00

Aquaman (Vol.1) #11 - Oct. 1963

2012-02-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "The Doom From Dimension Aqua" by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.

Since February is Mera Month on the Shrine, it was only appropriate to go back and check out the Sea Queen's very first appearance, way back in 1963:

...talk about a Meet-Cute!

The beautiful stranger tells our heroes she is Mera, queen from another dimension. But when Mera was threatened by a violent coup, she was sent via a multi-dimensional portal for her safety.

Aquaman tries to comfort Mera by promising to look after her. But before they can decide what to do next, a fleet of submarines come flying through the air, landing all around our trio. Who could be responsible for this?

Turns out it's the work of Leron, the very man who tried to usurp Mera's throne! Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad try to swim away, but Leron turns the water around them into hard steel, freezing them in place. Leron makes one demand: turn Mera over to him!

Mera is relieved to know that Aquaman was never considering giving Mera up, but just stalling for time. Leron is overwhelmed by all the fish, vowing to come back and find Mera no matter what.

Shortly thereafter, Leron does return, which a small army of his friends in tow. They spot our heroes, and Leron opens up a whirlpool under the sea, which sucks Aquaman and the rest in--but Aquaman manages to free himself and Mera and Aqualad, making a beeline for Leron afterward.

Aquaman threatens Leron with his hard water powers (huh?), and when Leron doesn't back down, the Sea King does just that, creating hard water projectiles! How is this happening?

The answer is...Quisp, that magical imp who first appeared in Aquaman #1! Aquaman called Quisp in for help, and it was he(?) who created the illusion that Aquaman had such powers. Unfortunately, Leron has changed form into a shark, and has been spying on them all. He follows Quisp, and:

Leron fires some sort of weapon at the trio, trapping them in some sort of giant bag. He then has his men drag them back through the portal, back to their home dimension. Leron them locks them all in a coral cage, dragging the scientist who created the portal in front of her. They demand to know how he created the portal, and threaten to kill Mera if he does not confess!

As he is dragged off, Aquaman calls his finny friends from across the portal, which grab the coral cage and smash it open. Aquaman, Mera, and Aqualad go back home, with Leron back in pursuit.

All this time, Mera's hard water powers have been gone, and she cannot understand why. But Aquaman gets a hunch about the cause when he wipes some oil off of Mera's arm, and her powers return, allowing her to use them to capture a couple of Leron's men. He enacts a plan:

...so what about it, dear reader? Would you like to see Mera return! We bet Aquaman would!

With this issue, Aquaman as a series took a giant leap in the right direction--not only was it the first appearance of Mera, but it was the last appearance of Quisp. As you can see here, the little imp was already becoming a bit of story crutch--Aquaman calls him (again, ?) in to do something amazing, he does it, then he is dispatched a few panels later. Of course, inter-dimensional imps were all the rage in DC superhero comics of the 50s and 60s (see: Bat-Mite, Mr. Mxyzptlk, etc.), but to me a little of them went a long way. So swapping out Quisp for Mera is the definition of trading up.

Despite the final blurb asking readers what they thought about Mera, writer Jack Miller (and editor George Kashdan) clearly had plans to bring her back--she would pop up again just two issues later, in Aquaman #13!

Random Panel of the Day #377

2012-02-03T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman Sales - January 2012

2012-02-03T11:47:00.002-05:00

Hey Aqua-Fans, check it out! Aquaman is increasing in sales every month! In October the book was #18, in December the book was at #14, and this month it's at #10!

Congrats all around to DC and specifically the Aqua-Team of Johns, Reis, Prado, and Reis!

Aquaman Art Gallery: Agnes Garbowska

2012-02-03T09:03:00.001-05:00

This adorable portrait of Li'l Aquaman ad Li'l Mera is by Agnes Garbowska, whose work can be seen here!

Great job Ms. Garbowska!

Aquaman Art Gallery: Shelton Bryant

2012-02-03T00:03:00.000-05:00

This pretty, slightly moody painting of the Sea King is by Shelton Bryant, and it appeared a week or so ago on the Tumblr site The Happy Sorceress.

There's been a real explosion of Aqua-Fan Art lately; one of the cool side effects of starring in a popular comic book series, I'd say!

(h/t: F.O.A.M.er Joe Mello)

Random Panel of the Day #376

2012-02-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman and Mera Cosplay @ Wizard World New Orleans

2012-02-02T00:03:00.002-05:00

These cosplay pictures of Aquaman and Mera at this year's Wizard World New Orleans Con made quite a splash a few days ago, as well they should--they are awesome!

The couple in question are John and Alys Adamski, and Alys was kind enough to send some additional pics of her and her hubby in costume:

...check out the cameo appearance of Salty The AquaDog (aka Calvin)!

John and Alys won the award for Best Group/Couple, and it's easy to see why: they look like they stepped right out of the current Aquaman series. Outrageous!

Alys had not heard of the Shrine before going to the con, and she told me that while at the show she was told about it by several con-going Aquaman fans. That prompted her to the send the pics in as application for membership in F.O.A.M. As you might imagine, application accepted!

