More Aqua-News!

CBR spoke to Brightest Day writer and DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns about Brightest Day and the Aquawar... here's what he had to say!

Another character that's enjoyed a great amount fanfare with the release of "Brightest Day" is Aquaman. It's been nice to give him a chance to shine, because he's had some lean years of late.

It's great when people say, "I want more Aquaman." When's the last time you heard them say that? I think Aquaman is one of DC's A-List characters, but he's got to be treated like that. He's got to be showcased like that and he's got to kick ass like Green Lantern or Batman or the entire Justice League.

And I know you love writing Mera, too.

Mera is one of the strongest female superheroes in comics, in my opinion. She's regal, powerful, smart, confident and stands on her own. She doesn't need to stand next to Aquaman to be her own character. There are plans for her post-"Brightest Day."

Sticking with the Aqua Family, you have to be pleased with Jackson Hyde, too, the new Aqualad? I loved seeing him in "Young Justice," as well.

If we were going to introduce a new Aqualad, we had to decide that we were all going to do it. It's very hard to launch a new character, so this was our first try using DC in various ways, between the comics, animated series, licensing, everything. Let's showcase him. And he has a great role in "Brightest Day" 16. There's a big revelation about who Aqualad is and where he comes from.

Sage wanted to know about Aquawar. Can you give us any teases of what we'll see and where we'll see it?

It happens in "Brightest Day" 19 and 20. And it's a culmination of what Aquaman is about to go through that results in a pretty stunning revelation for what he'll be doing next and it leads him into the finale of "Brightest Day."

I recently spoke with Alan Ritchson, who plays Aquaman on "Smallville," and he was pretty confident we were going to see an Aquaman movie in the near future. Any news on that front?

I hope we do one day, for sure. But I can't say anything more about that right now. Let the rumors keep flying!

Awesome!

Aqua-News!

From none other than Geoff Johns! He had this to say in a Newsarama interview:

Nrama: Can you tell us anything that's coming up in the comic?

Johns: Something pretty major happens to Aquaman in Issue 19 that I think is going to raise an eyebrow or two.

Nrama: Fans are very excited about the solicited "Aquawar." And since you confirmed there are plans for all these characters post-Brightest Day, you certainly made it clear in San Diego that you will be working with Aquaman somehow.

Johns: In my opinion, he’s up there with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern.

Nrama: Can you confirm that you will be working with him in a comic in 2011?

Johns: Sure.

That's all I need to know!! Hopefully Geoff means writing a solo Aquaman book, rather than using him as part of another event! I can only hope that Ivan Reis is the artist attached to the book! Brightest Day has spoiled me for primo Aquaman art!

Periodic Table of Swearing

I've saved the best for last! This is obviously of British origins, but the meanings are quite clear!



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Super-Hero Elements

Now here's a Periodic Table I know lots about!! The Sub-Legionic powers are named for the Legion of Substitute-Heroes! They are Porcupine Pete, Fire Lad, Infectious Lass, Color Kid, Stone Boy, Double-Header, and Eyeful Ethel. Giant Turtle is actually a Jimmy Olsen transformation, and Arms-Fall-Off-Boy didn't even make it into The Subs.



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Sci-Fi Film and Television

Now here's a great table! I love that even the Abrams reboot made it into the Star Trek elements! And since this table was created, we've discovered SGU (Stargate Universe)!



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Musical Genres

I really like the formulas on this one! I'd say every genre is there... except for maybe the Theme Song genre.



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Meat

A lot of thought went into creating this Periodic Table! I love that Bacon is the Meat of Life! The Noble Meats gave me a chuckle, as did the Gamey series! I wonder though, why is Fried Chicken, Chili, and Bacon classified as a heart attack? That's really not that bad... Still hilarious though!


Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Jazz

I don't know much about Jazz, but the neat thing about a Periodic Table is that I can make sense of it, even without knowing all the musicians listed. Cool!



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense

I'm not sure everything in this table necessarily belongs (Ear Candles - I hear they work for people with bad ear wax problems, for example), but most of it I can agree with!



Enjoy!

Periodic Table of the Internet

And here's a table we can all relate to...



Not much to say about this one. I like the ranking, although I wonder what this table will look like in 5 years...

Enjoy!

First in a Series

Everyone is familiar with the Periodic Table of the Elements, but have you heard of these...?

