Honestly my favorite version of the "Aquaman loses his hand" trope has to come from the Justice League animated series. No disrespect to the comic versions of the event, but cutting off his own hand because it was the only way he could save his infant son is probably the most iconic Aquaman moment for me.
@@bobgarlen wrong Aquaman before superfriends was considered badass, it was with that cartoons that the perception changed, than he became the butt of jokes until Johns New52 run.
Yeah. That episode was awesome. I must’ve watched that episode at least 5 times when I got that Justice League The Complete Series DVD Boxset for Christmas that year.@@writeroffiction5101
A lot of _older_ fans (like myself) were first introduced to him in the Justice League of America comics and the Superfriends cartoon. _Very_ different character.
@@georgetinker1292 I think my favorite episode was when he went on a family vacation and he wanted to be heroic. He spotted the Sportsmaster driving next to him on the highway and wanted jump into action, but realized the Sportsmaster was in the same boat, on a family vacation.
@@georgetinker1292 yeah definitely but I personally like new 52 run by Geoff Johns don't get me wrong I love the 90s run by Peter David it was beautiful it made him a badass and made him cool and dark and edgy it made him serious and I will always love that about the character and those stories were great and some obscure characters were put to good use and he really expanded the Mythos a lot more than my previous writers do before him
I remember my mother telling me about Aquaman when I was a kid and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I didn’t know what he looked like so I imagined a dude basically made of water with a big A on his chest. However inaccurate mental image, I thought this Aquaman was awesome and my little child brain loved it. I don’t remember if I was disappointed at all by discovering what he really looked like, but I always remember thinking Aquaman was really cool. His ocean powers were different from everyone else’s, you’d see a lot of really cool underwater stuff, and I remember Atlantis being pretty sweet too.
Peter David's Aquaman work was some of the best of all the 90's comics. I grew up reading it and it was a lot of fun. It should be required reading for anyone trying to get into Aquaman.
I think Geoff Johns’s New 52 run on Aquaman leans into greatness several times, as does Eisenhorn creator Dan Abnett’s stuff, but I’m a dyed in the wool Aquaman fan so take that for what it’s worth.
Aquaman's biggest problem: he is a member of the the Justice League. That means that he chooses to hang out in the one place on earth where there are three people with greater raw physical strength than him (Superman / Wonder Woman / Martian Manhunter) and one with vastly greater telepathic abilities (Martian Manhunter). Anywhere else, Aquaman would be by far the strongest, toughest guy in the room, with some degree of telepathic ability no less. He wouldn't even need a bad attitude; he'd command respect just by being unstoppable. DC needs to establish that the Justice League (Superman / Wonder Woman / Batman) are whom you call when there's an extinction-level threat, but for anything short of that, the "B" team will be fine: Aquaman as the powerhouse, Green Arrow as the overachieving normal guy, and so on. Kind of like how Marvel has the Avengers and then there are teams like the Defenders that take on threats smaller than Thanos or Kang.
@@DrLynch2009 I read some of it; I recall that Aquaman was pretty good at stopping one White Martian. (Then Batman walked in with four of them.) But overall, Aquaman's telepathy is way weaker than a Martian's, so he got lucky on that one. I read all of Peter David's run, and i remember when PAD increased his telepathic powers to insane levels like his Atlantean ancestor. But those sorts of changes never stick; because they feel like an add-on to the character. Aquaman is one of those characters who should be fine as is -- one of the five survivors of the Golden Age (Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman / Green Arrow are the others) -- we just need to put him in a less unflattering context.
This is what made justice league unlimited (animated show) really great. It didn't focus on the trinity, it featured lesser known heroes in their own adventures.
This reminds me of when three kryptonians attacked the watchtower and one, punches aquaman across the room while the rest of the justice league unlimited rush in. As aquaman was getting up, batman tells him to be careful that they were stronger than he was. Aquaman laughs, and says simply that has yet to be seen. He then dives in the middle and kicks the crap out of the invaders. Aquaman has gone against the entire justice league before he became a founder in later installments. He attacks the surface for all the polluting and a nuclear sub attack on atlantice. He took on superman, wonder woman, and superman at the same time. He beat them so badly and even made one of the first times superman ever bleeds. Martian man hunter once pushed aquaman too far, this during the water bearer installment of aquaman, and aquaman nearly put the Martian to death. After letting him live, man hunter claims Arthur wouldn't stand a chance against superman, and Arthur just smirks as he steps over the beaten Martian.
My favorite interpretations been the rebirth Aquaman. He's commanding, but compassionate. He wants to be the best husband and leader he can be, but knows he can't be the king his people need. It's a tragic reflection of a monarchy that doesn't make him seem entitled, but makes him seem trapped
Agreed. What other character in the Silver Age had enemies who use constricting steel wire, harpoons, and knives as weapons? In one story he killed a guy by dragging him over a coral reef, a bloody and vicious death.
