Aquaman, Volume 1: The Trench (2024)

(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: Part creature feature, part fish-out-of-water sitcom, it bounces prowess off assumption and elevates through ridicule.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-2

Re-read 2016
My friend Paul drew this picture, then sent it allllll the way across the pond to me!
*hugs Paul*

Anyway, it inspired me to read all of the New 52 volumes again, because they were what first sparked my all-consuming obsession with Aquaman. And, yeah, I know you guys think I'm silly, but he's hands-down my favorite superhero of all time, and this volume was just as good as I remembered it...maybe better!

Original Review: 2012
Yes!
Aquaman is finally cool.

Aquaman has been a punchline for years. And why wouldn't he be?
I mean, he wears a green and orange sparkly outfit and talks to fish!

Instead of trying to do a cosmetic change, Johns addresses the issues that have been plaguing this character for years. In fact, he centers the story around it.
He's got major power, but everyone thinks he's a joke. It's a running theme throughout the entire book. However, somewhere in the middle of it all you stop seeing Aquaman and start seeing Arthur.
At that point, he becomes real to the reader.

Raised as a human, and therefore originally rejected by Atlanteans, Arthur is stuck between two different worlds. And neither one really wants him.
Unlike DC's Namor, Arthur wants to help the surface world. Land is just as much his home as the sea...maybe more so.
Unfortunately, no one takes him seriously. Even beat cops ridicule his efforts to help.
That doesn't stop him from saving their asses, but it does give you a glimpse into what a thankless job he has been doing.

Which brings us to Mera.
Psst. Don't call her Aquawoman.
Unlike Arthur, she isn't one to grin and bear it.
No. She's more of a Break-Your-Ass-In-Half kinda girl. Sure, she tones it down for Arthur's sake, but her killer instinct is right there...lurking close to the surface.
And it's a beautiful thing when she lets it out.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this one may end up being required reading some day. It rivals Morrison's excellent re-imagining of Clark Kent in Action Comics, Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel. In other words, if you only get around to trying a few of DC's new titles, make sure The Trench is on your list.

Unless, of course, you just rabidly hate Geoff Johns for no apparent reason.
Mike, I'm talking to you....

Get this review and more at:

Great reading about Aquaman!

This TPB edition collects issues #1-6 from New52’s “Aquaman”

Writer: Geoff Johns

Illustrator: Ivan Reis

DON’T MESS WITH AQUAMAN!

This is the perfect book to read if you want to see redeemed the comic book character of Aquaman.

Common jokes have made that people underestimate Aquaman and that’s a grave mistake.

Aquaman is a hybrid from a male human and a female Atlantean, and due his mother’s heritage, he is one tough guy.

If you're smart...

...you won't mess with Aquaman!

People tend to laugh about Aquaman just because his domains are the waters, well, just think what element covers two thirds of the planet and think again about laughing.

You have to understand that since he can breathe under water and reaching the depts of the ocean, therefore his body can resist more than a regular mortal, also a strenght way above of any normal man, and even he can perform jumps beyond of the ordinary.

The Trench is a great reading if you can re-discover Aquaman and really understand what he can do and respect him as superhero.

MERA, SORCERESS OF THE SEAS

Arthur Curry aka Aquaman isn’t alone, he is living with Mera who is a full Atlantean and she can manipulate water, and if you aren’t impressed, well, it seems that you forget that your body is easily 60% water.

While Aquaman grew up in the land, therefore he knows everything about human society, Mera is just starting to learn how to interact with humans.

MAN OF TWO WORLDS

Aquaman is just in the middle between human society and the vast realms of the oceans (and just think that humans have barely explored a 5% of the oceans), so there are still many wonders, perils and things that humans don’t know about the oceans, and soon enough Aquaman will realize that he still doesn’t know many things about the oceans.

A dangerous species from the bottom of the seas emerge and the coast isn’t safe to anyone, even Aquaman and Mera!

Smart writing, by Geoff Johns, shows you the technical details of how Aquaman’s powers really works, specially his famous telepathy. Along with stunning artwork drawn by Ivan Reis, definitely this is Aquaman’s fans must-read.

There aren’t bad characters just bad creative team without imagination. But you will find a top-level team offering you a great Aquaman adventure.

I am very sorry to report that, regretfully (not-so-spoiler alert), Aquaman does NOT die an embarrassingly agonizing death in this book, gasping and flopping around on dry land while the other members of the Justice League laugh, point, and throw fish food on him. Because, if that had happened, this book would have gotten at least one more star.

I tried, Anne. I really did. I wanted to like this book and write a glowing review and tell the world that it’s missing out on one epically awesome (if sartorially challenged) subaquatic hero. Alas…

The world’s not missing out. What the world needs now, in addition to love, sweet love, is less Aquaman, please, deities of all stripes, less Aquaman.

