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Sunday, December 19, 2010

New Aqua-Poll!

sg
From an idea by F.O.A.M.er Joe Slab, today the Shrine is putting up a new poll to see what your favorite era of Aquaman is.

With the Sea King poised to embark on a whole new phase of his history post-Brightest Day, I think now's a perfect time to look back at what has come before and see where all you stand!

22 comments:

Siskoid said...

Though "my" Aquaman was really Peter David's, I later fell in love with the early Silver Age stuff thanks to Showcase Presents. My vote went to Fradon.

Joe Slab said...

Love the Aquaman montage rob!

Even though this was partly my idea, I don't know which interpretation to vote for!?! I can appreciate all eras and versions of the Sea King...with tops being late Silver Age, Blue Camo, Brightest Day, and of course Brave and the Bold, outrageous!

Joe Slab

Stephen said...

I'm going to have to vote for the Aquaman of my youth and say the Bronze Age Aparo Aquaman. Although I have to say the current storyline in BRIGHTEST DAY is really making a run for my money and I hope we'll see an Geoff Johns/Ivan Reis AQUAMAN ongoing series in 2011!

I don't know too much about the Golden Age Aquaman although I've always been curious and wish there were a collection out there. I vaguely recall in my youth reading a GA Aquaman story - it was probably in one of those 100-Page Super Spectacular that had an original story at the front and then loaded with reprints for the rest.

Junction Comics said...

Like many, my first introduction to Aquaman was through the Super-Friends animated show and instantly became a fan. When I first collecting comics in the late 80's the first series/mini-series to the hit the shelves was the Curt Swan illustrated Origin one-shot and the mini-series that followed, and that was it, i was hooked for life. And though I suffered ridicule from my friends I scoured back issues for more (remember this was a time full of the violent vigilante anti-hero and the king of the seven sea was the opposite of this trend). I wish there was more blue camo Aquaman because there was so much potential there. All that Ramona Fradon illustrated was some of the best illustrated from Silver-Age era - she was the most under-rated illustrated of the era. I was amazed to find that Jim Aparo had illustrated Aquaman in the 70's (big Batman fan in the 80's) and bought all that i could back then as his work on the series was awesome to say the least. Then came Peter David with the Atlantis Chronicles, Time and Tide and then Aquaman's longest running series. Peter truly found Aquaman's voice and definitely put him through some tough times. Even though I was not a fan of the new armored outfit, I did like the bearded long hair look with traditional orange top and hook. I believe this era defined the character the most and allowed him to evolve as he dealt with the ghosts from his past. And I do look forward to seeing more Aquaman in the future in the post Brightest Day storyline.

Nicholas Corrin said...

I would have to say Jim Aparo's version will always be MY Aquaman. But a splash of Don Newton's art in Adventure mixed in would MY PERFECT Aquaman.

Orly De Gaulle said...

I loved the Silver Age version, but have found that my favorite storyline and art was during the early parts of the Sub-Diego period with Patrick Gleason.

Hart1000 said...

For me it's the Bronze Age Aquaman by Jim Aparo!

but right behind Aparo's Aquaman would be... the Peter David & Martin Egeland "Hook-hand" run.

Diabolu Frank said...

My favorite run was Arcudi & Gleason, but they were still working on an Aquaman weighed down by crap like the water hand, abandoned continuity, excessive focus on Sub Diego, weak villains and an all-new supporting team.

So, my favorite true Aquaman team was Skeates/Aparo, but Johns & Reis are working to change that.

Anonymous said...

The Skeates/Aparo run is my favorite Aquaman era. that gets my vote.

The Nick Cardy years leading up to that would be my second favorite. I loved the stylization of early Aparo. Although, in many ways i still think that Cardy drew the quintessential Aquaman. I also have a soft spot for Ramona Fradon.

I don't care for all of the later stuff with hooks, beards, compromised origin stories, and Namoric attitudes.

James Chatterton

r duncan said...

It confused which to vote for. I can't find Haney/Cardy Aquaman.

Kevin Wilson said...

Yeah, Cardy ought to be represented, or merged with Aparo. Definitely my favorite, although I have a fondness for Ramona Fradon's work, which I discovered much later. Couldn't stand hook/water-hand. Peter David's political intrigue would be near the top as well if I were ranking more than just my number one.

Vinnie Bartilucci said...

I was just talking about this on my blog - here's a link to it:

On the many faces of Aquaman, and the importance of keeping Batman clean-shaven

rob! said...

Rick-

Sorry, I goofed a little and didn't mention the Haney/Cardy Aquaman. Now that the poll is in effect, I can't edit it.

I may be considered wrong, but I tend to lump the Haney/Cardy Aquaman in with the Fradon era--the stories were all self-contained, and were more plot driven than character-centric, unlike the Skeates/Aparo era. So if you're voting for Haney/Cardy, I'd say vote for Fradon.

The Masked Vigilante said...

I gotta go with the Jim Aparo Aquaman, even though I've been enjoying the SHOWCASE stuff a lot lately. And this site keeps tempting me to pull out the Peter David series for some Conan Aquaman fun.

It'll always be the Aparo version at the top of my list though.

Unknown said...

go water hand!!!

Anonymous said...

I'd have to go with Peter David's Aquaman (It was the very first, and pretty much only badass incarnation of Aquaman, up until Brightest Day!). Though I think The Aparo and current Johns Versions are the best of all the others. So If I could get three votes, those would be it! :)

shurwitt said...

Bronze Age/Satellite-era/Aparo Aquaman all the way, no question.

Monibolis said...

Ramona FTW

Vincent Paul Bartilucci said...

I know it's too late to rejigger the poll but I'm also in the Bronze Age (Adventure into short-lived Aquaman series) camp. The Blue Camo era that lasted 4 issues before The Crisis cut the legs out from under it gets a nod but no Bronze Age?

rob! said...

VPB-

I'm lumping the Skeates/Aparo era with the later short runs in Adventure, all the way into the early 80s when he was in Action.

And when I say Camo Suit era, I mean that, the Giffen mini, the two one-shots, and the McLaughlin series. I feel like they're all sort of of a piece until PAD came in and really changed things.

Maybe I'm misguided making those delineations, but I had limited room, sorry!

Allan said...

I feel I ought to go for the Fradon/Cardy material simply because it's the Silver Age, and I tend to favour the Silver Age these days -- though I'm actually a Bronze Age child. However, I ultimately went for Aparo, purely for nostalgic reasons.

One of the issues of the short mid-70s revival was the only Aquaman comic I'd ever seen as a kid, and the idea of an underwater hero appealed to me greatly. That Aparo's art on that run is magnificent didn't hurt either!

Faceman said...

The 60's and 70's Jim Aparo Aquaman is my pick.