"When Did Aquaman Become a Badass?" Short answer: when his arm was replaced by a hook. Also, Ramona Fradon, Nick Cardy, and Jim Aparo, especially Jim Aparo!
I liked Aquaman best when Aparo did the artwork. I've read them when I was a kid and rediscovered them a couple of years ago. I was quite suprised how good they were.
My favorite comic book run by Peter David was Young Justice. While the series has dated itself with references, he was able to capture a balance between light hearted and serious issues. Arrowette tried living vicariously through her daughter. An entire issue was written with no dialogue. Lobo tried going on a date with Empress. Arrowette’s tried avenging a death, to be reminded to do what is right (this story also contains a ridiculously funny moment where she says she is a villain and will have to get cleavage.) As a Teen Titans fan, I would love to see more moments of kids being kids. With a new Young Justice comic book debuting next month (and bringing back Kon-El,) I hope the light hearted spirit remains.
@@pettespizzaparlor3245 That's what I was about to say before I read your post. Peter David's run on the Aquaman books in the 1990s, Grant Morrison's JLA AND Geoff John's work on the Aquaman comics from ''The New 52'' all cumulatively helped to make Aquaman a bad-ass. But the fans always knew all along that Aquaman is a bad-ass, now people in the general audience who don't read comic books are finding out what the fans already knew.
@J R. YES. and a shout out to Geoff Johns N52 Aquaman run, (one of the better N52 titles), first 2 pages and he FLIPS AN ARMORED TRUCK!! (plus dealing with the "talking to fish" thing) very well handled. I also think that as we move farther and farther away from the '70s SuperFriends cartoon, more and more people are remembering him from the '90s Justice League cartoon instead.
Arthur Curry has always been a badass! Screw Robot Chicken, and Family Guy! If you can pick up a damn POLAR BEAR, and throw it at poachers, you are a BADASS!
I loved how David made him almost like Namor. But,different. His nobility is a lot different from the sub mariner. He's more noble. And,I think what changed for his character was adding his struggles of being a king,hero and husband. The crown is heavy...
@johnmburt1960 I would add in Beast Boy/ Changeling to the hero's' roster: His adaptability with his aquatic forms could be very bene-fish-ial(yes, pun very much intended).
I love it when you notice contradictory talking points from fans. In the Game of Thrones community will say GRRM kills all my favorite characters and Tyrion is my favorite character, yet Tyrion lives. Lol
Great history and commentary!! I am a little surprised that you didn't mention Flashpoint where it is shown just how much of a badass he can be. It showed that he was one of the most powerful characters on Earth in the DCU. Yes, it was an alternate universe crossover event but it was still Aquaman with no added abilities. IMO, this showed just how powerful he can be when given the right circumstances and motivations.
He's had some great runs, even before PAD. What makes that series special is how accessible and markeatable it was which increased his popularity the "right" way.
The most impressive thing Aquaman ever did in the Superfriends that stands out in my memory was some crisis that had him at the beach to fortify against an assault. He tore the shovel off a bulldozer and ran off with it to get to work. No crush depth, no bends, super strong/tough, super senses, telepath...and now a waterbender, too! When wasn't he a badass? Well done recounting. I was around for a lot of those and have them in my collection. No disputes here.
Geoff John's and Dan Abnett's runs on Aquaman are my favorites. I think the world building and character development from these superb writers were amazing. Even when the stories weren't all that amazing (Specially during the later days of the New 52), the character work was on point. My gf and I both fell in love with Orm due to Geoff's earlier arcs, culminating in the JL crossover (which Johns was also helming at the time) Throne of Atlantis. Orm also had an amazing epilogue during Forever Evil's Villains Month... Peter David's run has an awesome Aquaman, OK supporting cast, great stories, excellent Atlantis and political intrigue, but I do feel it lacks a lot of what Johns and Abnett brought to the table, specially regarding the supporting cast, villains and the dichotomy and depth of a badass, but always underestimated Aquaman. (Peter David's was mostly just a badass)
Great video as always, informative and entertaining! I go way back with Aquaman and fell in love with Nick Cardy's Mera. Jim Aparo was also superb. While the bad ass run was, in a way needed, my favorite creative team is Johns and Reis.
Great video, well-researched overview of Aquaman. As one of the lesser known Golden Age characters, he was largely an unknown. As a kid, I read some reprints of the classic version which I liked at the time. So thanks for enlightening us on the somewhat convoluted history of Aquaman!
Rick Veitch's Aquaman stuff that introduced Aquaman's water hand was the best, and continued on with other writers like John Arcudi (The Mask) and stories like Sub Diego. Not known for rugged badassery with a beard like David's run, but for sheer quality? The whole era of the water hand and the community of Sub Diego is wonderful. Unfortunate that that period is kind of slipping between the cracks as most people nowadays seem to only really talk about Johns' New 52 run or Peter David's bearded badass run when the subject of memorable Aquaman comics comes up.
