DC Rebirth #1

The DC Rebirth is here, and (most of) the old gang is here! Most importantly, we find Aquaman and Mera at a special location for a very special reason:

Great Neptune, it's great seeing our heroes drawn by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, again, if only for two (and a bit) pages. And we get to see a moment that DC told us was not in the history of the New 52 versions: Arthur and Mera getting married!

The end of the book features a series of one-page ads for new titles, and Aquaman #1 is there--as he should be!

Aquaman Meets Bugs Bunny!

The Aquaman Shrine has given DC Comics a lot of grief over the years (most of it deserved, we believe), but when they do something right, they deserve praise.

Case in point: these DC/Looney Tunes variant covers, set for release in November. They are wonderfully silly, and I love every one of them. Some more than others, of course: case in point, this cover to Aquaman #46, with the Sea King (drawn by Ivan Reis!) being entranced by a suspicious-looking mermaid. Head over to DC Comics's site and check them all out, they'll put a smile on your face.

BTW, you can buy Reis' original, as seen below: 

The Multiversity #1 - Oct. 2014

"House of Heroes" by Grant Morrison, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Nei Ruffino.

I normally avoid these multi-part "events", but the presence of the art team of Ivan Reis and Joe Prado was enough to get me to check Multiversity #1 out. Especially when I knew one of the characters would be a certain orange and green sea king (er, queen).

As you might expect, this first issue universe hops (no Captain Carrot pun intended) back and forth, introducing new characters (Super President!) and revisiting old ones. As also expected, the dang thing looks beautiful:

Aquawoman, Queen of Atlantis (from Earth-11, apparently) doesn't get a whole lot to do, but in a story this sprawling, this huge, I can only assume Morrison is saving her for later. And while she won't be drawn by Reis and Prado (since, as far as I understand, each issue of Multiversity will be done by a different art team), it was cool to see Aqua(wo)man by them again.

Aquaman and The Others Cover Art

Anyone remember Ivan Reis and his friends Joe Prado and Rod Reis? 

They're the artists formerly known as Team Aquaman and the Shrine has confirmed that while the guys are quite busy with their Justice League and Forever Evil work, they've squeezed yet another gig into their schedule: Ivan, Joe & Rod are scheduled to be the ongoing cover artists for Aquaman and The Others! When the cover to #1 premiered last month it only seemed fitting that it was drawn by the artists who designed The Others and we're super happy to report that it wasn't just a one-time thing. So if you miss the early days of Aquaman in the New 52, you have at least two chances each month to see them drawn by the all-star artists who made the Sea King's first book a best-selling hit!

We'll have the cover to A&TO #2 on the Shrine next Monday but until then feast your eyes on the original art from #1 and click on over to Comic Art Fans if you have a few extra dollars to spend and would like to own this little bit of Aquaman history!

 

Original Aquaman Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado NOW ON SALE!

For the Aqua-Fans who are fans of the work of Ivan Reis and Joe Prado (that's pretty much all of us, right?) comes some exciting news, courtesy F.O.A.M.er Ivan da Costa:

Chiaroscuro Studios art sales on CAF

New art agency representing top artists opens CAF gallery for art sales

Chiaroscuro Studios is a just-launched agency representing several top talents including Ivan Reis, Rafael Grampá, Renato Guedes, Yildiray Cinar, Eddy Barrows, Eduardo Pansica, Thony Silas, and many more.

Chiaroscuro Studios will also take care of the art sales of most of these artists and have just opened a gallery on CAF with artwork from Ivan Reis’ best-selling runs on JUSTICE LEAGUE and AQUAMAN, including several interior pages, splashes and covers not previously offered to the comic art market, such as Ivan’s stunning ABSOLUTE BLACKEST NIGHT wraparound cover.

You can check the gallery and the available original art pieces (prices included) at: http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerydetail.asp?gcat=94774. Paypal accepted.