Look, this isn’t completely awful. As Aquaman yarns go, it’s probably tops. But, as high-quality superhero tales go, it leaves something to be desired (not unlike myself when it comes to being a partner in a three-legged race; I am terrible at those). First and foremost, as near as I can tell, Aquaman had a personality lobotomy at some point that has transformed him into what you’d get if a celery stalk got dirty with a cucumber in heat—like, the blandest possible fregetable (I think cucumbers are technically fruits, so I’m hedging my bets here, though I guess we could just say “vegetable” if that factoid is inaccurate); second, Johns tries valiantly to own the “Aquaman is perceived by ordinary people in the DCU to be a crappy hero whose sole power is having limited conversations with flounder” thing by having supporting characters crack wise about that perception, but those jokes are undercut by the fact that Aquaman shows himself to very clearly be an exceedingly powerful badass, which makes it just seem absurd that anyone would think he’s anything other than that; the main plotline, in which Old Scaly Butt and his lady friend Mera help defeat a strange race of scary-looking sea monsters intent on stealing humans to bring back to their kids for snacks is kind of underwhelming; and, lastly, for an interior artist, Ivan Reis sure draws some pretty cover images (in other words, his stuff looks good, but if you took away the words, I’d have struggled to figure out what was going on…the visual storytelling certainly didn’t blow me out of the water (which, I think, is what Aquaman says when Mera refuses to get down with him on land…hey-oh!)).

So, while I’d like to say it’s me, not you, Aquaman…it’s totally you. 110% you (and I realize that’s not mathematically possible, but that’s how much it’s Aquaman). You and I just aren’t meant to be. But, maybe I’ll see you swimming through the pages of JLA sometime. I think we can still be cordial to each other. I won’t even call you “Wanda” anymore. Well, maybe just occasionally.

2.5 stars, and I’ll generously round up out of respect for woebegone fregetables.

(Anne, you’re still awesome, though, even if I’ll never understand your affinity for Arthur Curry, who I’m pretty sure lists Background Merman #4 from The Little Mermaid as his only credit on IMDB.)

You Need a Glass of Water Or Something?

Whoa - I can’t believe how many of my friends have read this book! Aquaman, eh? I always took him for a second banana, not sure why... Maybe his sparkly green-and-orange outfit didn't look like major-league material? Or maybe his ability to talk to fish and ride around on over-sized seahorses didn't seem like the kind of super-power that makes children's hearts beat faster these days? Anyway, the thing is: my friends know what they are doing, of course - well, in this case, anyway... :)

Seriously, this book is great! I think what I like best is that it does not try to turn Aquaman into some kind of hipster or mega-tough dude, but instead insists on his oft-ridiculed identity: naysayers be damned. Not only does Aquaman still wear a sparkly green-and-orange outfit, but kitschy coloring gleefully highlights its effect. Admittedly, Aquaman does not ride around on any seahorses is this volume, and we also learn that he actually controls fish telepathically rather than talking to them (which is manlier, I guess?), but that's beside the point.

The thing is, this comic book does not deny Aquaman's identity. Instead, it makes his public-image issues a running theme throughout the book - a brilliant plot device, as it turns out: it not only comes with lots of dramatic (alienated hero stuck between human and Atlantean culture: "How's it feel to be nobody's favorite super-hero?") as well as humorous potential ("I can't believe we just got upstaged by Aquaman. The boys at the station are never gonna let us hear the end of this."), but also helps define our hero as a principled, stoically patient guy with an admirably unflinching attitude - very likable indeed!

I've heard bad things about Geoff Johns's writing, and I think the only Johns book I had read before this was the first volume of his New 52: Justice League relaunch - which did not do much for me, to say the least. This book, however, completely changes my view of Johns as a writer. It works extremely well as an introduction to Aquaman and his world, has a big heart, a great attitude, a sense of humor, and delivers refreshingly noncynical old-school superheroics that are just plain fun from start to finish!

In short, Aquaman, Vol. 1: The Trench is well written, and the story is complimented beautifully by Ivan Reis' pencils and Rod Reis' colors: bold and a little cheesy, just what the doctor ordered. And I just ordered Volume 2 in my library...

Poor, poor Aquaman. This is a superhero that gets absolutely no respect. Green Lantern can do cool things with his ring; Aquaman communicates with fish. Batman has all sorts of cool gadgets; Aquaman has a trident. Superman flies; Aquaman (in the early TV incarnation) rode around on a freakishly large seahorse.

Back during the DC vs. Marvel crossover, Aquaman needed a whale to beat down Namor, his Marvel aquatic counterpart. (Fans voted on the outcome and in this case, the reason Aquaman won was not because he was more popular, but probably because Namor was/is an assh*le.)

Aquaman has always lacked gravitas. In a previous incarnation, DC went as far adding long hair and beard and subtracting a hand via piranha and replacing it with a harpoon. This will give anyone instant presence. Right?