As someone who never grew up with the super friends version and instead grew up with the badass king in the justice league show who in his first appearance sacrifice his own hand to save his son I've always liked Aquaman.
The fact they didn't call the connection of ocean life 'The Blue' to coincide with the Red and the Green is a missed opportunity that irrationally bugs me
I would also like to recommend the Aquaman on Justice League cartoon, you know, the long blonde hair, big muscle, beard, the missing left hand, and a permanent frown. Plus, he had issues with the surface world screwing up his oceans.
It's sad that the movie has given the most interesting and well developed version of Aquaman's origin. Would love to see Momoa's Aquaman lose his hand in a movie.
There was a lot of good stuff from the 90's that I missed: what pushed me away at the time was all the early Image stuff; if only I had known about Peter David...
I can't believe how helpful these videos are for my stay-at-home status! I loved DC's old Secret Origins comics issue 7 for introducing me to Aquaman. Of course, his SuperFriends, cartoons from the 1960s, and JLA membership helped cement the character to my childhood fantasies. Great episode, sir, but I would have liked more of the New 52 run and beyond, though.
@johnmburt1960It's not that they're back, they never really disappeared. Due to certain politicians and the political climate, they're just more brazen and out in the open now.
@@MusaMansu crazy I know, but I don't remember anyone calling anyone a Nazi. And even if you somehow got that from Ant Thomas's statement, you basically created your own strawman here and argued against it...
Another highly fun and informative episode. Been following your channel once I happen to stumble on it this year and I had great time with each video, you're doing some amazing work, keep it up! :D
I do love your openings. "" oh hi!!". Beyond that i believe your talent as a host rests in your personal take & professional assessments in recommendations of comics to readers whose opinions may or not, vary based on what you distinguish as short comings,pitffalls or genuine artistic decisions. Itscthose determinations that based a virtuous viewpoint of acceptance as opposed to flat out rejection without considerations of the artistic intentions
I've never been an Aquaman reader, but considering these four iterations each as a "baseline", I'd say the newest is the strongest. Going to be blunt; just the fact that Aquaman cannot _really_ talk with most marine life because they aren't intelligent enough to hold a conversation takes care of a huge snag that would ruin my suspension of disbelief. I was once pretty fond of Peter David, and I like a good chunk of what he did, but I pretty much *hate* the concepts of "The Red", "The Green", "The Blue", etc. for DC elementals. Peter David's take on Aquaman is part of what gave me some appreciation for the character. I *liked* the ideas Peter David often began with but didn't take to quite as logical of a conclusion as I'd like e.g. telepathic powers good, still having the fish "talk" to Aquaman bad. XP Oh, and though I am not a reader of the current - pardon the pun - Aquaman, I'm not reading *anything* Marvel or DC or even "other" right now due to a severe budget crunch. ^^'
He started getting a little grittier and less campy when Skeates and Aparo took him over in the late 60s. That’s when the light tone that dominated the character for 30 years started getting darker
By the way, I subscribed because of this....Just excellent! I love your passion for Aquaman comics, reminds me of my feelings towards The Green Lantern comics.
Though I never attempted to breathe underwater, I always pretended to be Aquaman swimming laps underwater at the local public swimming pool. Respect to the King of the Seven Seas (even before he became a “badass”)! I always assumed the badass look was just cashing in on the extreme 90s looks, that a lot of other characters were going through at the time.
I sure remember Aquaman from when I was reading comic books in the earl 1960s. I remember his mid-60s cartoons,his appearances in Super Friends and all his comic book series. I didn't bother seeing the movie.
I only read the Trench storyline for new 52 Aquaman but I think it did a great job of making him a badass, thought perhaps getting a bit too meta with civilians making fun of him before he shows off what he can do. The art by Ivan Reis is also insanely good, I love they had a legit A-team working on Aquaman
Maybe it's just cause in the Greek Zodiac I'm a Cancer, but I have a bit of a soft spot for Aquaman. Yeah I'm not the biggest fan but that's more cause I rarely read comics so I'm more influenced by the shows and games. Depending on which version of the guy you get he's a lot scarier to face than people expect..as mentioned in the video the old Super Friends cartoon really stuck with people in how they see him and because of that he's considered a joke of a character at times. I like the less all powerful or well known heroes from time to time, that's why I'm a fan of the gadget users more than anything for DC and have a rather strong dislike for Superman..but Aquaman and Flash are still two of my favorite DC heroes along with the Bat family and Green Arrow.
Honestly my favorite version of the "Aquaman loses his hand" trope has to come from the Justice League animated series. No disrespect to the comic versions of the event, but cutting off his own hand because it was the only way he could save his infant son is probably the most iconic Aquaman moment for me.
How it was done in the comics was lame. In JL it's a powerful moment.