Random Panel of the Day #375

2012-02-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Most Memorable Mera Moments

2012-02-01T00:03:00.005-05:00

Today we're kicking off "Mera Month" on The Aquaman Shrine with a highly subjective look at Mera's "Top 10" moments in comics since her mysterious arrival from "Dimension Aqua" (as it was originally called) to the current day as co-star of the stellar new Aquaman series.

When we say "Top 10" moments, we don't necessarily mean Mera's biggest, most historical moments (although there are some of those); no, we mean those moments that gave us the greatest insights to her character, presented her in a new light, or simply gave the Queen of the Seven Seas a chance to shine.

These are in no particular order, except the last one, which the Shrine deems as Mera's Greatest Moment Ever!

The Queen Takes A King

Of course, marrying the King of the Seven Seas was a huge moment for Mera. But we're distilling the whole story to this moment, where Mera reveals she's been fooling Oceanus the whole time, only pretending to be his willing bride in order to turn the tables on him at precisely the right moment. Mera was not only beautiful, but cunning and brave, an equal partner to Aquaman. (Aquaman #18: "The Wife of Aquaman" by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy)

Tragedy and Defiance

Even though it seemed all-but-certain that her son was dead, Mera refused to give up, leaving her son in Atlantis and going back to Xebel to try one last ditch effort to save him, while her husband was more concerned with revenge. Even though the effort proved futile, this series showed Mera as someone refusing to acknowledge Death itself...a personality trait that would re-emerge decades later. (Aquaman #58: "Return to Disaster" by Paul Kupperberg, Juan Ortiz, and Vince Colletta.)

I Never Wanted To Be A Hero

This is a quiet yet powerful moment, but we felt it presents an insight into Mera that hadn't been touched on all that much. As she is trapped by yet another bad guy, Mera reminisces that she didn't really ever want to be a superhero...rather, it was something foisted upon her by her marriage to Aquaman. And yet Mera continued on, risking her life over and over when danger called. Now that's a true hero! (Aquaman #73: "Power Game" by Dan Jurgens, Steve Epting, and Norm Rapmund.)

Affairs of State?

After being absent from Aquaman's new series in the 90s, Mera makes a dramatic return to her husband's life, just as he's...gasp!...busy with Dolphin! Writer Peter David was on a roll, showing fans a far different Sea King than the one fans had known up until then. It was only a matter of time until Mera showed up, and of course she picked the absolute worst (meaning the best for the reader) moment to do so! (Aquaman #11: "Exodus" by Peter David, Martin Egeland, and Howard Shum.)

Are We Dead?

After one brutal experience after another in Blackest Night (including a brief stint as a napalm-spewing Red Lantern) Mera is finally reunited with her husband, who has miraculously returned to the land of the living. As a couple, Aquaman and Mera don't get a lot of peace and quiet, so when they do, it speaks volumes. (Blackest Night #8: "Blackest Night" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado.)

Three Characters In Search of A Dimension

Deadman was given a brief run as a back-up in Aquaman during the early 70s, and as the story evolved it was cleverly woven into the main Aquaman storyline, with the two tracks dovetailing in this issue. With Aquaman stuck in another dimension, Mera uses sheer force of will (with a little help from a Deadman-possessed Vulko) to bring Aquaman back to her, showing fans that she was a force to be reckoned with and not just window-dressing for Aquaman. (Aquaman #52: "The Traders' Trap"/"Never Underestimate a Deadman" by Steve Skeates, Jim Aparo, and Neal Adams.)

The Birth of a Prince

Not to be terribly obvious, but the birth of Arthur Curry Jr.--aka AquaBaby--simply has to be on this list, because what other superhero couple (which in itself was rare) was ever allowed to have a child? Once their son was born, it shifted the focus of Aquaman's core concept in a way that has lasted to this day. (Aquaman #23: "The Birth of AquaBaby" by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.)

Multi-Tasking in New Venice

This is a relatively small moment, but for longtime Aquafans it was yet another example of how, at times, Mera was the more levelheaded side of the marriage. As New Venice is crumbling down around them, Aquaman gets distracted yet again by one of his old foes (in this case Ocean Master), and it's up to Mera to pull off another feat of superhero multi-tasking. That, and Mera simply looked amazing under the art of Craig Hamilton. (Aquaman Volume 2 #1: Untitled by Neal Pozner, Craig Hamilton, and Steve Montano.)

No More Singing

Really, all of Blackest Night could be used as one of Mera's finest moments, but we think it's this page--when Mera tersely, and without fanfare, shatters an undead foe into little pieces--that really showed us an all-new Mera: tough, no-nonsense, and fully accepting of her role in this dangerous new world. Practically overnight, Geoff Johns turned Mera from a classical supporting to character to an A-list hero in her own right. (Blackest Night #2: "Blackest Night" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert.)

