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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Brightest Day: Aquaman Returns?

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I'm a couple hours late on this, but now that I'm back at Aquaman Shrine HQ I can post this, the cover to Brightest Day #2, by artist David Finch, as revealed today on DC's official blog, The Source.

In addition to this tantalizing piece of Classic Aquaman, here are some comments on the Sea King from Brightest Day's writer, Geoff Johns: "'
Brightest Day' is about second chances. I think it's been obvious from day one that there are major plans for the heroes and villains from Aquaman to take center stage in the DC Universe, among many others, post-Blackest Night."

Brightest Day
will be a 26-issue bi-weekly series, debuting in April. Obviously, I'm very happy to see this particular piece of art, but I'm going to wait until I see the series to say any more. This could either be the glorious, long overdue restart that propels Aquaman back to the top of the DC food chain, or...not.

I received over three dozen emails from various AquaFans alerting to me this news--they just kept rolling in while I was out--which put a goofy grin on my face. Here's a sampling of some of the reactions I got:

"
YAY!"

"About darn time."

"I hope it is our Aquaman, back the way he belongs, healthy, well and fun once again!"

"Easily best 'comic' news of the year so far... if it is a full return"

"OMIGOD!!!!"

"They're going to build our hopes up and then crush us. Because they have no souls."
(DC's going to have an uphill climb with this one)


This is a very exciting development...who knows, 2010 just might be Aquaman's year. Thanks to everyone who spread the news!

12 comments:

Rick Duncan said...

All the more reason to have an Aquaman summit at one of this year's Comic-Conventions! Let's do it.

(Hope we don't have to wait a year for a series.)

Andy Luckett said...

Very encouraging news, I'm def looking forward to this now. Let's hope this time it's done well and the right way! This art is definitely a step in the right direction: classic costume, two hands, ready to roll!

Bubbashelby said...

Did they ever explain who that Fakeuaman was? The long haired dude?

Randy said...

If it were anyone but Geoff Johns writing this, I would share your ambivalence, Rob. However, I am extremely pleased that Aquaman and company will be in great hands.

Now, if they can just restore the classic origin of him being the son of the queen of Atlantis and a lighthouse keeper, I will be even happier!

rob! said...

My only ambivalence is regarding how a new Aqauman book (if that's where this is heading) will sell.

If Johns--who is massively popular--writes a new Aquaman book and sticks with it, then I think Aquaman will be off to a great start, with many of Johns fans giving Aquaman a try for probably the first time.

But if he leaves after a year, and the book goes from creative team to creative team, floundering, then once again Aquaman will be canceled by issue #50 and DC will be that much more convinced he's a lost cause.

There's a lot of "if"s there, so I hope I don't sound too negative. I'm thrilled to see Classic Aquaman, given this much attention by Johns and DC!

IADW said...

It's great to see the media attention this story has picked up. Even MTV wrote it up - that's gotta help show DC they're on the right track!

Josh Hill said...

I think they are going to pull the trigger and this will lead to a full return for Arthur. I think the only reason they aren't telling us for certain is that they want to build the momentum. I know it might seem like wishful thinking, but Aquaman's return is the most anticipated of all the dead super-heroes. I think even the folks who thought he was lame before are hoping he'll be brought back and "made cool" by someone like Johns.

For me, I haven't been the dedicated Aqua-fan for as long as so many of you have. I have always liked the character, going back to the SUPER FRIENDS cartoon, and I did enjoy the 90's revival (I even had a fan letter printed in issue no. 4 of AQUAMAN: TIME AND TIDE). However, if they bring back Arthur now and in his iconic form, this will be my first opportunity to follow the adventures of whom most consider to be the "true" Aquaman, and for that I am very excited.

Wings1295 said...

I am gonna choose to let the Pollyanna in me run free and be optomistic that this heralds the return of the King of the Seas!

Brian Knippenberg said...

"Some second chances work out…some don’t.”

That comment, plus the ominous pic does have me a tad worried.

Airship Over Water said...

With Johns writing so many other projects at once, I do worry about how an Aquaman book would sell if Geoff stopped writing it. However, with guys like Straczynski now writing for DC, perhaps DC could get him to pick up the book and write it after Johns moves on.

Of course, Johns may want to take on the book for a long, long time. He's obviously not leaving GL anytime soon and he's made mention of a huge Flash event he's doing in 2011. He's getting more and more popular though, and I think eventually he might have to really pick and choose what he HAS to write.

Either way, AQUAMAN IS COMING BACK! I just hope Tempest can find his way back to the living as well.

Shawn / kryptonkylie said...

PLEASE just let there be some joy and or adventure in the book - and not another 'the only way Aquaman can be cool is if he's a bad-ass/tortured soul'.
I'm not saying he has to be like The Brave And The Bold Aquaman, but even 1/10th of that elation would be appreciated.

David J. Cutler said...

Yeah, I'm with Shawn. If this is leading to a new Aquaman ongoing, I'm really looking for a joyful comic, crazy adventure on the high seas.

The comic I really want I'll probably never ever see, though--An All Star Aquaman type approach, a younger version of the character with a teenaged Aqualad in tow.

Still, very excited, even if it's a grim and gritty book, to have an Aquaman book to buy again. And maybe some trades other than Time and Tide and the first Arthur Junior book, finally.