Probably the moment that actually made people start to see Aquaman as an interesting character.
@@bobgarlen wrong Aquaman before superfriends was considered badass, it was with that cartoons that the perception changed, than he became the butt of jokes until Johns New52 run.
I remember that episode! It was one of the best Justice League Episodes.
Yeah. That episode was awesome. I must’ve watched that episode at least 5 times when I got that Justice League The Complete Series DVD Boxset for Christmas that year.@@writeroffiction5101
making Aquaman an underwater CONAN THE BARBARIAN seems to have worked.....
I understood that reference.
My first introduction to Aquaman was in the JL cartoon, so I never understood why people found him lame.
A lot of _older_ fans (like myself) were first introduced to him in the Justice League of America comics and the Superfriends cartoon. _Very_ different character.
@@Frankenstein077 aquaman was a joke
The hook hand was wack and it reeked of trying to hard.
Seth macfarlane and robot chicken kind of kept shitting on the character
vladthetransilvanian watch some Superfriends, he was lame af back then, and in comics for a long time too.
My favorite Aquaman version is the Batman: The Brave and the Bold version voiced by John DiMaggio.
*Outrageous!*
That was my favorite as well when I was a kid now it's from Superman the animated series
I like how they played him up as royal and capable. But,silly and goofy. And,I loved the embellished stories! The best!!!
@@georgetinker1292 I think my favorite episode was when he went on a family vacation and he wanted to be heroic. He spotted the Sportsmaster driving next to him on the highway and wanted jump into action, but realized the Sportsmaster was in the same boat, on a family vacation.
@@georgetinker1292 yeah definitely but I personally like new 52 run by Geoff Johns don't get me wrong I love the 90s run by Peter David it was beautiful it made him a badass and made him cool and dark and edgy it made him serious and I will always love that about the character and those stories were great and some obscure characters were put to good use and he really expanded the Mythos a lot more than my previous writers do before him
I didn't expect this intro...
now I have to change my panties...
WTF! Personal Insight thought we don't need to know that
@@dcmarvelcomicfans9458 fucking beta
Lolz
@@dcmarvelcomicfans9458 you most be really fun at parties
@@v-trigger6137 actually I am although it depends on which parties were talking about
I remember my mother telling me about Aquaman when I was a kid and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I didn’t know what he looked like so I imagined a dude basically made of water with a big A on his chest. However inaccurate mental image, I thought this Aquaman was awesome and my little child brain loved it.
I don’t remember if I was disappointed at all by discovering what he really looked like, but I always remember thinking Aquaman was really cool. His ocean powers were different from everyone else’s, you’d see a lot of really cool underwater stuff, and I remember Atlantis being pretty sweet too.
Look up just imagine aquaman
@@nkemnoraulmanfredini7286 Well I'll be damned
@@NumbSkull2602 seen it?
@@nkemnoraulmanfredini7286 Yeah, I didn't realise that I had the same imagination as Stan Lee XD
@@NumbSkull2602 😹😹,yeah
It was on Peter David's era when I became an Aquaman fan. I particularly like the story where he declares war to Japan.
Peter David's Aquaman work was some of the best of all the 90's comics. I grew up reading it and it was a lot of fun. It should be required reading for anyone trying to get into Aquaman.
I think Geoff Johns’s New 52 run on Aquaman leans into greatness several times, as does Eisenhorn creator Dan Abnett’s stuff, but I’m a dyed in the wool Aquaman fan so take that for what it’s worth.
I am a fan of Geoff John's run in the New 52 and his involvement in the Rebirth run.
Johns remade Aquaman into the Awesome character he deserved to be, not just Arthur but he also made Mera into an Awesome hero.
The guy that controls the speed at which lobsters die
Well, that opening was unexpected....
Aquaman's biggest problem: he is a member of the the Justice League. That means that he chooses to hang out in the one place on earth where there are three people with greater raw physical strength than him (Superman / Wonder Woman / Martian Manhunter) and one with vastly greater telepathic abilities (Martian Manhunter). Anywhere else, Aquaman would be by far the strongest, toughest guy in the room, with some degree of telepathic ability no less. He wouldn't even need a bad attitude; he'd command respect just by being unstoppable. DC needs to establish that the Justice League (Superman / Wonder Woman / Batman) are whom you call when there's an extinction-level threat, but for anything short of that, the "B" team will be fine: Aquaman as the powerhouse, Green Arrow as the overachieving normal guy, and so on. Kind of like how Marvel has the Avengers and then there are teams like the Defenders that take on threats smaller than Thanos or Kang.
You never readed Grant Morrison's JLA, right?
@@DrLynch2009 I read some of it; I recall that Aquaman was pretty good at stopping one White Martian. (Then Batman walked in with four of them.) But overall, Aquaman's telepathy is way weaker than a Martian's, so he got lucky on that one.