The Periodic Table of City Planning Elements:

What an interesting idea! The Noble Gases normally occupy the far right dark blue column and in this case this is where planning elements like libraries and hopefully washrooms would be... The table makers also duplicate the Lanthanide and Actinide series (the two rows at the bottom)! I think the formula for a Generic Mall is too funny! I wonder how big West Edmonton Mall's formula would be?

I'll post another table tomorrow!

New Poll!

It's been a busy year for DC Comics and looking back, I can see five major initiatives that DC has begun work on! Which one are you most looking forward to? You have until the end of the year to make your choice! Thanks for participating!

More Aqua-Merch!

This time a reproduction of the original Aquaman figure released by Mego in the 70's. This Toys-R-Us exclusive is probably the first time my local TRU actually got any to stock! Mego also had the Star Trek license and although I never had any DC Heroes, I did have Mr. Scott. I don't have Scotty anymore, but it's nice to add an Aquaman to the collection!

New York Comic Con Aqua-News!

From the fine folks at CBR, comes this interview with Brightest Day writer Geoff Johns where he talks about Aquaman:

"There are lots of plans for Aquaman post-'Brightest Day,'" Johns said in response to the next question, 'he's going to be bad-ass." Berganza cautioned him it was too early to give more details.

Asked about B-listers he'd like to upgrade, "Nobody's B-list until you write them as B-list--I consider Aquaman A-list," Johns said.

After some prodding (and a fan shouting, "What are they going to do, fire you?"), he decided to share a scene he'd always wanted to write. "Aquaman's just chilling, and Superman and Wonder Woman come up to him say, 'we're rebuilding the Justice League, we really want to you to join.' He says, 'if you need a leader, I'll be there.' 'No, Arthur, we really need you.' 'If you need a leader, I'll be there.' Then you like turn the page, and they're all around the table and Aquaman says, 'I call this meeting to order.'"

I love that he considers Aquaman A-list! (I always have!) I can't wait to see the plans come to fruition for Aquaman, Aqualad, Aquagirl, and Mera after Brightest Day is done!

And also this cute bit...

Johns will be building Aquaman's rogues' gallery "quite a bit." A fan shouted that BP should be a villain.

It does make sense, doesn't it?

And then this?!?

Asked about obscure character Dark Flash Walter West, but Aquaman's sister and other associated characters will be returning.

Never in any incarnation of Aquaman that I've read, has there ever been a sister, that I can recall! Perhaps there's something in one of the Golden Age Aquaman stories? I admit, I haven't read most of those...

Fire Lad and Color Kid

From the Legion of Substitute-Heroes! Art by Keith Giffen!



Enjoy!

Trek Fish

My buddy Craig surprised me last week with this unexpected gift!



Craig and I have similar views about religion. I don't put stickers on my car (I don't even have a Dealer sticker), but if I did, this would be the one! And it's very accurate... Trek is the nearest thing to religion for me!

Thanks again Craig!

Young Justice Aqualad News!

According to this story at CBR,

Aqualad — Jackson Hyde, who’s introduced in DC’s Brightest Day #10 — is the leader of the team. Like his comic-book counterpart, the animated Aqualad will be revealed as the son of Black Manta, archenemy of Aquaman. Fans of the previous Aqualad, Garth (aka Tempest), should take heart: He, too, will appear in Young Justice.

Aqualad the leader of Young Justice?!? Too cool! Even better that Garth will appear!! I will absolutely, positively be tuning in!

Even More San Diego Aqua-news!

This time concerning the new Aqualad! CBR talked with the producers of the upcoming Young Justice animated series and also got the following:

At the panel, Johns allowed the producers to reveal the identity of the new Aqualad's father. While it is still a mystery to the character, attendees at the panel learned of Black Manta's involvement. "We were shocked that he said we could say [it]," Weisman reflected. "[It] is true across the Multiverse," he added.

As soon as I saw the new Aqualad, I thought he would end up being related to Black Manta somehow. I just really hope that Mera is NOT his mother. That's all I have to say about it.

More Aqualad news!

Brandon Vietti (who is plotting the new Young Justice animated series that will feature the new Aqualad) had this to say when talking to CBR about the project:

You get to feature Aqualad, who has enjoyed all kinds of attention of late since his debut in "Brightest Day" Is he a character to watch?

You'll want to keep your eye on Jackson Hyde, for sure. Like you said, he has a role in "Brightest Day" and he certainly plays an important role in "Young Justice" too. So good times are ahead for Aqualad. He's certainly in the spotlight. That's for sure.

