Aquaman
#1
writer: Rick Veitch
artists: Yvel Guichet and Mark Propst
"You
murdered our myth, Orin. We can never forgive that."
With
that stinging accusation, Vulko leaves Aquaman to bake in
the sun. This cruel punishment comes on the heels of "The
Obsidian Age" in the pages of JLA, in which Aquaman
and the League sunk Atlantis a second time.
Perhaps
die-hard fans of Aquaman, too, will sling the same curse at
Rick Veitch and before him Joe Casey, because the writers
are trying hard to murder the myths that surround the character.
It's
about time, because they've gotten in the way of Aquaman being
taken seriously. Through sorceries learned from the blonde
sorceress Gememnae, the Atlanteans strip their king of the
ability to talk to sea life. Technically, he still can, but
all fish hate him now.
Okay.
It still sounds silly, but the point is that it will no longer
be a key power. Besides, once Peter David pointed out that
most fish really don't have anything to say, it was over.
The hook,
perhaps the most controversial aspect of David's previous
relaunch? Gone and not missed. After the shock of it wore
off, it just never seemed right. In its place, Aquaman gets
a magic hand made from freshwater, and…damn. It still sounds
silly.
Though
it may seem like a hoary concept, turning the Atlanteans against
Aquaman could be the best thing that has happened to him in
decades. Leading them sure hasn't worked to make him interesting.
And too often his "adventures" got bogged down in imaginary
politics. Commander Rodunn may appear to be an Attuma clone,
but Veitch makes sure we understand that it's more a long
simmering bigotry that informs his actions than a desire to
conquer the world. In Atlantis, blondes have no fun.
If that
still seems silly, well, this first issue likely marks the
last time we'll see these elements for a long while. Escaping
from his execution and avoiding crabs, the king of the seas
stumbles into a new destiny. In the process, he establishes
something very crucial - "my friends call me Arthur."
And, of
course, his friends are all on the surface world. Veitch underscores
this with a hallucinatory opening sequence as Arthur's life
flashes before him. The crucial moments involve his father
(a terribly underdeveloped character in the mythos), his first
love, later killed by Ocean Master, and the first time he
met Barry Allen. There's a dolphin in there, too, but she
counts as a mammal.
Even
before his subjects wanted him dead, he had no real friends
among them. Aside from the Camelot connection (and it may
turn out to be a huge one), choosing his human name implies
that this series will embrace the things that make Aquaman
worth membership in the JLA. Being defender of the seas is
cool and all, but it doesn't get you licensing deals.
Does
this mean that fans should drool over this book? For its potential,
perhaps. In and of itself, the book is mostly set-up, with
the real meaning of its premise left for future issues and
interviews in Wizard. Veitch had a lot of character
flotsam to deal with, so it's understandable. (How did Aquaman
get so complex without actually getting any more interesting?)
One thing is for sure: though new powers will be explored,
Veitch has made the character simpler.
With
a planned animated series and video
games coming (oops - he has the hook in that one), there
is obviously interest in the character. The new book is on
the right track to keep it alive, though it's a little daring
to change his appearance and his logo when the game clearly
utilizes the old ones.
Okay.
My wife has stopped reading over my shoulder as I write. Hey,
Aquaman fans - HE'S BACK! 2003 IS THE YEAR OF THE SEA KING,
BABY!