I read all of Peter David's run, and i remember when PAD increased his telepathic powers to insane levels like his Atlantean ancestor. But those sorts of changes never stick; because they feel like an add-on to the character. Aquaman is one of those characters who should be fine as is -- one of the five survivors of the Golden Age (Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman / Green Arrow are the others) -- we just need to put him in a less unflattering context.
This is what made justice league unlimited (animated show) really great. It didn't focus on the trinity, it featured lesser known heroes in their own adventures.
This reminds me of when three kryptonians attacked the watchtower and one, punches aquaman across the room while the rest of the justice league unlimited rush in. As aquaman was getting up, batman tells him to be careful that they were stronger than he was. Aquaman laughs, and says simply that has yet to be seen. He then dives in the middle and kicks the crap out of the invaders.
Aquaman has gone against the entire justice league before he became a founder in later installments. He attacks the surface for all the polluting and a nuclear sub attack on atlantice. He took on superman, wonder woman, and superman at the same time. He beat them so badly and even made one of the first times superman ever bleeds.
Martian man hunter once pushed aquaman too far, this during the water bearer installment of aquaman, and aquaman nearly put the Martian to death. After letting him live, man hunter claims Arthur wouldn't stand a chance against superman, and Arthur just smirks as he steps over the beaten Martian.
@@christopherpyles5568 That wasn't Kryptonian.
That was evil version of the Marvel from earth 3.
My favorite interpretations been the rebirth Aquaman. He's commanding, but compassionate. He wants to be the best husband and leader he can be, but knows he can't be the king his people need. It's a tragic reflection of a monarchy that doesn't make him seem entitled, but makes him seem trapped
When was he not honestly? Pretty much all the oldschool DC characters started off as dorks, and then got progressively worked on.
Superman wasn’t a dork. He was just a massive violent asshole.
@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 no the guy was just a dork really, the silver age was pretty fun but pretty stupid at the same time lol
@@NyctoPhobia197 silver age supes was a dork, golden age supes was super mean
Agreed. What other character in the Silver Age had enemies who use constricting steel wire, harpoons, and knives as weapons? In one story he killed a guy by dragging him over a coral reef, a bloody and vicious death.
"When Did Aquaman Become a Badass?"
Short answer: when his arm was replaced by a hook.
Also, Ramona Fradon, Nick Cardy, and Jim Aparo, especially Jim Aparo!
Jim Aparo fan!!!
OOHHH YEEESSS!
The greatest superhero artist!
I always loved his smooth-lined, sensual, action-pose Batman!!!
I was really surprised no mention of Skeates and Aparos run
I've always loved Aquamans blue costume more than his OG one. But I get it, his original design is too iconic
Man you’re intros get better and better every time.
I liked Aquaman best when Aparo did the artwork. I've read them when I was a kid and rediscovered them a couple of years ago. I was quite suprised how good they were.
The peter David Aquaman is my favorite, and the art alone is worth the price of admission.
Thanks Luke!
Has it been done in trades? I will have to check.
funny how each aquaman backstory progressively become closer to Namor's original one from 1939.
Your theme song gets my feet tapping and fingers snapping every time.
Why do people keep forgetting this character's portrayal in the Justice League Animated Series? Because that version was pretty awesome.
Tf2fan101 animated series Arthur was a Man.
@A.A. V that's assuming he didn't read any comics
Tf2fan people are not allowed to talk about animated aqua man from justice league that was awesome.
He does briefly mention the animated series, but he’s addressing more of the comic book source material more.
He was lame then too.
This is my favourite UA-cam channel about comicbooks, it's one of my favourites in general for real. 😸✌️
My favorite comic book run by Peter David was Young Justice. While the series has dated itself with references, he was able to capture a balance between light hearted and serious issues. Arrowette tried living vicariously through her daughter. An entire issue was written with no dialogue. Lobo tried going on a date with Empress. Arrowette’s tried avenging a death, to be reminded to do what is right (this story also contains a ridiculously funny moment where she says she is a villain and will have to get cleavage.)
As a Teen Titans fan, I would love to see more moments of kids being kids. With a new Young Justice comic book debuting next month (and bringing back Kon-El,) I hope the light hearted spirit remains.
I think the peter david run is great and criminally underrated. It should have a omnibus and in my opinion is essential reading for dc fans
My favorite Aquaman series was his Geoff Johns written New 52 run. As far as his look goes, I really like how he's portrayed in the Zack Snyder films.
You forgotten the single greatest contribution to "making" Aquaman a badass: Grant Morrison's JLA.
That's where I liked him best for sure.
That moment when Aquaman telepathically triggers a minor stroke on a White Martian
Morrison just continued the themes started by Peter David, in the mid-90's. Continued and streangthend.
