Tag Archives: Ivan Reis

This issue opens with a flashback. The content is fine, but the art is goofy. It’s to indicate the flashback, but it doesn’t work.

Otherwise, Johns is really impressing with Aquaman. He even manages to bring the joke aspect back, but matures it a little. Someone accuses Aquaman of being a glory hound looking for a good reputation. Johns handles it quietly, with Reis showing the full effect of the statement. Reis mixes the emotive quality of the story with the action. It’s impressive to see.

Again, Johns writes a great relationship between Mera and Arthur. It’s a great married couple adventure, with Mera never taking a secondary role. Even though it’s her first time to the surface or whatever.

Johns really just seems to get how to do this comic book and one aspect of that understanding is having Reis.

It even manages to be disturbing (carnivorous sea monsters).

Johns is nowhere near as funny this issue of Aquaman. I don’t mean more of the jokes fall flat, I mean he’s given up the gag. Instead, he presents Aquaman as an action hero. Well, he does add Mera to the equation and reveal the couple to be adorable in private.

Though I enjoyed the issue less—and it’s clear Johns was more traditional and less inventive—it almost bodes well for the series and the approach itself. It’s not The Thin Man, but it’s about on par with “Hart to Hart.” Arthur and Mera make a fine team.

Of course, having a great superhero artist like Reis on the book is essential. If it weren’t so much fun to look at, Johns’s stalled pacing might get more annoying.

And it’s creepy. It’s a horror comic, with the nasty unseen creatures of the mist being visible and horrific.

It’s fine.

Ha, ha, Aquaman’s lame. He’s so lame bloggers make fun of him when he goes out for fish and chips.

Geoff Johns’s take on Aquaman is to make him into an ironic superhero. Everyone mocks him, but the women still want him and the men still want to be him. Because his staff makes a Wolverine “snikt.” Johns is actually just rehabbing Aquaman for a movie. Seriously, I’d go see a movie with this Aquaman in it.

He’s like Robert Downey Jr. in the Iron Man movies.

A lot like him.

Anyway, moving on. It’s not awful. Johns is being silly, but… who doesn’t like laughing at Aquaman? It’s mildly amusing junk.

Then, about halfway through the comic, I realized I’d be reading it even if it wasn’t part of the relaunch. And I realized why.

Ivan Reis’s fantastic artwork. Whether it’s people, Aquaman or the sea monsters, it’s awesome.