And now, The Aquaman Shrine's #1 all-time favorite Mera moment:

Holding Back The Ocean

In Brightest Day, we learned of the deep, dark secret that has been haunting Mera all these years. As she struggles to earn back her husband's trust, they--along with the new Aqualad and Aquagirl--are forced to stop a dual assault from Black Manta and Siren. And just when things look their worst, Mera steps up and puts on a display of guts and power like nothing we had seen before:

(Brightest Day #20: "AquaWar Part Two" by Geoff Johns, Peter J.Tomasi, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado.)

Now, of course there are many, many other fine moments from Mera's almost fifty-year history, and we fully expect her spotlight solo adventure in the upcoming Aquaman #6 to feature a moment or two that earns a spot on this list. So if you have a favorite Mera Moment you'd like to suggest, please leave a comment and let us know!

Random Panel of the Day #374

2012-01-31T12:03:00.001-05:00

It's Mera's Birthday!

2012-01-31T09:03:00.000-05:00

According to the 1976 DC Comics Calendar (a binding authority if there ever was one) today is Mera's birthday, just a mere two days after her husband's! So today is the perfect time to announce that February is "Mera Month" here on the Aquaman Shrine!

During "Mera Month", we'll be featuring all sorts of Mera-centric posts, Top 10 Mera Moments, Mera Random Panels, some original art, and more, culminating with the release of Aquaman #6, the solo Mera adventure!

So come back tomorrow and help us celebrate DC's Queen of the Seven Seas!

Aquaman Super Powers Tattoo

2012-01-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

Back in 2010, newest F.O.A.M. member Rob Brown sent in pics of an Aquaman tattoo he got based on a classic piece of stock art by Dick Giordano. Now Rob is at it again, with this new tattoo, based on the 1984 Super Powers action figure! And like the figure, Rob will kick his legs if you squeeze his arms.

Outrageous, thanks Rob!

Random Panel of the Day #373

2012-01-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

Super Friends Toy Car by AHI

2012-01-30T00:03:00.001-05:00

The Super Friends go vroom, vroom!

While I've generally given up trying to collect every piece of Aquaman merchandise that's out there, this extremely HTF Super Friends Car remains one of my Holy Grails. Before this, I had only seen small pictures of it, like in catalogs. But thank to F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler and his blog Plaid Stallions, we can now enjoy these awesome close-up shots:

This is such a weird toy for a number of reasons--why are the Super Friends even driving a car? Why are Superman and Batman standing in the back of it like they're in a parade? And where's Wonder Woman? Not that I'm complaining, but 9 times out of 10 she would be used on stuff like this in favor of Aquaman.

And it's that fact that makes this piece so cherished by me (and Brian). Aquaman's inclusion is so unusual that it makes it a Must Have for an Aquaman collector. Even Arthur himself looks a bit shocked to be on this particular road trip!

Thanks for the pics Brian!

Aquaman's Birthday

2012-01-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today's The Day! Yes, according to the 1976 DC Comics Calendar, today is Aquaman's birthday! Happy Birthday Arthur!

Adventure Comics #162 - March 1951

2012-01-29T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "Under the Sea for Life!" by George Kashdan and John Daly.

It's Adventure Sunday!

As Superboy teaches humans it's okay to cheat, The Sea King meets a young man who dreams of living under the sea, just like him!

Steve tries to help Aquaman, but his inexperience gets the best of him: a vacuum created by the trapped sub almost sucks him under, but Aquaman saves him.

Steve tells Aquaman about his dream to live under water, but the Sea King warns him that he's just not equipped to do the kind of work Aquaman does. He drops Steve off on the shore, hoping he has heeded Aquaman's advice. As if!

A few days later, Steve is working on a fishing boat, and as luck(?) would have it, the boat's electric fish trap accidentally zaps Aquaman, leaving him temporarily paralyzed. Steve to the rescue!:

...and with that, so ends another adventure with Aquaman!

Aquaman has to spend a lot of time teaching wayward surface dwellers not to mess with the seven seas, but they almost never learn. Let's hope Steve was a little smarter and listened to Aquaman, never again trying to be an underwater superhero.

John Daly, as usual, delivers a tremendous art job--I particularly like Steve's underwater outfit; it's very 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but with some superhero-ish coloring. Very snazzy.

For whatever reason, this month's Aquaman feature is seven pages, not the usual six. I think we can all be grateful for that!

Justice League #5 - March 2012

2012-01-28T12:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "Part Five" by Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams.

It was a big week for Aquaman--due to a quirk of the schedule, both Aquaman #5 and Justice League #5 came out the same day. After Aquaman's huge, er, splash last issue, let's see what happens this month.

The book opens with The Flash trying to outrun Darkseid's eyebeams, which isn't easy--he even has to push Superman out of the way! Barry pulls off a clever move, vibrating through a Para-Demon, allowing it to take the blast.

Superman then gets hit, and his unconscious body is dragged into the sky by another Para-Demon, leaving The Flash to curse and fume, and desperate to rouse his erstwhile teammates:

Green Lantern goes mano-a-mano with Darkseid, which doesn't work out too well for him. Despite this, Hal will not give up, even to the point of risking his life. Batman steps in and stops him, and tries to talk sense. He goes so far as to remove his cowl(!), and reveal his real identity to Lantern, who responds with "Who the hell is Bruce Wayne?"