Geoff Johns does an admirable job at addressing the whole third-rate superhero issue. The humor here is most welcome. I’m not entirely sold on this New 52 revamp (from what I’ve read it’s better than others), but I do like Mera, his wife. Just don’t call her Aquawoman.

It’s true. The hype. Thank Heavens.

No really. It is.

This is the Aquaman story you’ve been wanting, nay, been needing to read since, well, forever. Geoff Johns gets Aquaman. He really does.

Okay, now that I’ve got the lyrical waxing behind me. This is a pretty fun story. Yes, there is some fun poking at the fact that Aquaman has never been the coolest character in the DC Universe. Thing is… if this run continues in the same fashion, he might well become just that!

And then I’m not even talking about Mera!

Highly recommended.

I admit I'm one of those people who used to scoff at Aquaman, seeing him as a character long out of date and too cheesy to continue into the 21st century. So it's a pleasant surprise that I read "The Trench" and not only enjoyed it but was genuinely impressed with this character and his world as presented by the skilled minds of writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis.

My opinion of Aquaman is widely shared and the character has been mocked on popular comedy shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "Family Guy" so it's good to see Johns address these in the opening chapter of the book. It seems no one in Aquaman's world really respects him either! He's constantly being made fun of by law enforcement officers and members of the public, stoically ignoring their barbs and saving their ungrateful lives anyway. While some superheroes have a hard time with the public because they're alien (Superman) or perceived as criminals themselves (Batman), Aquaman may be the first superhero whom the public acknowledge as a hero but don't take seriously because his very existence seems so silly. It makes for an interesting perspective in comics, one I've never seen before.

Arthur Curry aka Aquaman is living with his girlfriend Mera aka Aquawoman (a mermaid who is able to control water in all its forms psychically) in Amnesty Bay on the East Coast of America where he grew up with his (now deceased) father. Sea monsters from beneath the trench of the Atlantic Ocean emerge and begin abducting the townspeople of Amnesty Bay en masse, taking them down to the depths to feed to their queen - Aquaman to the rescue!

Johns sets up the world of Aquaman nicely, especially for new readers to the character (like me), as he retells part of Aquaman's story in flashbacks along with the fragments of the backstories of important characters like his dad, Dr Shin, and Mera. Johns doesn't explain Atlantis or why Arthur has chosen not to become King of Atlantis but this is hinted at as being addressed in future books.

Having seen Aquaman in action, I buy his superhero status fully and found myself engrossed in his story. He's a sympathetic and likeable hero with a lot of potential for further adventures. Johns and Reis treat him with dignity and seriousness and anyone who thought of him as a joke beforehand will think differently after reading this (at least he's no more mock-able than any other superhero). "The Trench" is a brilliant start to a great character. With Johns and Reis in the driving seat, I'll definitely pick up further books in this series. Aquaman is one of the surprise must-reads of the New 52.

Storyline: ☆☆☆ ½
Artworks: ☆☆☆☆☆

I've just hated every DC Extended Universe movie but for WW and JL, that with all of its flaws was at last an entertaining funny one for me, but James Wan's Aquaman seems really good and my wife has the hots for Jason Momoa (worst character casting ever in my opinion, he was just perfect for a Lobo based movie, but I see all the ladies going to the cinema are more than ok with him playing Arthur Curry's role), so it seemed not very nice to me watching that flick without having read one comic book about that character in my life because I never liked him very much since I used watching the Super Friends cartoon when I was a kid... and all the sit-com/internet jokes not much helped too.

So, this New 52 relaunch seemed the perfect starting point for me, because of the good reviews here and Ivan Reis' excellent artworks that I really appreciated while reading his works on Green Lantern two years ago, and it revealed being a real good choice.

Loved how almost everyone in this volume makes jokes about Arthur, his battle-name and the one of his wife

The Mera-centred final issue collected here, introducing Atlanteans' next stotyline, was not as good as previous ones for me, but this first volume of New 52 Aquaman was still a very good read and a perfect starting point, making me like a lot the one I just thought being the least fan favourite superhero ever.

Damn you, Rajesh Koothrappali, for making me delay from read this comic book early!

This is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers looking to get acquainted with Aquaman. Because anyone familiar with Aquaman knows about his dubious reputation, and Geoff Johns does a wonderful job of addressing that right from the start.

Johns could've given us a straight-faced story where Aquaman looks impressive and every character remarks at how admirable and totally legitimate he is. But Johns takes a different route. He embraces the pop culture ridicule, addressing well-established points of mockery like Aquaman's ability to talk to fish and his apparent lack of usefulness on land. I mean, Aquaman is being laughed at by characters within his own story. It's that level of self-awareness that really makes this book stand out.

Johns doesn't explain why Aquaman is a legit superhero, he shows us. By the end of it, we've seen numerous reasons why the New 52 Aquaman is a bonafide badass.