And for a full list of artists represented by Chiaroscuro Studios please visit www.chiaroscuro-studios.com

Check it out, Aqua-Fans! Here's your chance to own some of the best Aquaman art of the last quarter century. Thanks to Ivan for letting us know!

 

Justice League #23 - Oct. 2013

Comics Weekend "Trinity War, Chapter Six: Conclusion" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclar Albert, Eber Ferreria, and Rod Reis.

We have covered an issue of Justice League in a while, because Aquaman's presence has been limited to standing around and not saying anything for a handful of panels. But that changes in a big way this time around!

This issue opens with a bang--and a slam, and a zap, and a pow:

Basically, all holy hell is breaking loose, with the Justice League squaring off against the Justice League of America. Aquaman is in the middle of a fight against Hawkman, when he thinks he sees Mera, and is understandably confused:

Superman chases after Batman, wanting to pound him into pulp. Wonder Woman steps in, saving the Dark Knight's life for the moment. After momentarily knocking Superman out, Firestorm examines him and explains that this mysterious box that everyone is after is not what's making the Man of Steel sick. In truth, he's being poisoned by Kryptonite!

Element Girl steps in and finds the source of the Kryptonite--a sliver placed inside Superman's brain. Cyborg wonders how it could have possibly gotten in there, and that's when the (very tiny) shoe drops: the Atom put it there!

Yes, the Atom is a traitor, and so is Cyborg, unbeknownst to him. The Atom activates something inside Vic, and all of his cybernetics separate themselves into another being, calling itself Grid. As Vic lies there dying, Grid attacks the Justice League. Meanwhile, the mysterious bowler-hatted guy grabs the skull, using it open a portal from another world. And the first being through that portal is: 

The Atom joins these guys, having been in, er, league with them the whole time. Batman and the others have no idea who these bad guys are, but of course we do. They call themselves:

...to be continued!


Before I get to anything else about this issue, can I say how much I loved seeing the team of Reis/Prado/Reis (and Albert and Ferreira) do their versions of the classic JLA moments from their earliest appearances? I would seriously be up for a separate series of just those guys drawing those classic Gardner Fox stories all over again. DC, get on that.

In any case, this issue was a lot of fun, and I was thrilled to finally see an Aquaman doppelganger in the Crime Syndicate. Ever since I first learned of the characters back during the original series, I was annoyed that Aquaman did not get represented. Of course, Geoff Johns teases us (just like he did last week in Aquaman) mercilessly: he introduces Crime Syndicate Aquaman, only to kill him off one panel later! Arrrrrggggghhh!

I'm also disappointed to see the Atom is a traitor--I think it works great as a story element, but I liked this new Atom, liked there being an Atom in this new Justice League, so learning this about her made kinda sad, I have to admit. It's probably just the Cranky Old Comics Fan in me, wanting to see as close a recreation of the classic JLA as possible.

   

Justice League #17 - April 2013

Comics Weekend "Throne of Atlantis Chapter Five" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Rod Reis, and more.

The penultimate chapter of "Throne of Atlantis" opens with a memory...

Up in the Watchtower, Aquaman berates himself for allowing this war to start. Despite what they have just been through though, his fellow Justice Leaguers try and convince the Sea King that he isn't ultimately responsible. Back down on Earth, the other half of the team continues the fight:

But while they fight hard, the new Leaguers aren't yet a team--in Ocean Master's view, they're disorganized and ill-trained. We see evidence of that, as Firestorm accidentally gets in the way of Black Canary, leading to him getting zapped by Orm.

He then gets ready for the next phase of the attack, which involves cracking Boston on half and then letting the ocean sweep it all way ("That's ah wicked pissah", local residents are quoted as saying). Luckily for everyone involved, the core team has arrived:

Aquaman makes a beeline for Ocean Master, trying to explain to him that everyone is being manipulated into war by Vulko (who watches from above). Orm doesn't believe his brother, sending a massive electrical charge into Aquaman and knocking him out for the moment.