Batman tells Lantern to meet up with the others, and takes off. He raises his arms, begging a Para-Demon to grab him--which is exactly what happens. Lantern does what Batman suggested, and hatch a loose plan to go after Darkseid. Sadly, his rallying cry needs a little work:

On Apokolips, we see Batman free himself from his Para-Demon, landing in front of another dimensional portal. He enters, and finds himself in front of what looks like Hell itself: "This wasn't part of the plan." To be continued!

After Aquaman's huge presence in issue four, this one can't help but feel like a bit of a let-down: he basically just stands around, and only has a line or two. But since we're obviously headed for a Big Finish, I'm sure Arthur will get more to do next month!

I felt the art was off a little this month--there are four inkers credited, including regular Scott Williams--so the book felt a little inconsistent to me, visually. And I really wish the nice, poster-ish cover hadn't been a victim of the "If two tones are good, fifteen thousand tones are better" school of comic book coloring. But oh well.

This issue also comes with a bonus feature, some character sketches of Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and, yes, Aquaman:

Random Panel of the Day #372

2012-01-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman (Vol.8) #5 - March 2012

2012-01-28T00:03:00.000-05:00

Comics Weekend "Lost" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Rod Reis.

This month's issue of Aquaman starts off with a bang...or, more precisely, a THOOMM:

"Uh-oh", indeed!

We then flash back to half a day earlier, with Aquaman unable to sleep. Mera wakes up, and asks him what's wrong. Before the conversation can go further, his phone goes off--turns out it's the U.S. Navy!

The Navy has been examining an artifact found embedded in the wall Aquaman brought with up with him in his battle with the Trench. Now it's emitting an ear-piercing screech, so the Navy calls Aquaman for help.

Back to the desert: Aquaman pulls a huge hunk of jagged shrapnel out of his leg, finds his trident, and keeps walking, finally collapsing in exhaustion. We then flash back again:

Armored soldiers show up and attack, and Aquaman charges after them. They hop into their jet, but that doesn't stop the Sea King: he jumps straight into the air and grabs on.

Back in the desert, the delirious Aquaman starts having visions, disturbing visions:

Arthur's Father starts berating his son, casting doubts about Mera and his son's decision to live on land. This starts to clue Aquaman in that this isn't real, and he finds the strength to get up and try and walk some more.

We then see Aquaman rip his way into the armored jet, and he gets a shock when he punches one of the soldiers: it appears these attackers' suits are filled with water! Aquaman immediately surmises they are Atlantean, but before anything else can be discovered, Aquaman is hit by some sort of force beam and knocked out of the jet, which ended up dumping him in the desert.

Now that we've come full circle, we see Aquaman discover the Atlantean glyph in the desert, as well as one of the solider's helmets. Placing the glyph into the water, an amazing vision appears before him:

This mysterious being talks of a great enemy, seemingly relating a history of Atlantis. Aquaman watches the messenger get attacked by some force, and then silence.

Just then, a fleet of Navy helicopters hover over Aquaman, and soon news of the rescue is all over the news:

...to be continued!

After some issues that seemed to go by very quickly, Aquaman #5 was a lot more dense, with a couple different story threads being dangled. I kinda wish Aquaman had figured a way out of the desert by himself, but even that feels purposeful; and in any case it's been done. So I guess it's just as well.

For some reason, the ending page feels ominous to me; maybe it's the worried look on Aquaman's face in response to a seemingly innocuous note. Maybe I'm reading into it. (By the way, I love the little "A" charm Salty The Aqua-Dog (as he will now be known as) is wearing on his collar. I really hope DC Direct makes those for real, I'd get one for our dog Johnny)

I continually get a thrill the way Aquaman's powers are displayed here; his ability of near-flight, his super-strength; and his enhanced hearing. This Aquaman is more of a take-charge bruiser when he's playing superhero, and the Shrine likes him that way!

Finally, I love the painterly look used on the Atlantean messenger; it's a nice effect that's pleasing to look at and helps make him/it stand out from the rest of the goings-on in the book. Month in, month out, the art team of Reis/Prado/Reis delivers the goods.

Random Panel of the Day #371

2012-01-27T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman iPhone Wallpaper

2012-01-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

This beautiful custom iPhone wallpaper was made by artist Jojo Mendoza, and its part of a whole set of Justice League-inspired ones...even Martian Manhunter!

Check out his DeviantArt page to download the set for iPhone, iPad, or your desktop! The Shrine did!

(h/t: F.O.A.M.er Jake Johnston)

Random Panel of the Day #370

2012-01-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

DC Super Friends My Busy Book

2012-01-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Shrine Correspondent Russell Burbage sent in these scans of a DC Super Friends: My Busy Book, which is an over-sized book-and-toy set that comes with mini-plastic figures (see above) and a book that doubles as a series of interactive playsets.

I love the detailing of these figures--even though they're tiny, you can see Aquaman here has got scales, the yellow "A" belt, the whole thing!

This is really cool little set, the kind of thing I would have gone nuts for as a kid, and then paid a ton of money for years later on eBay.