@@pettespizzaparlor3245 That's what I was about to say before I read your post. Peter David's run on the Aquaman books in the 1990s, Grant Morrison's JLA AND Geoff John's work on the Aquaman comics from ''The New 52'' all cumulatively helped to make Aquaman a bad-ass. But the fans always knew all along that Aquaman is a bad-ass, now people in the general audience who don't read comic books are finding out what the fans already knew.
@J R. YES. and a shout out to Geoff Johns N52 Aquaman run, (one of the better N52 titles), first 2 pages and he FLIPS AN ARMORED TRUCK!! (plus dealing with the "talking to fish" thing) very well handled. I also think that as we move farther and farther away from the '70s SuperFriends cartoon, more and more people are remembering him from the '90s Justice League cartoon instead.
Metalocalypse:
"Go into the water
Live there
Die there"
(THIS ALBUM IS INTENDED FOR FISH ONLY)
*HAMMER!?*
☑
*GLOVES!?*
☑
*AXE!?*
☑
My favorite version of Aquaman is the Batman Brave And The Bold Aquaman, imagine Aquaman with the larger than life persona of Brian Blessed.
Hilarious opening and as usual excellent in-depth episode, well done.
Arthur Curry has always been a badass! Screw Robot Chicken, and Family Guy! If you can pick up a damn POLAR BEAR, and throw it at poachers, you are a BADASS!
Your videos get better and better, keep up the great work!
That was a great opening, and great video!
No talk of the water hand, huh?
2:43 Well I tried to wall climb or shoot webs when I was a child
Me too.... But its because I knew I could not fly. Well thats after falling off my shed in my wheelchair :/ .
@@michaelpecukonis5074 Did you try telepathy?
I don’t know how Marvel didn’t sue in the ‘60s when Aquaman was given practically the exact same origin as Namor the Sub-Mariner…
If marvel sue dc cause of copycats characters, or vice versa, there would be an war of sues after sues cause they copy each other all the time
I loved how David made him almost like Namor. But,different. His nobility is a lot different from the sub mariner. He's more noble. And,I think what changed for his character was adding his struggles of being a king,hero and husband. The crown is heavy...
Not gonna lie, if aquaman acts like a drunken fisherman in the movie, imma love it.
Yes he act
@johnmburt1960 You've got a better imagination than the hacks working on the DC movies.
@johnmburt1960 I would add in Beast Boy/ Changeling to the hero's' roster: His adaptability with his aquatic forms could be very bene-fish-ial(yes, pun very much intended).
@johnmburt1960 Great idea for a story. Do you post it on some social media fan fiction subsite?
@johnmburt1960 I'd definitely want to read that series. Thanks for sharing. 👍
If you read John's new 52 run, you'd know that Arthur Curry's been a force to reckon with since 2011.
Everyone for a while: “Aquaman’s so lame his only power is talking to fish”
Also everyone: “Batman is so cool, he doesn’t even need powers”
I love it when you notice contradictory talking points from fans. In the Game of Thrones community will say GRRM kills all my favorite characters and Tyrion is my favorite character, yet Tyrion lives. Lol
well Batman is so cool...
Everyone for a while: “Aquaman’s so lame his only power is talking to fish”
Geoff Johns: "Hold my Beer".
That speaks more to how lame Aquaman was rather than people being hypocritical.
A character having lame or weirdly specific powers like talking to fish dosent make the character itself lame.
I love water hand aquaman so much, i hope they introduce that in again at some point.
Great history and commentary!! I am a little surprised that you didn't mention Flashpoint where it is shown just how much of a badass he can be. It showed that he was one of the most powerful characters on Earth in the DCU. Yes, it was an alternate universe crossover event but it was still Aquaman with no added abilities. IMO, this showed just how powerful he can be when given the right circumstances and motivations.
He's had some great runs, even before PAD. What makes that series special is how accessible and markeatable it was which increased his popularity the "right" way.
Good information, I love to see how characters evolve. Thank you!
You know, even though i never did it, I seriously thought that jumping off the balcony with an umbrella would allow me to float like Mary Poppins.
I tried yelling into a bag to see if I could store it like that old Droopy cartoon by Tex Avery.
It does for sure. Try it. I guarantee it. Or maybe not, I don't know.
Poe Territory You were a stupid child
@@gin3868 Maybe, but not stupid enough to insult someone, not knowing the first thing about them. :)
Poe Territory YESS. I did the same thing thinking I was the penguin. I also tried to hypnotize my brother by spinning my umbrella
"When Did Aquaman Become a Badass?" I was just wondering this a few hours ago.
I’m from Bermuda, grew up on the water so I always thought it was cool to talk to fish as a kid
The most impressive thing Aquaman ever did in the Superfriends that stands out in my memory was some crisis that had him at the beach to fortify against an assault. He tore the shovel off a bulldozer and ran off with it to get to work.
No crush depth, no bends, super strong/tough, super senses, telepath...and now a waterbender, too! When wasn't he a badass?
Well done recounting. I was around for a lot of those and have them in my collection. No disputes here.