He commands his army to detonate another bomb, but they find it's been shut down, thanks to the new Atom. A second bomb is carried off into the sky by Superman and Wonder Woman. Aquaman, awake again, tries once again to reason with Orm, but he won't listen. He uses his helmet to create a massive wave which will crush the city...but it's stopped in it's tracks by Mera:

Aquaman explains (via words and fists) that he never wanted to be King because it is a lonely life, something he didn't want. But he now accepts his destiny, and demanding his brother officially abdicate the throne. He does, which leads Aquaman to finally claim his destiny:

Orm's men instantly fall in line, and combined with the Justice League they take on the Trench. Vulko, not having a great sense of timing, chooses this moment to surrender and try to explain to his King why he did what he did. Like Orm, he receives a smashing blow from Aquaman, who is enraged over the loss of life brought on by Vulko's mad plan.

Using the scepter, Aquaman then orders the Trench to go home, which they do like a pack of obedient dogs (massive, razor-teethed, blood-sucking dogs). He orders Vulko taken into custody and back to Atlantis, but that is not what's in store for Ocean Master. As a deposed king, he now has no immunity for his crimes. Begging for mercy, he is dragged off to Belle Reve prison, crushed.

A few days pass, and Aquaman asks Mera to come with him back to Atlantis. Fearful this could all happen again, he has decided to take the throne. But Mera cannot and will not go, tears in her eyes. She and Salty The Aqua-Dog watch him leave:

Meanwhile, three different groups are reacting to what just happened. Amanda Waller on Slimfast and Steve Trevor see this as an opportunity to finally introduce breakdancing to the world, the League realize they have to open their ranks, and a mysterious baddie decides to start his(?) own team, starting with the always-stable Scarecrow.

...to be continued in Aquaman #17!


Were it not for all the paperwork that would surely follow, DC could have renamed this book Aquaman and the Justice League, since he dominates the proceedings so thoroughly, both thematically and visually. As we've talked about before, the team of Reis/Prado/Reis always get a real ka-pow moment in every book, and in this issue they get about half a dozen! While the events unfolding may be utter chaos, they pace the story so perfectly that it rises and falls, rises and falls like clockwork.

Knowing that Aquaman isn't leaving the League, I'm intrigued to see how Aquaman manages to be King while also playing superhero. I was genuinely disappointed to see he and Mera separate, even if it's only going to be temporary. It took a quarter century and a company-wide reboot to get these two kids some happiness, and dammit I don't want to see it taken away from them.

Geoff Johns has really set things up to enter, if he chooses to, a potentially new classic era for the Justice League. They've spent a year and a half squabbling, arguing, and even fighting; now it's time for them to realize they can trust one another and be a real team. The camaraderie of the original JLA was probably my single favorite part about that team; I'd love to see a bit of that introduced into the New 52 version. Like Aquaman, we'll see I guess.

Bonus: Shrine Correspondent Joe Slab will be covering the week's other Justice League-related release, Justice League of America #1, later on today!

Anatomy of a Comic Book Page: Justice League #15

More amazing original Justice League art by Reis/Prado/Reis! At each stage of the process, from roughs to pencils to inks to colors, the amount of work the art team puts into their work is simply staggering. They haven't missed a step going from Aquaman to Justice League.

As always, we get to see these thanks to the generosity of Ivan Reis and F.O.A.M. member extraordinaire Ivan da Costa, who has much of this stuff in his personal collection. Thanks guys!

Aquaman #20 May Solicit

 AQUAMAN #20
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by PAUL PELLETIER and SEAN PARSONS
1:25 B&W Variant cover by PAUL PELLETIER and SEAN PARSONS
On sale MAY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Aquaman’s right to the throne is put to the test when an Atlantean rises up to defend the city—an Atlantean who many others believe should be King…

 JUSTICE LEAGUE #20
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Backup story art by GARY FRANK
Variant cover by HOWARD PORTER
1:100 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale MAY 15 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99
The PROLOGUE TO TRINITY WAR continues as a revelation about Batman could destroy Wonder Woman and Superman’s relationship! Plus, in the backup story, the penultimate chapter of the tale of Shazam finds Billy Batson learning the shocking secret of Black Adam!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Aquaman (Vol.8) #16 - March 2013

"Throne of Atlantis Chapter Four" by Geoff Johns, Paul Pelletier, Sean Parsons, and Rod Reis.