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews

My favorite New 52 character is — Aquaman?

God, I have a hard time admitting it. The words sticking in my throat like a tiny fishbone. Like so many others, I’ve always looked at Aquaman as that ridiculous dude from the old “Super Friends” cartoon; the one who wore a green and orange costume, talked to fish, and was basically a walking joke. But he isn’t that guy anymore. Oh, he has the same powers, wears the same colors, but now he has been transformed into a kickass superhero.

Johns begins this revamping with Arthur Curry (Aquaman’s real name) living with his girlfriend Mera (Don’t call her Aquawoman) in Amnesty Bay, USA, where he grew up with his (now deceased) father. Naturally, Arthur doesn’t get any respect from the very people he is trying to protect. Everyone making jokes at his expense, including ordinary bad guys.

Why Arthur is spending his time catching crooks, living in a lighthouse instead of sitting upon the throne of Atlantis, we don’t discover in this volume, but Johns does hint that future story lines will focus on the “whys” of Aquaman’s situation. What is focused on are these cool sea monsters from an Atlantic Ocean trench, who begin emerging from the sea to abduct all the humans they can carry, taking them down to the depths to feed to their queen. Naturally, Arthur and Mera must come to the rescue!

There is just so much to gush about with “The Trench.” Johns has crafted a story which makes everything that was stupid about Aquaman cool. All his apparent weaknesses are now his greatest strengths. Each of the ridiculous story elements are now unique twists. And Ivan Reis and Joe Prado have lovingly brought Johns’ story to life with vivid, dynamic art which captures the strength of this often forgotten superhero.

I just love this New 52 Aquaman. Never, ever in a million years would I have believed this was possible, but then again, miracles do happen. Pick this comic series up and discover the new, badass Aquaman; you won’t regret it, because the hype is real this time.

After reading this comic, I remember one episode of The Big Bang Theory: The Justice League Recombination (on air December 2010, based on imdb info), especially one quote from Raj Koothrappali.

Raj Koothrappali: I don't want to be Aquaman. He sucks. He sucks underwater. He sucks fish pee.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632226/q...

On November 2011, Aquaman #1 published, as if to challenge Raj's opinion. Raj should get a time machine, went 1 year to the future then read the comic, so he would proud to wear Aquaman costume.

New 52 Aquaman is one bad ass super hero:

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One of the great new 52 titles I've read. I'm not a huge fan of Geoff Johns but he hit it out of the park here!

Edit 03/17/16: I'm now a pretty big fan of Geoff Johns.

That's right. Poor Arthur Curry has just asked for it for so many years. But Geoff Johns finally does him justice, facing the ridicule head on and flipping it on itself with humor and plenty of glaring attitude.

Arthur Curry does not talk to fish, he telepathically controls them. Mind f*cks, as it were. He's finally a powerful hero: melee fighting with his trident, using sonar to locate enemies, and speed jumping. And he's the rightful king of an ancient and lost civilization. Rags to riches to be sure.

The periodic humor is really well played, like Arthur going into a seafood restaurant and being "battered" with questions and ridicule. He is well characterized, supported by strong writing and realistic dialog. Mera is just as interesting, as she's strong and beautiful and deadly, possessing the ability to control water. At first I was like, really? But then you see her leech the water out of people and dehydrate them until they die. Yeah, I'd say that's a decent super power. And the artwork sells it, thanks to Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. The sea monsters are equally fascinating. And of course Johns leaves us on the cliffhanger of (finally) finding out the truth behind the mystery of Atlantis.

Yeah, I'm as surprised as anyone. But honestly, of the half dozen titles I've read from DC's relaunch, this one has been the best. By quite a margin, in fact.

For one thing, it's a pretty comprehensive relaunch. You don't have to know much about Aquaman to read it, and what you don't know can be picked up through the information-delivery vehicle the writers found, which is the ignorance of the general population when it comes to all things Aquaman. Which is in full force because, let's face it, no one respects Aquaman.

Perhaps in a world devoid of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman (although it was a little puzzling that people seemed so fixated on Aquaman's orange shirt when Batman and Superman wear underpants outside their pants and Wonder Woman is parading around in what appears to be a woman's one-piece bathing suit) Aquaman would seem more special. But because he is in a world with not only a Superman, a Batman, AND a Wonder Woman, but also a Flash, a Green Lantern, a Captain Boomerang...I could go on.

What makes this a good read is that you still get your comic book elements, your fight against the bad guys and all that, but this book also does a nice job with the human side of things, which is something that I think suffers in a lot of DC's books, if I can make an unfair and sweeping generalization.

The beauty of Marvel, to me, is that the characters are usually somewhat powerful, but for the most part they are still fairly human. Spider-Man is the prime example, of course, because Amazing Spider-Man has always been just as much about a guy being Peter Parker as it has been about a guy with super powers.

