NOW am I permitted to say how much I can't stand Sword of Atlantis after I've seen the first six pages and a story that starts with
"There was a storm. There was a mighty storm in the world above ... thus his legend began." ?
Well, well, well; it was a dark and stormy night. Does Snoopy get any co-credits on this title? What's the phrase I'm looking for to describe this; it's on the tip on my tongue...
That's it; PRETENTIOUS, FILLED WITH CRAPOLA. Thank you, incomprehensible sea-citizen, for the assist.When Veitch started on Aquaman (with his pretentious crapola), I decided to be generous. At least he's out of Atlantis, I said. Let's give it a chance, I said. My friend Glen, more wise and worldly in the ways of Aquaman, replied, "There are mollusks laughing cruelly. I think that tells us all we need to know about where this series is headed." Needless to say, Glen was right and I was wrong.
No offense intended (really; most people who work on comics are wonderful people who care about the artform, even if I don't happen to like what they write) to anyone connected to this title, but I give it twelve issues, tops, before DC overhauls it to make it jibe better with the forthcoming Aquaman teevee show and to hook Aquaman back in with the rest of supeheroes where he belongs. Didn't we just go through all this....?
At least he's got two hands. At least he's named Arthur Curry....
I wish a fraction of the effort being put into the Superman books was being put into one really good Aquaman series. I REALLY want to see Aquaman as a bonafide superhero again, and not just the King of Atlantis. And it's time he got a bunch of new villains. Ones that actually stick around and are cool in their own right.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I say let Geoff Johns take a shot at him.
Or Morrison. He was the last guy to make Arthur a bad-ass, back in JLA.
ReplyDeleteAt least he's named Arthur Curry? I thought SoA was going to feature a new Aquaman.
ReplyDeleteA book starting with "A Dark and Stormy Night" doesn't necessarily make it bad. That's how A Wrinkle In Time started, after all. That said, the phrase "The future of the oceanscape depends on it!" did make me cringe just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused...is he gonna be the amnesiac hero after all?
ReplyDeleteI can't really think of any other reason he'd still be named "Arthur Curry". I can't imagine it's a terribly common name in Atlantis.
"Oceanscape" is a very awkward word.
There is an issue of Justice League published in the late 70's (maybe steve engleheart's run? I'm not sure) where Aquaman explains that he has super strength on the surface of the earth because his body routinely deals with the pressures of the deep. This was apparently a big hit in the letter pages, and to some degree was an "aha" moment for me concerning Aquaman. I think clever uses of the given powers (along with good supporting characters) are the key to a successful series.
ReplyDeletemaking "doot-doot-doot" noises to simulate Aqua-telepathy...
ReplyDeleteI still do that sometimes at seafood restaurants, hoping to save the lobsters.
No success yet.
DC might stretch this series beyond 12 more issues for the sole reason that it is Kurt Busiek who is writing it. But judging it by these few pages, my expectations, which were already low, just got lower.
ReplyDeleteI still do that sometimes at seafood restaurants, hoping to save the lobsters.
ReplyDeleteNo success yet.
That is because I am using my "doot-doot-doot" powers on them, willing them into the boiling pot then on to my plate. I don't hate them or anything, but I love to eat those big old sea bugs.
Sorry man.
Doesn't The Power Company set the benchmark for how long DC will extend a series based solely on the fact that Busiek is writing?
ReplyDeleteSo, either 18 or 25 issues, depending on how you count it...
How many pages do you think it will take before Busiek has this new Aquaman use a Swordfish to vanquish one of his foes?
ReplyDeleteHow many pages do you think it will take before Busiek has this new Aquaman use a Swordfish to vanquish one of his foes?
ReplyDeleteI hope it's the VERY FIRST ISSUE.
I know I'm in the miniority here, but I'm really looking forward to this. Plus, I liked Power Company (though I admit that was more for the Doctor Polaris appearances than anything).
I still do that sometimes at seafood restaurants, hoping to save the lobsters.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why lobsters are the only food the restaurant puts on display alive, so you can select the tasty-looking one and condemn it to death. Thank God steakhouses don't do business that way...