Spotlight on Aquafamily members is always a welcome thing!

San Diego 2010 Aqua-news!

Well, it didn't take long for these snippets to come out...

You introduced a new Aqualad in #4 and he was really well received online on the message boards. Were you expecting that kind of reaction?

Developing Aqualad with Warners Animation was literally the first thing I did when [DC Entertainment President] Diane Nelson brought me in as CCO so he’s a character I am incredibly invested in. And I think the excitement will only grow when people find out who he is and discover his secret origin in “Brightest Day” #9 and #10. He’s going to bring a lot to the table. There’s a lot more to him than just being the new Aqualad. We’re going to see his origin unfold throughout this whole series. Jackson plays a vital role in Aquaman and Mera’s story from here on out.

Ian Yoxon asked if you see “Brightest Day” as an opportunity to showcase individual characters with the hope of possibly launching new ongoing series once it’s complete like was done with “Booster Gold” after “52?” For instance, Aquaman and Mera’s story, perhaps more than anyone else’s, seems to be front and center in the book. So I’ll ask flat out, do you have plans for Aquaman and Mera post-“Brightest Day?”

There are plans for Aquaman, Mera and Aqualad after “Brightest Day,” yes.

But what really surprised me this bit! (which had it's origins in Blackest Night 8!)

When asked about the Indigo Tribe and their connection to an aqua war, Johns said that eventually you may see an Aquaman-themed event, but he said that if he revealed anymore, Berganza would hit him.

Wow! This would be monumental! An Aquaman-themed DC Event? So cool!

I Love Wednesdays!

It was another great day at the comics store! The final issue of The Blackest Night was released and it was surpassed and exceeded this Aqua-Fan's expectations! There was so much going on, I hardly know where to begin...
Ok, the story! Geoff Johns wrote a story that at times, had me gasping for breath, and at other times had me screaming in agony! And the art! I can't believe the double-page spreads that Ivan Reis drew! Each one was a masterpiece in visual storytelling! And Ivan started and finished all eight issues, unlike the last few recent DC events! (Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, I'm looking at you!) Even the inkers, colorists, and letterers gave this book more than most expected! And even though I knew this ending would be a set up for The Brightest Day, to do it with so many twists and turns along the way proves that Geoff Johns truly deserves his recent promotion at DC Entertainment!! It's a just one hell of a serving of awesome, covered in awesome sauce, with awesome for dessert!! It's really that good!And then there was this DC Dynamics Aquaman statue! It's almost a foot tall and absolutely gorgeous! The other statues in the line feature the classic versions of the characters, and this Aquaman is no exception. Black shorts, green, tights, yellow belt... but this one has the new belt insignia!
Oh boy, do I need space for displays...

Aqua-Hoodie!

This great new hoodie came in yesterday! Because today was casual Friday, I was able to wear it to work! I was pleasantly surprised by how many people recognized who the hoodie was styled after! And a co-worker also had a treat for us. He was given an Official Vancouver 2010 Olympic Relay Torch from a member of VANOC! We were able to strike a pose and have a picture or two taken for posterity. Very cool!

New Aquaman Merchandise!

What a great week to stop at the comic store! Not only were Blackest Night 7 and Flash Rebirth 6 in, but also these great Aquaman action figures! First up is Aquaman from Blackest Night and it's great! Black and gold replace green and gold in this awesome design! This figure is also the first to feature the type of gloves Aquaman will probably be wearing when he comes back (also seen on the cover of the Brightest Day 2). On that cover, we see Aquaman without the usual fins on his gloves, but rather one side of each glove flares out to form what looks like two smaller fins. A minor change.And then there's this cool Ed McGuiness designed Aquaman! This is the second in the JLA Classified series. This features Aquaman as he appeared in his fifth series issues 50 to 75. The green tights, long hair, and gladiator look replaced the familiar green and gold in issue 5 of this series. I liked the updated green tights, even though I wasn't a fan of the harpoon hand or the shell headband. Erik Larsen added the shell headband to the costume when he took over writing the book in issue 50. The one thing I don't like about the figure is that the belt insignia is wrong... it's not supposed to be a captial 'A', but rather an 'A' without the cross bar. Other than that, it's a good thing!Here's the first JLA Classified action figure, just because it's cool to see the same artist have two versions of a character. It featured Aquaman as he appeared in his sixth series issues 15 to 39. One of the best costume updates he's ever had... I really liked the gold trim around the neck and wrists of this costume! Some artists gave him a high collar like he had in the blue camoflage version and that was really nice with the gold trim! I didn't mind the water hand, although I know some people hated it! Once again the belt insignia is weird on this figure as well, but the updated insignia seems hard for artists to get right.And for comparison, here's Aquaman's first belt insignia, and his second.It's amazing the amount of figures Aquaman has had... It'll be stunning to see my Aquaman shrine when I finally have room to display these figures out of their packaging!