I think that feeling gets lost in a lot of DC books. The characters are just too powerful. And the human side is often very weak as a result. Does anyone give a sh*t about Clark Kent? Is there ever any question about which side is dominant, Barry Allen or the Flash?

Part of the reason that Batman has been such a success, to me anyway, is that he's one of the few characters where the repression of the human side is a part of the story. He's more human than most of the other characters, but he's ACTIVELY pushing that part of himself away. DC managed to turn the flaw in many of their characters to their advantage, and it was a great idea.

Aquaman, from the new 52 books I've read so far, is the only one I cared about as a guy. Deathstroke had a son that I couldn't care less about. The characters in Suicide Squad were flat. Batman, though enjoyable, went on a hallucinogenic trip within the first few issues, which is always a problem for me.

Aquaman is a real guy. He has to deal with idiotic questions all day because people think they're hilarious. His wife gets into a conflict when she goes out to buy dog food. They have a laugh about a childhood picture of Aquaman on skis.

This is what's so great about comics. With some good writing and relieved of the burden of past continuity, just about anything can be a great read. Even Aquaman.

Aquaman #1 --

So how does one deal with Aquaman's baggage as a lesser light in the DC Universe? How does one make him relevent when he's always been the easy target of pop culture jokes (and his Marvel equivalent is decidely more bad ass)?

If you are Geoff Johns you address the issue head on, out in the open, morphing it from a negative into a positive, challenging the reader to set aside their biases, feel some shame for their "uninformed opinions" and empathize with Aquaman.

It works a treat. One issue is all it takes to get hooked by Aquaman, and I figure Geoff Johns will be reeling me in by the end of the arc.

Cheesy puns aside for this issue, I promise.

What we have here is a classic Aquaplot. Crazy sea creatures, in this case fish-like humanoids with giant pointy teeth -- sort neo-uber-gila men -- have attacked a fishing trawler, then a town, so Aquaman is called in to have a look.

Turns out Aquaman's not too popular with law enforcement, and they certainly don't take him seriously, but none of that matters when the neo-uber-gila men are attacking at full force, spitting paralytic goo and generally giving Aquaman and Mera a tough battle on the docks of the wee beseiged town.

If you like big, nearly bloody battles you'll dig this issue. I'm not a huge fan of these sorts of battles, but it's fun to see Aquaman in action. So there's that.

The neo-uber-gila men run into too much resistance and retreat into the sea, bearing humans in goo-pods as future food, but they leave behind one of their kind, which gives Arthur / Aquaman a reason to fill Mera and us in on his background, and how his youth fits in with deluded and slightly evil Marine Biologist Stephen Shin.

Not much happens in this issue, except that Dr. Shin helps Aquaman determine the origin of the new-uber-gila men, which is good enough for Arthur. He and Mera take off for the Trench, antagonizing Shin in the process and setting up, no doubt, some future trouble for themselves.

A slower pace in this issue would have helped, but I know this isn't going to happen. It's not in Johns writerly-DNA.

Aquaman and Mera track the new-uber-gila men to their lair with a hive-Queen at the center. Mera wants to kill them and do away with their "evil," but Arthur wants to protect their species and to understand them if he can. The conflict between their approaches is interesting, but there's little debate -- almost no debate. Aquaman presses on, not killing the new-uber-gila men in the process, and Mera follows unhappily.

Then Aquaman kills them all anyway (or so it seems) because steals (liberates?) their food, and when they try to take it back to fee their starving children, Aquaman unleashes the violence he'd been holding back in the form of an ocean floor volcano, thus burying them under rock and lava. Yep, twelve humans from a small coastal town are more important than an entire species. Glad we have that sorted out.

The first ten panels, which include a two page spread, are ten of the best panels I've seen. Arthur falls from the sky, and climbing out of the crater he left in the desert, he looks around and whispers, "Uh-oh." It looks gorgeous and it is scripted with sparing beauty. The rest of the issue fails to match this brilliance, however, and disappointment in this arc is truly beginning to settle in for me.

Before the next arc begins, before we figure out "Who sank Atlantis?" (the big question surrounding what's to come), we get an interesting little interlude with Mera (a.k.a. Aquawoman, but don't call her that). We see her Atlantean ethics at odds with supposedly human ethics (which are always a little too benevolent in the DC universe beyond Gotham), we discover the breadth of her powers, and she makes a friend. I like her. I wonder if I will like Arthur as much as I like her the next trade around. Doubt it.

Glorious!

So far I've been pretty unimpressed with DC's latest reboot of their universe. And, based on the number of "New 52" series canceled since the reboot, it would appear that I'm not the only one. The new Superman title made him an obnoxious, faddish "social justice" shill; the new Batman is too scatter-shot (5 titles? Really? FIVE?) and focused on the grimdark grimdarkness of the setting; the new Wonder Woman is just...feh...because the writer clearly doesn't understand the character at all. But Aquaman? Aquaman they got right. Aquaman is gold.

