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Saturday, September 04, 2010

Brightest Day #9 - Oct. 2010

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Comics Weekend "Lost and Found" by Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, Ivan Reis, Pat Gleason, and more.

After the last issue of Brightest Day being completely Aqua-free, this issue attempts to make up for that:
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In the middle of this event, the young man's thoughts are interrupted by his father, who takes him inside. He promises that he and his mother are going to tell him "the truth."

After a long sequence with Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow (which ends with Manhunter resolving to take a trip back home to Mars), we find Black Manta at the grave of Tom Curry, Aquaman's father:
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Manta is attacked by some of the armored goons accompanying Siren, and they trade insults and fisticuffs for a few panels.

The battle is interrupted by Siren herself, who seems to know Black Manta very well (she calls him "David"), and delivers some startling news:
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To be continued!


While I'm still a little flustered at the kinda glacial pacing of this series, I remind myself that A)its intentional--which doesn't make it any easier to read, for me at least--and B)there are a lot of characters to juggle.

Since I've been waiting so long for Classic Aquaman to come back, I'm of course a little impatient for this whole thing to really kick into gear so Aquaman and Mera can get past all the drama and get back to superheroing.

But I'm happy to see these developments, and it seems that with the addition of a new Aqualad and a new major baddie in Siren, Johns and Co. are working towards beefing up the Aqua-Family. And of course the Shrine is all for that!

15 comments:

Josh Hill said...

loved this issue. it was great to see Black Manta in action again, in full costume. and of course, the new Aqualad is pretty cool. I can understand the frustration that a lot of folks are having over the pacing of this series, but this is just how modern comics are so I think I have gotten used to it (despite the fact that I have been reading comics since the late 70's).

Joe Slab said...

I am with you rob! While I wholeheartedly approve of DC's plan to reintroduce Aquaman by co-starring him in Brightest Day which will really maximize his exposure, I am frustrated that he only gets like 2 pages an issue like in #9.

I really couldn't care less about MM and GA so the fact that they gave the largest part of the book to them...GRRRR!

David J. Cutler said...

Black Manta and I have the same first name?? Wild!

rob! said...

Josh--Yep, this is simply how comics (superhero comics, at least) are paced nowadays. I've pretty much decided not to mention it anymore, because I've said it so often, but occasionally it gets the best of me.

Joe--I'm perfectly fine with GA and MM getting time, I like all the other characters. But, like I said to Josh, the pacing of modern comics is just so slow for me.

Look at some of the pages I posted--five panels per page, and a whole page is devoted to an action that could be relayed in 2-3 smaller panels.

I'm not trying to ding Ivan Reis, Pat Gleason, or anyone else, since its all over the place, not just BD. But it seems weird to me when I read a superhero comic where we have one whole page devoted to, say, Superman flying around then landing. I'm not sure we need to see every single frame of something so simple.

David--Hm, I never have seen you and Manta in the same place...

Russell said...

Rob, you say Manta is at the gave of Artie, but the gravestone very clearly says THOMAS CURRY. (And HURRAH to Aquaman's father getting his original name back!)

rob! said...

Russell--I knew that, not sure why I wrote the other name. Duly corrected!

Dennis Doucette said...

Here what I think. This is a comic book. I love comic books. It features Aquaman. I LOVE Aquaman. So I love this book. Sure some issues lack the king. But its better then no king at all.

rob! said...

Dennis--Very true, that's a good way to look at it.

Its sort of startling, to me at least, that for almost the entire existence of the Shrine (4 years next month), Aquaman has been dead in current continuity.

Only since Brightest Day has the Shrine had an "actual" living, breathing Aquaman to discuss at all!

Orly De Gaulle said...

So who's the mom? Siren or Mera?

Wings1295 said...

Cool stuff. Still hoping, hoping, HOPING that the kid is not also Mera's son. That would just suck.

Joe Slab said...

Both Mera and Siren talk about Jackson in a detached manner...I seriously doubt either is related to him.

rob! said...

Joe--That's sound reasoning for real life, Joe, but not so much for comics. Orion is Darkseid's son, and Darkseid's always trying to KILL him! :)

Wings1295 said...

Rob - Your last comment there made me think of something that would make the new Aqualad being Mera's son with Black Manta even worse. She mourned Aquababy so much and was so broken up by the loss of him that the idea she has another son she has never mention or given a hoot about is almost absurd. Just will really turn me off from the whole deal if it turns out to be this soap-operatic a plot twist.

Anonymous said...

Oh! I agree...The main reason I'm reading BD is because of Aquaman, but it's going at such a slow pace that its KILLING ME!

Another thing that bothers me is that it seems that Johns and CO. are more focused on improving Aquaman's cast than on doing so with Aquaman himself. Aquaman's origin was reverted back to before 1989 and not a single page is dedicated to re-telling his origin in a more modern context?!!?!

It also feels as if Aquaman is a guest at his own party - he never knows what's going on! And this whole story revolves around Siren, Black Manta, Mera and Jackson (Aqualad). And Aquaman's always out of the loop just being dragged along.

Another thing... Johns better have a damn good explanation to give fans if it turns out that Mera is Jackson's mom. I mean, sure, Mera was "Sent to kill Aquaman" at first which makes her evil at one time... a time in which she could've ... well, dated Manta and BAM- hello Aqualad.

BUt still, I hope its not the case... I mean enough with the greek tragedy for Aquaman with everyone being everone else's son, father, mother, cat, cousing and so on!

Finally - Can we PLEASE pick up some speed on this book?!?!?!?!

*phew* hows that for ranting!

IADW said...

Not only was this edition Aqua-chocka it had the best looking Black Manta I've seen in a while.

I actually don't mind the pace of the book, especially when it's adding so much. Everything seems to be more connected to Mera than Aquaman at the moment - but that's not a bad thing :D