I always liked that underwater camo suit and thought it should've stayed.
Glad you mentioned Cardy and Fradon's work on Aquaman, absolutely amazing stuff.
Geoff John's and Dan Abnett's runs on Aquaman are my favorites.
I think the world building and character development from these superb writers were amazing.
Even when the stories weren't all that amazing (Specially during the later days of the New 52), the character work was on point.
My gf and I both fell in love with Orm due to Geoff's earlier arcs, culminating in the JL crossover (which Johns was also helming at the time) Throne of Atlantis. Orm also had an amazing epilogue during Forever Evil's Villains Month...
Peter David's run has an awesome Aquaman, OK supporting cast, great stories, excellent Atlantis and political intrigue, but I do feel it lacks a lot of what Johns and Abnett brought to the table, specially regarding the supporting cast, villains and the dichotomy and depth of a badass, but always underestimated Aquaman. (Peter David's was mostly just a badass)
Great video as always, informative and entertaining! I go way back with Aquaman and fell in love with Nick Cardy's Mera. Jim Aparo was also superb. While the bad ass run was, in a way needed, my favorite creative team is Johns and Reis.
Your intros are so freaking funny
Great video, well-researched overview of Aquaman. As one of the lesser known Golden Age characters, he was largely an unknown. As a kid, I read some reprints of the classic version which I liked at the time. So thanks for enlightening us on the somewhat convoluted history of Aquaman!
Just returned from the aquaman movie, it was a ton of fun and quite good
I LOVE The Atlantis Chronicles! I picked those up probably a couple years after they were released. That might be my intro to Peter David.
Chris/Fat Aquaman/Faquaman managing to up the ante with every video opening ......
Rick Veitch's Aquaman stuff that introduced Aquaman's water hand was the best, and continued on with other writers like John Arcudi (The Mask) and stories like Sub Diego. Not known for rugged badassery with a beard like David's run, but for sheer quality? The whole era of the water hand and the community of Sub Diego is wonderful. Unfortunate that that period is kind of slipping between the cracks as most people nowadays seem to only really talk about Johns' New 52 run or Peter David's bearded badass run when the subject of memorable Aquaman comics comes up.
When did Veitch do Aquaman? I missed that one and i have followed Veitch pretty close over the years. Just thought i'd ask.
Nevermind, i googled it. It was during my protracted divorce, so that explains why i missed it.
Sub Diego was great. I felt Arcudi dropped the ball a bit picking up from where Will Pfeiffer left off, though
I need to check that out. Thanks
Definitely a more realized character with a better supporting cast.
The New 52 and Rebirth versions are my favorite
As someone who never grew up with the super friends version and instead grew up with the badass king in the justice league show who in his first appearance sacrifice his own hand to save his son I've always liked Aquaman.
I expected "Oh Hi! You Caught me being Aquaman."
Like Riker in ST:TNG it was all about the beard... pop it in and don't mention how or why.
Just let the beard do the rest.
Me personally I love the Geoff Johns stuff. Because it's a good mix of the old and new stuff,plus Ivan Reis' art is so damn good🙌🏻
The fact they didn't call the connection of ocean life 'The Blue' to coincide with the Red and the Green is a missed opportunity that irrationally bugs me
I would also like to recommend the Aquaman on Justice League cartoon, you know, the long blonde hair, big muscle, beard, the missing left hand, and a permanent frown. Plus, he had issues with the surface world screwing up his oceans.
It's sad that the movie has given the most interesting and well developed version of Aquaman's origin.
Would love to see Momoa's Aquaman lose his hand in a movie.
Ah, yes, Aquaman and his evil doppelganger, Thanos Toes
I half-expected a 25 second video where you just jump out and go "NEVER!" and it ends, but this long version is pretty good too
There was a lot of good stuff from the 90's that I missed: what pushed me away at the time was all the early Image stuff; if only I had known about Peter David...
I can't believe how helpful these videos are for my stay-at-home status!
I loved DC's old Secret Origins comics issue 7 for introducing me to Aquaman. Of course, his SuperFriends, cartoons from the 1960s, and JLA membership helped cement the character to my childhood fantasies.
Great episode, sir, but I would have liked more of the New 52 run and beyond, though.
Great video, as always, Chris! Your channel is by far my favorite comic channel. I really enjoy your take on story arcs and explanations.
Answer, his first appearance when he basically punched the shit out of a Nazi submarine.
@johnmburt1960It's not that they're back, they never really disappeared. Due to certain politicians and the political climate, they're just more brazen and out in the open now.
Trump and the overwhelming majority of his supporters aren’t Nazis. Half of his family is Jewish.
@@MusaMansu crazy I know, but I don't remember anyone calling anyone a Nazi. And even if you somehow got that from Ant Thomas's statement, you basically created your own strawman here and argued against it...