Chapter Three of this story ended with a real ka-pow moment, with the introduction of a whole new wave (what, too soon?) of potential Justice League members ready to step in. But, before that, Cyborg has to get ready for a trip under water:

In another part of the Watchtower, Vulko and Shin are watching the news, which seems to be blaming Aquaman for all this, even insinuating that this was a plan all along and that his membership in the Justice League was part of it (next up: Sean Hannity!). Vulko gets in Shin's face, telling him that if this was Atlantis, he would have been put to death for his betrayal of the King--a similar sentence that Orm has presumably delivered upon Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman:

Via some doo-dads in Batman's utility belt, he and Aquaman compare notes about where they are and where the others might be. A member of the Trench attacks, which Aquaman runs through with his trident. He then lifts up the pod Batman is contained in, and together they go looking for Superman and Wonder Woman.

Batman wonders aloud if there are others continuing the fight on land. Oh yeah there is:

The new members of the League--Firestorm, Black Canary, Hawkman among them (man, it felt good to say that)--try their best to fight off the Atlantean invaders, but they don't work well as a team, and Hawkman is taken out when Ocean Master sets off another detonator.

At the Watchtower, Cyborg emerges from his refit, and along with Mera they head back down to Earth, in search of the other JLers. At the same moment, Aquaman and Batman find their friends:

Mera, Aquaman, and Cyborg manage to free Superman and Wonder Woman, and bring them all to safety. Aquaman can't sense any more Trench, which doesn't make sense unless they're...on land!

Aquaman thinks that Orm is controlling them, but as we see he's just as shocked by these creatures as his brother was. So who is really controlling the Trench? This guy: 

 

...to be continued!

"Throne of Atlantis" keeps charging along, in another fine installment. I truly didn't see the Vulko turn coming, and while it's disappointing that Aquaman will feel betrayed by this, I'm happy that writer Geoff Johns just didn't pull a rabbit of a hat and make the mysterious force behind all this be some villain we've never seen.

As I mentioned in the review of Justice League #16, I'm thrilled to see all the new members get into the action so soon, and I had to chuckle at Hawkman (oh, excuse me, The Savage Hawkman) admonishing them all--just like old times. It oughta be a blast when this storyline is over and we get to see all them hanging out at the Watchtower.

New artist Paul Pelletier does a fine job here, with some panels being extraordinary--the whole sequence of Aquaman carrying Batman's pod around is simultaneously spooky and funny, with the deep shadows nearly smothering our heroes, yet Batman talking like he's not even fazed by this turn of events. DC needs to bring back Brave and the Bold and have Bruce and Arthur team-up, stat.

I didn't see a huge difference in the inks from Art Thibert to Sean Parsons, with the latter's inks being a little smoother, I'd say. And as usual, Rod Reis does an amazing job with the colors--also really, er, shining during the underwater sequence with the Trench. Aquaman, as a title and a character, is very fortunate he stuck around.

Eagerly awaiting the conclusion in Justice League #17!

Anatomy of a Comic Book Cover - Justice League #16

These "Anatomy of a..." posts are among the most popular Shrine posts, and no wonder: we're getting an inside glimpse of Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Rod Reis' creative process, as tracking their work as it goes from rough idea to the one you saw on the stands.

While I can't find fault with the final version, I have to say I really like the tight marker rough that was ultimately rejected; the one with Wonder Woman in the background. It looks as though Aquaman, as soon as he's done with Superman, Batman, and Cyborg, is about to get a magic lasso around the neck!

As always, we get to see these thanks to the generosity of Ivan Reis and F.O.A.M. member extraordinaire Ivan da Costa, who has much of this stuff in his personal collection. Thanks guys, and keep 'em coming!