Thanks Russell!

Random Panel of the Day #369

2012-01-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Aquaman in Lobo Convention Special #1

2012-01-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

Tying the time he appeared in The Adventures of Bob Hope for Strangest Aquaman Cameo, here's the Sea King literally swimming through 1993's Lobo Convention Special, by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Kevin O'Neill.

I had no idea Aquaman was in this book, until it was pointed out to me by eagle-eyed Shonna Zimmermann, who is our newest F.O.A.M. member! Thanks Shonna, and welcome to F.O.A.M.!

Random Panel of the Day #368

2012-01-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aquaman Volume 4 House Ad - 1991

2012-01-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

This is another house ad for the 1991 Aquaman series, this time using one of Kevin Maguire's superb covers, that ran in Previews. If I were a villain, I'd be scared if I saw that coming at me!

This was sent in by my Fire and Water Podcast co-host The Irredeemable Shag. Thanks Shag!

Random Panel of the Day #367

2012-01-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

DC Comics: We Can Be Heroes

2012-01-23T10:44:00.013-05:00

DC Entertainment has announced an unprecedented humanitarian effort launched today to combat hunger and starvation in Africa: We Can Be Heroes!
From DC's Source Blog Official Press Release:

The Justice League characters were chosen by DC Entertainment both for their global recognition as well as their demonstration of strength in unity and numbers. The campaign’s graphic identifier features the iconic Justice League characters—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg—outlined in silhouette against the African continent. Each of these characters is a super hero in his or her own right, but when they band together as the Justice League, they become an unstoppable force for good and right in the universe—a key message of the We Can Be Heroes campaign. While many individuals may feel powerless to effect change on their own, as part of a global campaign such as this, their efforts, combined with those of other donors, can create a world of change.

Key elements of this campaign will include a generous donor-matching program by DCE and the creation of an online community to generate awareness of the African population's struggle to survive. The Aquaman Shrine encourages you to visit the joinwecanbeheroes.org website to consider your participation level and be sure to click on the Justice League link for more info on how the Sea King fits into the campaign! We are sure the Aquaman would find this a cause worthy of our attention.

The Fire and Water Podcast: Episode 11

2012-01-23T08:03:00.001-05:00

The Name That Aquadog Contest, FINAL!

2012-01-23T07:03:00.001-05:00

The results are in, and the winner of the Name That Aquadog Contest is...Salty!

It was a tough race, with many good suggestions all earning varying levels of support. With over 350 votes cast, it was one of our most popular polls!

In the end, "Salty" won out ("Buoy" running a very close second). "Salty" was first suggested by F.O.A.M.er Simone Mularkey, and her reasoning "...as in a salty sea-dog" proved too good to resist.

Simone's prize for coming up with the winning entry is a copy of, appropriately enough, Capstone Books' DC Super-Pets: Heroes on the High Seas!

The Shrine has already tweeted the winning name to DC Comics and Geoff Johns, so if Aquadog doesn't end up being named "Salty", don't blame us!

Thanks to all who entered, and congrats to Simone for submitting the winning name!

Challenge of the Super Friends, Episode 2

2012-01-23T00:03:00.001-05:00

Episode 2: "Invasion of the Fearians"

The Legion of Doom, having escaped capture by the Super Friends after sending them into space, is back with another nefarious plan!

In the Legion of Doom's headquarters, Captain Cold announces a plan--he has been talking to a race of Venusian invaders called The Fearians, who want to conquer Earth but are willing to strike a deal:

The Venusians need Earth to be more environmentally hospitable, so they ask the LOD to do the deed. In return, after the Fearians take over, they will hand over complete control of the planet's human population to Legion of Doom!

Step One of this plan involves Captain Cold. After freezing large parts of the planet, he of course draws the attention of The Flash. After failing to capture Cold, The Flash takes to unfreezing the world's cities:

But The Flash does not factor in all the steam he's creating by doing so, which raises the temperature of the entire planet! And this guy's a scientist?

Step Two involves Black Manta, and follows the same formula: he draws Aquaman into combat, and seemingly easily loses the fight, only to escape:

Manta has set massive fires all over Earth's coast cities, so Aquaman has his finny friends create huge tidal waves to put them out. But they do the job too well: the waves flood all the cities, covering populated areas in water!

Aquaman communicates what has happened to the rest of the Super Friends:

Batman announces a plan, but he is interrupted by yet another disaster, this one the work of Sinestro.

I think you can guess what happens: Green Lantern shows up, and ends up making the Earth's environmental problem worse in his attempt to stop Sinestro. By this point, the Earth is now more humid, more tropical, and more of its surface is covered in water! Time for the Fearians!

The Fearians invade, and their leader stops by the Hall of Justice. They (he? it?) encases the heroes in an unbreakable bubble, allowing the Fearians time to change the planet even more.

Green Lantern uses his power ring to trick The Fearians into thinking they've escaped, which draws them back. They accidentally free the Super Friends, who then turn around and and defeat The Fearians. Problem solved!