This title is a love-letter to everyone who knows Aquaman from the comics rather than from that old "Super Friends" cartoon (pretty much the sole source for all the "Aquaman-is-lame" jokes so popular with kids these days), Geoff Johns' first step towards atoning for his horrific crimes against comick'ry, and a wry tribute to Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth. The art is beautiful, the writing is crisp, the protagonists are sympathetic, and my only real complaint is that it actually feels like a very rushed introduction to the main characters and their plot-lines. I hope they'll improve the pacing as the series progresses, because "Aquaman" is now a title I might actually be willing to pick up on a monthly basis, rather than simply waiting for the collected editions -- and I haven't done that since Gaiman's "The Sandman" ended in 1996.

Good gravy, I'm old.

Q: How was Aquaman's son delivered?
A: Via SEA-section.

As a kid Aquaman was the butt of many jokes. In a world where Superman, Batman, Robin and even Wonder Woman were real, Aquaman could not possibly exist. He lived under sea.

Q: What's the difference between Aquaman and a unicorn?
A: Nothing, they're both fictional characters

I'd heard from others who are into reading graphic novels that Aquaman was now cool. Geoff Johns had done a great job resurrecting him. No, really Kenny. Well they were right. Aquaman, The Trench is great reading.

I've heard a lot of criticism of The New 52; with the exception of Superman, I'm more of a Marvel boy so I didn't pay much attention. In the case of Aquaman relaunching the character has paid off like crazy. Aquaman has had a rocky history in his own comics so I was interested to see what they would do with the character.

This version of Aquaman sees him much more powerful than in the past -- being much stronger and durable than before. When bullets bounce off of him and he can leap over buildings, you know there has been an upgrade. Geoff Johns did a great job of making him more powerful but not over the top.

The thing that really drew me in was how Johns knows the kind of joke Aquaman has become and spins that right into the comic book. No one is giving the king of Atlantis a break, from the cops he saves to the blogger that he runs into at the restaurant to the restaurant patrons who wonder why he would be in a fish 'n chips joint. Aquaman bristles from the jokes, but doesn’t rise to squish the people he protects. I really liked the play upon how we perceive this character and how Johns is working that into the story as well as how he is working to change that perception. This story worked for me and I was glad to see Aquaman restored to being a true hero.

It looks like DC is really bringing in their big guns to give the character a chance and I have to say I it worked. It was a great hook and I found this comic more interesting than some of the other titles from The New 52.

You might think that Aquaman is a title that you could just pass by and not miss anything. I would disagree as this comic really has a lot going for it. It will be very interesting to see where Johns and Reiss takes this as they seem to be pumping on all cylinders with the great art, storyline, and character development. Check it out.

Going into this, and with the help of the Goodreads reviews that have been posted on this book, I was expecting it to be a total turn-around for the Aquaman brand. But I don't think anything could have prepared me for how cool this book actually was. No wonder Aquaman has captured the attention of so many new readers!

Time and time again, Geoff Johns has proven himself to be THE writer for anything that needs to be resurrected. And in so many ways, the New 52 Aquaman is a more amazing feat than the GL or Legionnaires ret-cons that he penned. He takes a hero that everyone loves to hate-on and actually writes that into the character's back story. The fact that Arthur is ridiculed by the public and has developed an inferiority complex gives him a more stoic, pensive personality, which is such a contradiction to the majority of the New 52 reboot. And Johns does it with such humour and ease that it is impossible not to want to give Aquaman another chance in the spotlight.

The story is mostly action, clipping forward through panels at a fast, yet cohesive, pace... but even with this pace, Johns takes time to pause for a split second and have the odd, well-placed panel that gives gives us a window into Arthur's past. A's relationship with his father and absent mother tugs at the heart-strings, helping to build empathy with a character most people have been laughing at for decades.

Ivan Reis' artwork is perfection. The Trench creatures are seriously cool-looking, and scary, and gross. Aquaman has never looked better, dare I say, sexy, with his wavy, water-rippled hair, sharp profile, and impossibly toned frame (he must be airbrushed, not even Superman looks that good with his shirt off). And the flash-back panels feel dreamy and drenched in nostalgia, giving us a minds-eye perspective of Arthur's emotional state.

My biggest issue with Aquaman, and it has always been my issue with this title, is Mera. She is such a drag! Total Debbie Downer. Although there is an attempt at the end of this volume to make her a more empathetic character; still, she remains cold and uncaring for the most part, which begs the questions: What does Arthur see in her? That relationship has always felt contrived and forced.

Regardless, I'm hooked! (hehehe) With the promise of finding out how Atlantis became the sunken city of mythology, I know that I will be picking this title up in the future. I'm very curious to see where Johns is taking this.

