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Sam Houston Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 26 March 2005 Location: United States Posts: 1693
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 11:42am | IP Logged | 1
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The discussion about the new DCU and the 52 got me wondering. Some here have voiced their opinion about a new Aquaman book and don't seem too excited about it and I realized that water based heroes don't seem to have long runs with their comics. Both Aquaman and Namor have had different series over the years, but none that have lasted as long as, say, Batman or Spider-Man. Why is that? Is there something about stories based underwater that seem too boring? Personally, the only 2 reasons that I bought Namor's book some years back was because John was writing and drawing it and the stories took place on the surface world for the most part. I've never been a big fan of Aquaman and it is because my interest for underwater stories (long term) do nothing for me. This is also why, on a side note, that I didn't last long as a viewer of SeaQuest DSV.
Edited by Sam Houston on 02 September 2011 at 11:43am
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Phil Kreisel Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 03 February 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 1911
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 12:47pm | IP Logged | 2
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In the 40's, the Sub-Mariner was really popular, enough to warrant multiple stories in different books (including Marvel Mystery where he was a regular feature), as well as his own book, which ran for 9 years (till the super-hero implosion in 1949). When he was brought back into circulation, he had a good initial run of about 10 years or so, starting with the regular feature in Tales to Astonish (with prior appearances in FF). Aquaman had a solid run in the 1960's in his solo book - he was also in regular back-up features in DC starting sometime in the 1940's, and was one of the only secondary features to survive the super-hero implosion of the late 40s/early 50s, though he never had a solo book during that time period (unlike Subby). As Sam has indicated, both Namor and Aquaman have had series during the 1970's to the present. Maybe water-based heroes are too limited given that readers don't live in that environment and can't relate to it. I can't help but chuckle when aspects of how Aquaman functions was discussed by Raj and the rest in an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" last season... "Where does Aquaman's poop go when he's living underwater?" Now that could be the basis for an entertaining comic series!
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DC Brown Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 14 September 2010 Posts: 51
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 1:23pm | IP Logged | 3
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Water based characters, in my opinion to make them interesting, have to be water manipulators as well! If you came up with a character like Aquaman/Namor and combined them with a character like Katara from the Avatar series, I feel that would be an impressive character, at least from a powers standpoint. I remember that in the Justice League cartoon show, Aquaman use to hurl water balls. I don't think I've ever seen him do that in the comic book. If he could do that on land with other variations of water manipulation powers, I think that comics reader could get behind a water based character. Also, and this maybe somewhat sexist, I think females would make better water based characters. Marina and Fathom were good examples of a female water based characters, in my opinion.
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John Young Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 22 August 2004 Location: United States Posts: 3150
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 1:41pm | IP Logged | 4
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Doesn't it all come down to the writing. The only times I enjoyed Namor were when John Byrne wrote the books, Roy Thomas on Invaders and reading the reprints of the early FF stories. It comes back to the saying "There are no bad characters, only bad writers."
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Peter Martin Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 17 March 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 15923
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 3:07pm | IP Logged | 5
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I loved JB's Namor, but as you say, a lot of the book happened on the surface..... there aren't many people living under the sea, and I guess that limits how much human interaction you can deliver in stories set beneath the waves.
I really don't know... I would definitely have bought Namor beyond #100 had JB kept on the title.
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Dale Lerette Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 24 March 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 750
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 5:21pm | IP Logged | 6
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I loved JB's Namor. It was really well done. But I've never taken to Aquaman at all. The most thought I've put into Aquaman in recent years is based on SpongeBob's Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (i.e., I haven't really taken him seriously). :( I know Aquaman's gone through a few revamps. But one idea that has never been explored (to my knowledge) is the idea of Aqua-man as a Navy Seal: AquaGuard. I think this could be a cool way to kick-start the DC King of Atlantis, so long as they don’t get lost in the “gritty” side of the Navy. He could be introduced with some really interesting technological devices alongside his aquatic powers (so to be more versatile on land). And his ability to telepathically communicate with the ocean life, as well as being able swim the depths of the ocean, would make him the perfect espionage agent for the Navy.
Edited by Dale Lerette on 02 September 2011 at 5:43pm
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Aaron Smith Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 06 September 2006 Location: United States Posts: 10461
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 5:24pm | IP Logged | 7
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I love Namor. His presence in the Stern/ Buscema Avengers was great and JB's Namor run was fantastic. I like Aquaman in theory but haven't found too many good stories about him. One big exception is the way JB and Stern handled him in their JLA story a few years ago. Powerful, confident,a real superhero, not the joke some people make him out to be.
Edited by Aaron Smith on 02 September 2011 at 5:24pm
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Joe Hollon Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 08 May 2004 Location: United States Posts: 13695
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 7:07pm | IP Logged | 8
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I like Aquaman in theory but haven't found too many good stories about him
*********
Curt Swan's AQUAMAN is worth checking out. There's a one-shot and a mini-series at least with Swan artwork. I dig it.
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Ted Pugliese Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 05 December 2005 Location: United States Posts: 7985
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 7:22pm | IP Logged | 9
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That would be the basis of an entertaing comics series? Really?
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Steven Myers Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 10 June 2004 Location: United States Posts: 5667
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Posted: 02 September 2011 at 7:53pm | IP Logged | 10
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I think perhaps the idea of the ocean being strange and mysterious worked better a few decades ago, and now readers read outer space stories for that type of adventure.
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Wallace Sellars Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 01 May 2004 Location: United States Posts: 17698
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Posted: 03 September 2011 at 6:05am | IP Logged | 11
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I've been a fan of the Sub-Mariner for many years. Imperius Rex! JB's NAMOR stuff is great.
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Kip Lewis Byrne Robotics Member
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Joined: 01 March 2011 Posts: 2880
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Posted: 03 September 2011 at 8:29am | IP Logged | 12
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As a kid I liked Namor, but hated his "costume." Aquaman didn't interest me often, especially solo. Well, as a little kid I liked the Super- friends version.Still don't care for Aquaman and Namor I like. Aqualad, both versions, is more interesting than the adult.
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