Oh, wait--there's still the ecological disaster, and the Legion of Doom, who have taken up in Capitol Hill (insert political joke here). Soon, they find themselves face-to-face with the Super Friends!

Once again, they are defeated:

...we don't see how Manta ended up face down like that, gosh darn it.

Anyway, also once again Lex Luthor is one step ahead, and manages to escape with all his villainous pals back to their hideout, leaving the Super Friends to issue yet another firm but-not-quite-as-convincing warning that they will be watching:

...not The End!

The Fearians' plan is not well thought-out, despite each Fearian having (presumably) three brains each. Also, the Legion of Doom didn't think this through much either: do they really think a horde of invading aliens is just going to hand the planet over? C'mon, guys.

This episode opens with a touch of character detail that would become a hallmark of the show: the members of the Legion of Doom are always within a hair's breadth of fighting with one another. After all, what do people like Bizarro and The Scarecrow have to talk about, really?

Aquaman's presence this time around is much more significant than the last episode (it would have to be), and even though he falls into the same dumb trap, I never tire of seeing him tussle with Black Manta.

This episode's Aqua-Content: Medium

Adventure Comics #160 - Jan. 1951

2012-01-22T00:03:00.001-05:00

Comics Weekend "Aquaman's Sea Cops!" by George Kashdan and John Daly.

It's Adventure Sunday!

The Sea King forms The Aquaman Corps, way before those sissypants Oans!

One of Aquaman's young recruits spots Tim Weed heading for a nearby pier. The Sea King sends a message (via electric eel--patent pending) to all of his team, including his finny friends.

Weed's boat is surrounded by a fence made up of swordfish, but he declares he is running an honest business retrieving sunken treasure. Aquaman lets him go, but secretly follows him back out into the water, where he sees Weed heading inside a buoy--a-ha!:

...and with that, so ends another adventure with Aquaman!

I don't feel this story was one of the Golden Age Aquaman's best; it's too wordy (I actually started to get bored working through all the balloons) and Tim Weed seems fairly colorless. It makes me wonder why, when someone like Batman already had a huge Rogues Gallery, Aquaman was so rarely given a colorful foe to battle?

I mean, of course Aquaman only had six pages per month, as opposed to Batman who was the star of two full-length books (three, if you want to count World's Finest), but still it seems like such a wasted opportunity to have Aquaman just battle yet another fedora'd crook when he was capable of so much more. Especially when you think how science-fiction was getting more and more popular by the 1950s; it would have been perfectly reasonable to have the Sea King take on aliens, robots, etc.

That said, John Daly's art job is, as always, terrific; I especially love panel four on page five, and the clever splash page.

Random Panel of the Day #366

2012-01-21T15:03:00.001-05:00

Young Justice - "Fail Safe"

2012-01-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

Episode Sixteen: "Fail Safe" - Airdate 11/4/11

It's Young Justice Saturday!

by Andy Luckett

A giant ship shadows the moon's surface as it makes its way toward Earth. Rushing out to meet it are Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, backed up by Batman and his Brother Eye satellites. After fair warning by the Justice League members, the ship fires upon the Lanterns, destroying their ring-created shields and vaporizing them. Batman calls on the second wave of the League; Superman, Captain Atom, J'onn J'onzz, and Captain Marvel, but they too (along with Batman)are destroyed one-by-one.

The alien ship continues to Earth, sending out smaller warships that decimate our cities. In Central City, the Flash and Zatara rescue Iris West, but soon all three meet a grisly fate. In Taipei, the Hawks, Green Arrow and Black Canary also succumb to the invaders. Among the other heroes reported dead include Aquaman, Icon, and the Atom. Wonder Woman and Red Tornado die defending Smallville, Kansas as the alien mothership lands there. This, of course, leaves the Young Justice team shocked but ready to do their best to defend the planet. Using satellite imagery, they determine that one scout ship has broken off from the pack and landed in the Arctic, presumably drawn by the power signature of Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The team decides to attack this ship and find its weaknesses.

In the Arctic and wearing white camouflage uniforms, Young Justice engages the craft, disabling its defenses. Superboy climbs on top to tear off the main cannon, but as it powers up Wolf jumps in to save Superboy's life. Soldiering on, Superboy and Miss Martian program the bioship to integrate the new cannon into itself, which leaves the team vulnerable to the new alien warships approaching. Artemis, running back to the bioship, tries to hold them off but is hit and vaporized before the team's horrified eyes.

Heartbroken, the remaining members travel back to the Hall of Justice to make their stand. After Superboy and the bioship destroy three alien warcraft outside the Hall, Aqualad meets with General Eiling, the man running the military resistance in the area. Aqualad plans to take a bunch of the alien's cannons and then strike using them. Once the team gets inside the Hall, Miss Martian senses a familiar presence. When she moves part of the broken statue of J'onn J'onzz, she finds…J'onn J'onzz, alive but disoriented. The others theorize that perhaps J'onn was phasing and in an immaterial state when the alien beam hit him, passing through his body but confusing his mind. J'onn can only remember a vague notion that he has something very important to tell the team.