4.5/5

With a plot that's got more than enough to engage and a collection of interesting characters, it should be a secured hit. However, for some reason, this just didn't click with me as much as I'd hoped going into it. As someone who knows of Aquaman mainly through Justice League appearances, he hasn't quite shone as a lead protagonist for me just yet. Definite potential and enough to consider picking up the next volume, here's hoping that he can jet to a higher rating next time.

2018 reread: So I am rereading Johns' New 52 Aquaman run to get me pumped up with Wan's film adaptation.

For better or for worse, DC's New 52 relaunched several of the characters in the DC universe, making most of them adapt in the modern world. This retelling may be effective in some, like Snyder's Batman but definitely not in others, like Lobdell's Superman.

Aquaman takes a detour from that modernization, and instead cements the King of Atlantis as a tier A superhero rather than a jokebag in sitcoms and Youtube videos. What Geoff Johns did is to make readers know him right away, establish what he can do and what he cannot do while fully embracing the jokes thrown to Arthur Curry and translates it to some interesting conversations.

This first volume, The Trench is your answer to the question: where do I start reading Aquaman?

It is also a great unofficial companion to the movie, since Johns has helped so much in the story and screenplay. The trailers alone has some elements which are obviously pulled from this story arc, so I also recommend this to those who wanted to know more about the lore of Aquaman - Mera, his parents, Atlantis and the villains.

Sans the Trench creatures, volume 1 doesn't really have any main villain at all, and that is good. This means that the readers can just focus on Aquaman (and Mera), making the whole reading experience a nice preamble to what is there to come.

Previous review follows:

You think that Aquaman is a joke? Read this. He is a badass from the trench up to the surface. Volume 1 in New 52's is an action-filled intro to the King of Atlantis. What are his powers, what are his limitations? It is Aquaman 101 without the lessons. It has Aquaman jokes, yes. But The Trench will make you respect him.

Volume one has a number of heartfelt and funny moments. But what made it close to my heart is that Geoff Johns created a world where Aquaman is really a joke, a target of ridicule and fish jokes. It is a sight to see how Aquaman (and Mera) handles these situations.

Ivan Reis' art is a marvel. The spreads are always delicious to look at. The watery, shiny, and luminescent coloring perfectly matches the artwork.

Edit: DCEU's Jason Momoa Aquaman is not based on this New 52 version of Arthur Curry. Momoa is more of a 90s Aquaman, a badass-looking long haired bravado personified.

Gotta say that this one actually lives up to the hype...

I have to admit that I haven't previously respected Aquaman all that much. Can't help but think of Robot Chicken's DC sketches everytime I hear about him:

So I love that Geoff Johns deals with this head on by making the lack of respect for Aquaman an actual struggle for him in the comic book. And damn does he deal with it. This isn't some "I talk to fish!" Aquaman. This Aquaman saves people and wrecks bad guys with a super badass trident all while people continue making jokes about him. I sure as hell wouldn't have that kind of patience.

The basic premise of The Trench is that a new kind of sea creature has emerged from deep within the ocean and they are very hungry. Turns out they need to eat a lot to survive and have settled on humans as their new food source. Arthur has decided to make a new home for himself on land with Mera (Aquawoman) and try to live among humans. When the hungry sea creatures make themselves known, it's up to Arthur to deal with the problem.

I liked this new Aquaman. You can tell that he's annoyed by the constant disrespect but he never lets it truly get in the way of protecting people or solving the problem that's been laid at his door. I loved his partnership with Mera, it felt like a real relationship rather than just some random love interest. And Mera was a flat out awesome character! Not a lady you ever want to mess with though.

I'd heard this new Aquaman series finally made him a badass superhero and I gotta say that I'm impressed. Definitely worth picking up!

Well, this was fun. I'd never really thought about Aquaman much before reading Blackest Night. But he was a cool character there. And Mera was even more so. So here I am, reading an Aquaman (and Mera) book for the first time, and really, really liking it.

Johns made the decision, apparently for the first time, to stop ignoring the general opinion that Aquaman is lame. Instead, he's working with it, using it as a source of humor. It did seem strange to me that DC was going to acknowledge that one of their big-name characters doesn't have a great real world reputation. But at this point, the fact that Aquaman doesn't get much real world respect is kind of the elephant in the room. So instead of ignoring it, Johns is working with it in the form of a running gag, all while showing that Aquaman really can be pretty cool. The result is much more credible, and doesn't reek of the desperation of previous efforts (harpoon hand, anyone?).

It's a very, very action oriented book, maybe a little too much for my taste. The stories used here are actually pretty interesting, and I like what Johns is doing with the characters. But too much is resolved using giant (pretty, mind you) panels of meaningless action. Some more actual story would be nice. But that's a very small complaint, really. If future installments of Aquaman are the same, I'll be very happy.

Poor Aquaman, he has less fans than my mother (I'm her number one fan!).