Justice League Crisis on Two Earths

Today was the release date for the latest direct-to-DVD animated movie from DC Entertainment, Justice League Crisis on Two Earths! I already knew from clips that this was going to feature the big six of the Justice League, without Aquaman. That doesn't mean he's absent completely though... He's called up by Batman to help defend the Justice League satellite, along with Black Lightning, Black Canary, Firestorm, and Red Tornado.He gets a few choice moments in the battle with the Superwoman and her Super family - Captain Super and Uncle Super - here he's leaping onto Captain Super.Batman tells Aquaman to watch himself as they are much stronger than he is. To which Arthur replies: "That remains to be seen!" Red Tornado catches Captain Super in a cyclone and launches him toward Aquaman, who punches him through the ceiling into the hangar deck and through a plane along the way.Aquaman gives as good as he gets and it's clear the writers knew the what the character brings to the fight. Here's Aquaman versus Uncle Super:In the end, it's a great movie that never slows down. And it's also a treat to see other familiar faces of the DC Universe!I didn't care for the stunt casting for the voice work, but at least Andrea Romano was the voice director. She does outstanding work and always gets the best out of her performers. I kept comparing this release to the last direct-to-DVD animated movie, Super Batman Public Enemies, and the difference in the voice cast is noticeable. When Andrea has the opportunity to put together a voice cast, it's awesome!
That said, It's a very good movie and well worth the price of admission!

Brightest Day is Bright Indeed!

I didn't want to hope for fear for those hopes being dashed like all the other times, but I'm glad I can say Aquaman Is Back! Ok, not quite yet, but in May Brightest Day 02 comes out and this is the cover:
He's back baby! And relatively intact: 2 hands, same costume with possibly a slight tweak to his belt emblem, or it could be due artistic differences (it looks very close to the emblem used in Aquaman v6 issues 15 - 39), and a definite change to his gloves. Rather than having a fin on the gloves, one side of the glove tapers off into two fin-like extensions. I can live with that. In the announcement post at The Source, Geoff Johns had this to say:

“Brightest Day’ is about second chances. I think it’s been obvious from day one that there are major plans for the heroes and villains from Aquaman to take center stage in the DC Universe, among many others, post-Blackest Night. ‘Brightest Day’ is not a banner or a vague catch-all direction for the DC Universe, it is a story. Nor is ‘Brightest Day’ a sign that the DC Universe is going to be all about ‘light and brighty’ superheroes. Some second chances work out…some don’t.”

It's about time DC!

Sidekicks Assemble!

This week's episode of Batman Brave and the Bold was a special treat as we got to see the Teen Titans! The teaser of the show started out with a flashback to the satellite era of the Justice League! Here we see the adult heroes discussing how to stop the latest menace, while Aqualad, Robin, and Speedy are left to their own devices. Unfortunately, it also means Robin and Aqualad get into a fight that Batman breaks up. Aqualad's costume is perfect! Batman tells the kids they need to learn to work together and programs the practice room to assault the kids with a small army of super-villains.
Flash forward to the present day, and we see Aqualad, Robin, and Speedy have all grown quite a bit, in addition to joining forces to take out some of Ra's al Ghul's henchmen.
The rest of the episode deals with the Mentors and Sidekicks working together to take down the enemy. We get to see a great high dive from Aqualad, and the transformation of a hero.It was a great show!

A Week Early!

Birthday celebrations have begun and my friend Liz was kind enough to get me a Future Shop gift card (which I will use toward the purchase of The Watchmen Absolute Edition on DVD) and Karen and Brendan got me this:

I can't believe they made such a thing! Call it a puzzle cube all you want, but I think Mr. Rubik knows where this idea came from... And since I could only ever get two sides complete, it stays safe in the package for the time being. And it came with a talking Star Trek birthday card! Bonus Trek collectible!

I've got awesome friends!