Aquaman is a character that has certainly grown in popularity over the past five years, but still is not regarded as well as many of his Justice League teammates are. Some of those reasons are solid – he doesn’t quite have the rogues gallery or supporting cast of the Flash or Batman, nor does he have the iconography of Superman or Wonder Woman. Others – like the perception that he just talks to fish – are silly and relatively easy to look past.
With ‘Rebirth,’ DC has entrusted Dan Abnett, along with artist Brad Walker and Phillipoe Briones, to take the character into his rightful place as one of the most important, and most powerful characters in DC’s ranks. I spoke with Abnett and Walker about the character, the perception, and what we can expect from their series.
There’s a lot of meta commentary in “Aquaman: Rebirth” regarding Aquaman’s mainstream perception. His “goofy” image is something the New 52 went to great lengths to remedy. Do you think there’s still a perception problem with the character, and if so how do you plan on tackling that issue?
Dan Abnett: That meta perception isn’t just going to go away, so I think it’s wiser and healthier to put it in the book and make it part of the world. Arthur faces the fact that the surface sees him as a joke… AND a threat. At the same time. That makes his chosen role as ambassador and peacemaker a lot tougher.
Brad Walker: I think the perception still exists, but I don’t think it’s as much of a “problem.” I think Geoff [Johns] and Ivan [Reis] did a good job of defusing it, early in their run. Ultimately, I think most fans enjoy those comic community in-jokes, on some level. It seems beneficial to acknowledge it and not take things TOO seriously. That said, I think our run is taking it slightly more seriously than the New52 run did, in the sense that, Dan is looking at how Aquaman feels about it, and making him confront the issue to the people in his life. It’s not simply a winking reference for the audience, but a move that puts it out there, and says, in story, let’s get it all on the table, and then we’ll show you just how incorrect the perception is. Which I think is really cool, and an interesting angle on the subject.
‘Rebirth’ resets the deck so we’re beginning with the classic Aquaman tropes: He’s king of the sea, conflicted with his duties to both land and sea. Mera is of the sea, and strains to appreciate earth customs for Arthur’s benefit. And Black Manta is out for the revenge of his father. This is really the classic Aquaman set-up, so now that we have that – how do you keep a concerted eye on expanding out from there in ways that are new, different, and additive or expansive to the overall Aquaman story?
BW: I think Aquaman benefits from being one of the more diverse characters in the DCU. There are SO many different directions you can move with him, and none of them ever feel all that offbeat or out of character. If you made a fantasy story or a political story with Batman, it would feel like a departure in tone for him. But both examples are bread and butter for Aquaman. And adding to that, the bi-monthly shipping structure gives us a greater benefit to go in a bunch of directions at the same time. I think there is a lot of possibility here, and I think things will feel classic and new at the same time. The first arc is a breakneck-paced ride that is exciting and fun, and doesn’t feel like it’s ever retreading old ground. I’m really impressed with what Dan’s written. And I expect him to impress me, so it’s that much more impressive. Ha!
DA: Brad’s so kind. I think it would be a mistake to move away from the key elements (call them tropes if you will) that make Aquaman tick as a character and a book. But there are always new ways to explore them and develop them. We’re making Arthur more proactive, we’re raising Manta’s game, and we’re developing the support cast (on land and sea) and the culture of Atlantis itself. Shipping twice a month means we are going to tear through ideas, which also means there’s much more room to develop and play around, and perhaps place a little more emphasis of really interesting issues that would other wise have got lost in the mix, with less real estate to play with. There’s no filler at all, but we can go into greater detail, and play with fresh tangents. I hope the sheer weight and rate of story we’re delivering makes this compelling, makes the reader eager to come back for each installment. Addictive is a good word. I hope it is. And we also love to turn things around with a twist…. not crazy, ‘huh?’ left-field twists but surprises that take people aback and then make perfect sense afterwards. That’s the art of a great twist, and a great twist keeps people coming back.
Continued belowBrad, what different artistic muscles are you flexing, drawing relatively real world sea locations and sea life, vs. the Lantern books you’ve been on in the past, where you’re drawing fantastical sci-fi environments?
BW: It’s surprisingly similar muscles in those two elements, actually. To draw an exciting underwater environment, I like approaching it like the depths of space, or bizarre, alien worlds. But at the same time, there are a lot of real world elements that give contrast and make the undersea weirdness all the more interesting. So, it’s the best of both worlds, really.
What past versions of Aquaman have you been drawing your inspiration from? What’s your definitive “Aquaman” run?
DA: Geoff and Ivan set a great template for the basics. I’m also a fan of Peter David’s work, and there’s generally a wonderful legacy to draw on. I think this has a flavor of its own, but you will still be able to taste the classic ingredients it’s made form.
BW: I’ve been a consistent reader since the late 80’s/early 90’s, so I’d love to pull on all that a little. But at the same time, I don’t have any interest in having a derivative looking take on the series, so I try to not look too closely at previous work on the character as I go. I looked at a lot of the artists going backwards as I sketched at the beginning, but now that I’m drawing issues, I’m just trying to make scenes and character moments that feel authentic as they feel in my head, and represent what’s great about Aquaman and Mera.