OK, so, this a decent comic but there's nothing really spectacular about it and I think it could explain more about Aquaman's origin. I for one, don't know much about him; I mean, he's not really the world famous superhero.
The stories were also a bit unconnected and weren't that interesting by themselves.

Like I said, decent.

While one of the most underrated superheroes, I enjoyed reading about it.

So, before this I had never read an Aquaman comic book. My only real big or small screen interaction with him was when A.C. Curry showed up in a couple episodes of "Smallville." He seemed fairly likeable, if a little too obsessed with being kind to the environment (i.e. the ocean). I did know that to most people Aquaman is a gigantic joke. People like to dismiss him, because most of his powers are only usable in the Ocean/water. They think he's useless when on land. This comic book, a part of the New 52 relaunch of DC from a couple years ago, doesn't so much reboot the legend of Aquaman as it does revamp him a little bit. We get to see the struggle of being a superhero and wanting to use your powers to help people, when they don't want you around. The people Aquaman helps ridicule him, even after he saves their lives. They don't appreciate his honor or his impressive powers. Nothing he does is good enough to get rid of the stigma he faces with overwhelming public scorn geared towards him.

The story, with the unknown sea monsters (they looked kind of like piranhas and were found to be some kind of ancient, weird offshoot of them) attacking Arthur's town, opened his situation to the reader and allowed me to jump in with ease. We're also introduced to Mera, an Atlantean mermaid who was sent to kill Aquaman by Atlanteans who distrusted him, and fell in love with him instead. Mera is a serious bad-ass, with the power to control ALL water (fire hydrants, water under the ground, in people's bodies, etc.). Not to mention, she doesn't have quite the fondness for humans that Arthur does, at least not yet. There is a great episode with her going out to buy a can of dog food and ending up arrested and causing havoc. This volume leaves off on a cliffhanger of a greater mystery: why did Atlantis retreat underwater? I liked the artwork, the story was really fun, and I'm interested in reading the next volume to see what's going to happen with the whole Atlantis thing. I count this one as a win, especially since I'm sure a lot of these New 52 titles are going to be a hit or miss proposition.

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

4.5 stars

Don't mess with Aquaman.

Like, seriously. Don't. I am so tired of everyone underestimating Aquaman! I really don't get it. Especially after reading this comic. Which was great, by the way.

So in this volume, Arthur decides to move into a lighthouse with Mera and protect the mainland while still being close to water. But he's perpetually teased by most people living on land. Like, he could literally rip your heart out through your throat and psychically manipulate a whale shark into eating it. And Mera is subject to this cruelty too, despite having less self control than Arthur. So they save the day (for the moment) and show everyone they're not to be made fun of.

I loved this and didn't expect to end up liking Aquaman so much. I mean, I never thought he was lame, but I had never been properly exposed to him. He's now one of my top DC characters. Now I'm going to binge the Johns run on this series and eagerly anticipate the Justice League movie (2017) and his solo film (2018). Because Jason Mamoa is a badass and I don't think anyone will be making fun of Aquaman much after his debut.

An aside: I can get people not liking this casting for Aquaman or supporting the casting/plot decisions for any of the superhero films, but I'm going to get over it and enjoy it.

Very good story with one of the most underrated DC characters, although i think the best title would be "Aquaman and Mera vol 1". Aquaman is great in this series but i really liked that Mera has a big part,together they're a great team.

If you are a DC fan and haven't already read this, give it a look it's worth it

My second Aquaman book and I’m wondering why he’s so different in the JL books I’ve read. Maybe because those were written by Morrison.

This was a good book but the small town assholes brought me down. Arthur and Mera have to deal with a lot of prejudice both from the surface dwellers and the citizens of Atlantis. Seeing their day to day issues was rough but I hope it gets better from here.

I've read about 5 of the new 52 from DC, and this ranks right up there. Not as good as Batman, but better than Superman, Superboy, and Blue Beetle. I remember picking up issue 1 of an Aquaman Miniseries (by Robert Loren Fleming, Keith Giffen and Curt Swan) when I was around 9 years old, and thinking it was awesome (I went to spend my allowance on the other issues as soon as I could find them at the corner store) as I'd never heard much of anything about him, but knew that Issue #1s were always a good place to start. Flash forward 20+ yrs and everyone's always sh*tting on Aquaman, how he's useless and a joke, and punchline etc, etc. So when I saw this book out and by Johns, I knew I'd be giving it a read. I have to say, I loved it. Reclaiming Aquaman with style, humour, nods to the disrespect he's had, and a bright future. Seems fitting for a character with such potential. If you think about what Marvel has done with Namor, it seems like Aquaman has just been shat all over by DC for years.

This was a really good start, and I really hope it doesn't end up cancelled like some of the other new 52 already are. Can't wait to see him gain some fans and take off to greater heights. Well done Mr. Johns.