Kid Flash and Robin examine the alien cannon attached to the bioship and discover the beam it emits is made of Zeta radiation, meaning that it could be a teleportation beam rather than a disintegrator, which in turn could mean that the victims are alive and being held by the invaders. As another wave of ships attacks, the bioship is hit and disappears, causing the team and the soldiers to fall back.

With nowhere else to go inside the Hall, Aqualad decides to transport the survivors to the Cave HQ at Happy Harbor. J'onn can authorize the transfers, but only one person at a time. Aqualad wants the soldiers to go first, but Eiling asserts that the six YJers are too valuable to endanger. As J'onn starts the process, the aliens breach the Hall and begin firing. As soldiers fall around them, including Eiling, Superboy goes back and saves a soldier, then makes the teleport himself. Aqualad gets J'onn through, and as he turns to jump, is hit by the beam as well.

Back at Happy Harbor but down to only four members, Young Justice decides that if the victims of the alien cannons have been teleported and are still alive, then they must be held inside the mothership in Smallville. Robin wants to use Superboy as a diversion to allow the others to get inside the ship, but Miss Martian hates the idea, saying Robin is sending him on a suicide mission. Superboy, however, realizes his ability to provoke the aliens, so he agrees, saying "It's what Superman would do."

Before they begin, the team sends out an inspiring message across the world, mobilizing other young heroes; such as Tula, Garth, Red Arrow, and Zatanna, to take up the fight. At the mothership, J'onn and M'Gann take first position and phase inside, as Superboy begins his assault outside. As he stirs up the ants nest, Robin and Kid Flash make it inside and begin searching the complex. Sadly, Superboy is hit. Kid Flash reminds M'Gann that he was probably only teleported but J'onn, his mind clearer, states that he knows the alien beam is a disintegrator and not a teleporter. The others are dead. Kid Flash has trouble believing this, saying that the Zeta radiation must mean teleportation, but Robin tells him his scans of the ship find no signs of human life. The plan now is to destroy the mothership.

The four make their way to the power core, where Robin makes his way in and drops a payload of grenades into the core. As they turn to leave, the doors close, sealing them in. Miss Martian and J'onn phase outside the ship under command from Robin, and he and Kid Flash are killed in the explosion as the mothership is destroyed. Outside, a terrified and exhausted M'Gann looks on as another mothership descends out of the night sky to Earth. "We have to get out of here now", she says. To which her Uncle replies, "No, we have to end this now", before driving his fist through her chest.

At this latest shock, M'Gann awakes within the Happy Harbor team HQ. All of her teammates are alive and well, recently awakened also. Batman and J'onn are present as well, wondering what happened with "the exercise". Batman explains that the events of the alien invasion were an immersive psychic training exercise designed to test the team's reaction to failure. It was designed so that no matter how well they did, the scenario would continually get harder and more tragic.

However, the member's minds knew that what they were experiencing wasn't real, which is why they were able to roll with the deaths of the League and of Wolf. When Artemis was "killed", however, Miss Martian's subconscious mind reacted too strongly and tried to take control of the program. M'Gann's psychic influence was so strong that when each member "died", they actually began to slip into comas rather than wake up as intended. At this point J'onn realized he would have to step in and end the exercise before Artemis or one of the others slipped into irreversible territory. When he projected his mind inside, the psychic noise of the others; i.e., their grief, pain, rage, etc, confused him and made him forget his purpose. Once Aqualad, Superboy, Robin, and Kid Flash "died" he was able to regain his place and stop his niece by shocking her awake.

Naturally, each member of the team is mentally and emotionally strained and exhausted by this ordeal, but M'Gann is truly devastated, feeling guilt over her subconscious mind forcing the others into comas. J'onn is also surprised at the power of M'Gann's mind, saying that it dwarfs the power of his own or any other he has ever known. We leave the team shaken and damaged.

Let's get the big potential criticism of this episode out of the way. Yes, this is a variation on the "nightmare scenario, it was all a dream" storytelling device that we've seen before. That said, it carried enough different ideas and details that I can easily overlook the familiarity of the premise. More than anything, it reminds me of The New Batman Adventures episode "Over the Edge", in which (Spoiler Alert!) Batgirl, under the influence of the Scarecrow's Fear Toxin, hallucinates the Bat-team's identities being exposed, her own death, and the deaths of Batman and her father Commissioner Gordon.

That episode carried a "new status quo/what's happening here/hit you in the gut" feeling to it, and so does "Failsafe". We break right into the carnage with the deaths of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two of the most powerful League members but taken out with almost no effort. Then four more of the heavy hitters (Supes, Captain Marvel, J'onn J'onzz, and Captain Atom) drop like dominos and we move on to the rest of the League getting taken down. Things keep getting worse as Artemis and Wolf buy the farm, and then false hope comes with the teleportation theory, and on and on.