@johnmburt1960 Problem is, the ones getting punched are the furthest thing from actual Nazis.
Who else Ken he referring to when Ben says the nazis are back. Who else could he be referring to?
Another highly fun and informative episode. Been following your channel once I happen to stumble on it this year and I had great time with each video, you're doing some amazing work, keep it up! :D
I do love your openings. "" oh hi!!". Beyond that i believe your talent as a host rests in your personal take & professional assessments in recommendations of comics to readers whose opinions may or not, vary based on what you distinguish as short comings,pitffalls or genuine artistic decisions. Itscthose determinations that based a virtuous viewpoint of acceptance as opposed to flat out rejection without considerations of the artistic intentions
I'd love to see augaman take on some Lovecraftian Eldritch horrors.
Geoff Johns' New 52 Aquaman is killer. I loved the Trench story arch. Fun episode. -Dustin
I've never been an Aquaman reader, but considering these four iterations each as a "baseline", I'd say the newest is the strongest. Going to be blunt; just the fact that Aquaman cannot _really_ talk with most marine life because they aren't intelligent enough to hold a conversation takes care of a huge snag that would ruin my suspension of disbelief.
I was once pretty fond of Peter David, and I like a good chunk of what he did, but I pretty much *hate* the concepts of "The Red", "The Green", "The Blue", etc. for DC elementals. Peter David's take on Aquaman is part of what gave me some appreciation for the character. I *liked* the ideas Peter David often began with but didn't take to quite as logical of a conclusion as I'd like e.g. telepathic powers good, still having the fish "talk" to Aquaman bad. XP
Oh, and though I am not a reader of the current - pardon the pun - Aquaman, I'm not reading *anything* Marvel or DC or even "other" right now due to a severe budget crunch. ^^'
Boy, Aquaman has really let himself go! Lol
Barry Francis you could say he’s fatquaman
Too many of McDonald's Fish Filet sandwiches.
Of note all my marvel friends as a kid loved Aquaman particularly this peter David run.
You’re a very knowledgeable guy! Your views are very interesting. Than you for doing what you do.
He started getting a little grittier and less campy when Skeates and Aparo took him over in the late 60s. That’s when the light tone that dominated the character for 30 years started getting darker
Great work on this video, I'm surprised I've missed your work until now. I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you.
By the way, I subscribed because of this....Just excellent! I love your passion for Aquaman comics, reminds me of my feelings towards The Green Lantern comics.
Peter David wrote more than just comics. He wrote alot of books. Alot of GOOD books.
I remember that Mini Series from the mid-80's that suit was cool - shame it didn't stick around on Aquaman for longer.
Though I never attempted to breathe underwater, I always pretended to be Aquaman swimming laps underwater at the local public swimming pool. Respect to the King of the Seven Seas (even before he became a “badass”)!
I always assumed the badass look was just cashing in on the extreme 90s looks, that a lot of other characters were going through at the time.
Another 10/10 as always! Thank you Chris!
I gotta like this video, if not for that opening alone. Brava on that bluescreen effect.
I liked the Dan Jurgens run.
I think Geoff John's N52 run is probably the best Aquaman run there is
Thanks for the top quality VFX!
i loved Dan Abnett's run. his latest arc was the best and Sejic's and Fredericci's artwork was breathtaking
Great video! Consider doing a vid on John Walker as Cap America run.
I swear every time I watch a aqua man video so far I'm getting the ad for the Aqua Man movie on DVD and Digital
I sure remember Aquaman from when I was reading comic books in the earl 1960s. I remember his mid-60s cartoons,his appearances in Super Friends and all his comic book series. I didn't bother seeing the movie.
Loved David's run. It's what got me into Aquaman. Atlantis Chronicles was incredible. That said, John's run is nothing short of great as well.
Loved, loved, loved Peter David's run.
My favorite version of Aquaman is the flashpoint version. I thought it was cool seeing him go to war with Wonder Woman
You skipped the sword and sorcery run!
Abnett and DeConnick had good runs also.
I only read the Trench storyline for new 52 Aquaman but I think it did a great job of making him a badass, thought perhaps getting a bit too meta with civilians making fun of him before he shows off what he can do. The art by Ivan Reis is also insanely good, I love they had a legit A-team working on Aquaman
Maybe it's just cause in the Greek Zodiac I'm a Cancer, but I have a bit of a soft spot for Aquaman. Yeah I'm not the biggest fan but that's more cause I rarely read comics so I'm more influenced by the shows and games. Depending on which version of the guy you get he's a lot scarier to face than people expect..as mentioned in the video the old Super Friends cartoon really stuck with people in how they see him and because of that he's considered a joke of a character at times. I like the less all powerful or well known heroes from time to time, that's why I'm a fan of the gadget users more than anything for DC and have a rather strong dislike for Superman..but Aquaman and Flash are still two of my favorite DC heroes along with the Bat family and Green Arrow.