The Aquaman Experiment

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

You may remember during the summer when I took daughter to watch Ant Man 2 I as a bit of fun bought a hardback comic (I refuse to call them "graphic novels". I'm old) for my daughter and one for myself. Much to the contempt of the wife. Well now I've got round to reading it.

It was Aquaman. Volume four (Death Of A King) of a series but that didn't matter. I learnt as a child that for most series you can get stuck into the story no matter where you are. And that is the case here.

Apparently this was reviving the Aquaman brand. A task given to Geoff Johns.

This was to be then the first comic I'd read in well....decades.

With hindsight, and allowing for the fact that it was bought at a general discount bookstore not a comic book place, it was a mistake picking the man from Atlantis. I wasn't really enamoured with him as a child. I suspect subconsciously because I couldn't swim (and all of these years later I still can't). But I did want to pick a character I knew and the choice with that criterion wasn't great.

Having read it my views on the watery one hasn't changed. Whilst I might be jealous being able to swim underwater without a wetsuit and oxygen tanks and talk to sea animals does not a hero make. He's not Spiderman. He's not even The Flash.

If he swims underwater why does Aquaman never come out as if doing an impersonation of a dripping tap? Also that short blond hairstyle. Really? (Interestingly the Aquaman hairstyle from the forthcoming film, long and straggly, seems more reasonable).

The storyline (which I won't spoil) is certainly readable. The biggest irritation I had with it all though was with the artwork and colouring. The artwork because a lot of it appeared to me as if the artist was hoping some of the stills would appear in a gallery to I would such detail it detracted from the story.

Also the colouring seemed to be in a darker shade of gloom. Why? They weren't like when I was a lad. Even for Batman. Is that an appeal to adults thing? I've no idea.

So at the end of the day what have I learnt?

I'm an old man.

And whilst I'm not saying I wouldn't read another one again there would have to be a good reason to do so.

Until the next time.