I always appreciate in stories when characters act reasonably intelligent in harsh situations, and that's what the Young Justice team does here. You could argue that this is only a simulation, but the "participants" are still the mental projections of the team members, and the choices they make must to some degree parallel the ones they would make in a real life situation. Aqualad really steps up to the plate, keeping the team's spirits up through the deaths of their mentors, coming up with solutions for problems, and coordinating the team's talents effectively. But the biggest show of his character has to be the moment when he demands that the soldiers go before himself and the team into the teleporter. Not only that, but he also pushes Superboy and J'onn in ahead of himself, at the cost of his "life".

This may be my favorite episode of this show since "Downtime", the Aqua-centric one from earlier this season. Call me a sucker for "worst case scenario" adventure storytelling, but I just find exploring the what-ifs to be a great way to really get to the heart of the characters and the concept.

Aquaman (Vol.1) #18 - Dec. 1964

2012-01-21T00:03:00.001-05:00

Comics Weekend "The Wife of Aquaman!" by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.

Behold--another milestone in the legend of Aquaman!

Last week on Comics Weekend Saturday, the Shrine covered Aquaman #1, the first time the Sea King headlined his own title. When talking about a previous Aquaman comic, we've generally tried to look at the issues in order to preserve the storyline. But since many of these early comics didn't use continued stories, I thought it'd be fun to jump around a bit, and go back and revisit some of the big moments from the Sea King's past.

One of those moments is undoubtedly Aquaman #18, where Aquaman took a wife! Let's check out how it happened:

Mera's pursuer creates a giant purple monster (no, not that one), in an attempt to stop Aquaman and Aqualad. But thanks to some deft maneuvering, they cause it to slam into the beast the man is riding.

In the process, Mera is knocked unconscious, and they take her below the waves. Aqualad notices how much his mentor seems to care for Mera, and asks if he loves her. Aquaman answers yes, he is. That's heartbreaking news, since Aquaman must marry an Atlantean woman, which Mera is not. How to tell her?

Mera wakes up and tells Aquaman what has happened: turns out that the dimensional portal she used to visit Earth was about to close for years, and Mera, unable to bear the thought of not seeing Aquaman for so long, chose to use it one last time, and stay on Earth.

Following her through the portal is another member of her race, a man named Oceanus, who declares his love for Mera, and for power: he wants Mera to be his bride so they can conquer the Earth! Mera's answer is emphatic:

Mera wanders onto a beach, where she attacked again by Oceanus. Mera, despondent, no longer has the energy to turn down his offers, and meekly agrees to marry him, which thrills Oceanus to no end ("Ha! Ha! It's working, she's beginning to trust me!").

Oceanus' next step is to head straight for Atlantis and demand to be their king. This offer is, naturally, rejected, and Oceanus responds by using his powers to create a small army of hard water creatures, who attack and defeat the Atlanteans easily. As Oceanus declares himself their new king, the people wonder, where's Aquaman?

Above the waves, Aquaman and Aqualad spy an SOS coming from a signal fish, which they take to mean there's trouble at home. Once there, they face off against Oceanus' creations:

Aquaman and Aqualad are about to be killed by Oceanus, but Mera stops him, demanding time to humiliate Aquaman they way he humiliated her. Oceanus is delighted, and agrees. Soon, our heroes are turned into servants, having to wait on Oceanus and Mera hand and foot.

Mera demands a large, grand temple be built for the wedding, so the Atlanteans (including Aquaman and Aqualad) are put to work. Later at night, they escape and try and capture Oceanus, only to be fooled by a hard water simulacrum. Oceanus, waiting in the wings, pulls a weapon on them, and is about to shoot.

He is stopped by Mera, who grabs the weapon and confesses she's been lying to Oceanus all this time. Oceanus, little rat that he is, quickly folds:

...The Beginning!

With this issue, Aquaman made superhero history, in that he became (I think) the first superhero to get married. Sure, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl were married, but they were a couple from their introduction. This is the first case I can think of where a character was introduced into a superhero's series, only to have them marry the main character.

As drawn by Nick Cardy, Mera is simply gorgeous, a statuesque beauty--who also was, in her own way, a superhero. Truly a match made in heaven! The Aquaman fan in me wishes the wedding wasn't so truncated (it's all of one panel, with Superman and Martian Manhunter rudely talking during the ceremony, to boot), but this kind of character stuff was always given short shrift in favor of action. Having said that, this issue is a marvelous adventure, filled to the brim with fun moments, all beautifully brought to life by Cardy.

This issue brought to you by Tootsie Rolls!

DC Interactive Logos, Pt. 2

2012-01-20T15:11:00.002-05:00

Continuing in the vein of the earlier post, here's an Aquaman and Mera version of the promo shots DC's been sending around featuring various and heroes with the new logo.

Click the graphic to embiggen and download!

Random Panel of the Day #365

2012-01-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

DC Interactive Logos

2012-01-20T12:03:00.001-05:00

DC made big news the other day, unveiling these new interactive logos, replacing the updated DC "spin" icon that debuted back in 2005.

Some of the new icons are clearly, intentionally visually tied to characters (Flash, Green Lantern, Watchmen), and the Shrine couldn't help but notice a certain Sea King is not represented! Considering that Aquaman is currently one of DC''s top sellers, we thought that was unfair, so:

...you're welcome, DC!