Aquaman is an incredibly powerful character, but one that seems to have to remind people of that all the time. From a storytelling standpoint, how do you remind folks of Arthur’s power and abilities without flat out saying “he’s really strong, guys!”?
DA: No, that’s exactly what you do! Well, we try to show and not tell. We try to get Aquaman’s efforts reflected by witnesses. We can be amazed by him, but we can be even more amazed if someone there with him registers their astonishment at what he’s capable of. And he is an unknown quantity to so many (surface) people in the DCU.
Aquaman’s look/costume is pretty straightforward – what elements can you bring to the character to make him your own, without defying the ‘classic’ look?
BW: Well, when we started talking about the character designs, everybody agreed that we wanted the characters to look and feel classic, which I was relieved about. I’m not a big fan of fixing what isn’t broken, and I love most of the classic DC characters’ looks. So, I tried to just look at the classic versions, and think about the textures and the shapes in a way that made sense for the way I draw, and wouldn’t change anything, but would make things look new and fresh, at the same time. I tried to apply some internal logic to why the characters look the way they do, from the society they’re from, and what the different textures mean in their culture, things like that. Hopefully, my overthinking will register with the audience on a subconscious level, but never consciously, and they can just get invested in the story, and soak in things like that as flavor.
Aquaman is presented as perhaps the most openly or publicly active of the Justice League members, trying to act as a bridge between the people of the land and the people of the sea. He seems to be hated and feared by the people of Earth – does that hold true for superheroes in general in a post-Rebirth world? Does Aquaman incur more scorn than the rest of the JL because of his dual role and hero of Earth and king?
DA: I think he does. I think he has the tightest line to walk of any of them. His different responsibilities are often in conflict with each other too. I think that’s what makes him such a compelling character, and that’s what feeds great stories for him.
‘Rise of the Seven Seas’ has been teased for years now. When a story is teased that far in advance in builds a lot of anticipation. How do you manage that expectation? Has ‘Rebirth’ changed the plans for the event?
DA: I’ve been working with Geoff, talking about how we handle that and work towards it. It’s not been forgotten at all. The route to it has just become more interesting, and I think readers will appreciate the journey and the bigger and more rewarding pay-offs.
BW: Other than hushed whispers, I don’t have a lot of insight into the plans for that. Ha! But I’ve worked in crossovers and events since the beginning of my career, so I’m used to rolling with the extra challenges. When it comes around, I’ll just draw as well as I can and try to keep up with the other talent involved. Same as every issue here. Haha!
Visually, what books or stories – not just Aquaman ones – are you taking inspiration from with this series? What will your oceanic world look like?
BW: I don’t refer to a lot of other artists as I draw, actually. I think you can do yourself and the stories a disservice by trying to pull from what other artists do. I look at a lot of real life reference, and the rest comes from the subconscious influences that have taken hold over a lifetime of working on this. Ha! I want to give as well-rounded a visual stamp as the character has, himself. So, having fantasy and science fiction elements and socio-political and regal visual notes will hopefully come through. Ultimately, I try to serve what the story calls for and let it be its own thing, and its own era. I’d love if it was received as a very classic feeling run that was distinct, in and of itself.
There hasn’t been an Aquaman run since, perhaps, Peter David’s or Kurt Busiek’s that has really shaken the character up and changed Arthur or his surroundings in any lasting, significant way. Why do you think the character is one that tends to be, more or less, in similar situations no matter who is writing him? How will your run forever mark up Arthur?
DA: I don’t necessarily agree, actually. I don’t believe Aquaman is any more or less ‘stable’ than any of the key DC heroes. My concern, however, is not to reinvent his world explosively because of outside or surprise events. As a king and hero, he will drive the events that render long-term change to his life and his world. But I’m not giving him an easy ride. He’s going to clash with threats and foes… some classic old ones who have raised their game, and some brand new ones. We want to honor the traditions of this book and add to them.
What types of stories can you tell in the water that just can’t be told on land?
DA: Generally, damper ones.
The oceans – and the civilization of Atlantis – give us huge opportunities to do powerful, exotic and unique stories, but Aquaman is going to be on dry land too. His global remit really is global.
What is the thing that readers will be most surprised by in your run?
BW: Well, this is going to sound like an undersell, but I actually mean it as a selling point. In an era where comics seem hung up on shocks and surprises, I think the strengths of this book are exciting developments and great characterization. A lot of books these days can be a lackluster read if somebody has ruined their twist, but I think this book is the opposite. I think if somebody describes what’s happening to a friend, and the friend picks it up, they’re going to enjoy it even more and I think they’ll stick around, just because it’s a REALLY engaging read, and the characters are people you end up caring about within 20 pages. And that’s really all I can ever ask from a comic. So, I’m excited to be working on it. I would like to think that this is a run that’s fondly remembered because of how great it was, not because of one or two buzz worthy events that took place.
DA: I think I agree. We just want to tell great stories, issue by issue, and involve people in the characters (major and minor). We’re not into gimmicks, just powerful drama that makes you want to know what happens next. The greatest ‘gimmicks’ aren’t gimmicks at all – they are moments and events that compel you to race to the next issue. All the comics I’ve loved most in my life have had that quality – you read them for the great adventures, and the developing character drama that links those adventures together.
