| Title | : | Aquaman, Volume 5: Sea of Storms |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1401250394 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781401250393 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 176 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2014 |
The Earth's crust is grinding to life, releasing deadly volcanoes and bizarre creatures ... so humanity's first instinct is to blame Atlantis! And as the plates pull apart, the pressures of ruling a kingdom under siege are weighing on Aquaman and Mera as well!
Collecting: Aquaman 26-32
Aquaman, Volume 5: Sea of Storms Reviews
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(B+) 76% | Good
Notes: A sopping wet drawl of imbroglios and brawls, grotesqueries and gods, trawling undercurrent bubblings of trouble. -
This was so awful. Worse than I had originally feared. Ugh. BOOOOOORING.
Aquaman fights monsters!
Should be great, right?
Yeah, well, it wasn't.
It took me a week (a WEEK!) of forcing myself to go back and read a little bit more, and a little bit more, and a little bit more...just so I could eventually tick this off my currently-reading list.
I mean, there were a few moments that it didn't wholly suck, but they were few and far between.
The only story that stands out as semi-passable was when Arthur and Mera went to his high school reunion. It was sorta cute.
Ish.
It started off bad, but by the time it got to the stuff with Wonder Woman & the giant monsters, it was just physically painful to read. However, that made the otherwise boring story at the end with Swamp Thing seem like a downright masterpiece.
So. There's that.
I love Aquaman, but this was a giant turd. Save your money! -
This one was meh.
Arthur fights off against a Kraken and also dealing with people labelling him things after the last volume and well troubles in Atlantis too but when monsters from past start attacking called Giant-born he has to fight them and well knock them doing back to where they came from and there is also a part with Hercules and it was kinda bad and I didn't like that but then comes Diana and they fight more Giant-born and at that stage what was supposed to be a volume filled with potential it misses out big time but then again Arthur and Mera and Diana battling greek-myths were great and it also gives an insight into their friendship.
And then the part with Swamp thing was confusing and weird but good battle between the two.. honestly that part was super unnecessary now that I think about it but good to see Arthur interact beyond the tradition JL line up but that also had potential but was wasted upon.
The whole volume feels like a story with great ideas but poor execution and they could have used more character exploration rather than explaining threats so vaguely. Anyways a meh, good one time read but the art was nice for the most part. -
I'm not real happy about the author change but I still enjoyed this. (Wonder Woman helped.)
Also, I give these two permission to become BFFs:
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Jeff Parker, the writer of the excellent Batman ‘66, takes over Aquaman after Geoff Johns’ four-volume run, and I wish I could say Parker’s Aquaman is the equal of Batman ‘66 - but unfortunately it really isn’t.
Let’s look at the subtitle because this encapsulates the main problem of this book, namely that it’s hella boring: “Sea of Storms”. Can you think of a more unimaginative, bland title for an Aquaman book? How about “Ocean of Waves”? “Fish in Water”? Sea of Storms - storms happen in the sea every day. It’s natural. Well, so what? What am I supposed to think when I read that title? Because all I see is nothing.
So, the book itself: Arthur fights the Kraken (or Karaqan as it’s referred to here), a giant kaiju-type monster that’s destroying Iceland for no reason. They fight, Aquaman wins. Ok…
Arthur goes to his high school reunion, some nutbar steals his trident - which is just lying around in his house! - and summons forth Wonder Woman’s half brother, Hercules, along with some demons from Atlantis’ Hell or something. They fight, Aquaman wins. Sigh… ok…
Aquaman goes looking for Swamp Thing because of something happening in his storyline which I’m not up on as I haven’t been reading Swampy’s recent issues (too much oxygen in the atmosphere? Algae in the sea?). They fight, Aquaman wins. Starting to lose my patience…
Some underwater Nazis try to assassinate Mera because she’s not of pure Atlantean blood to be their queen and Arthur fights some other sea monster. And that’s the whole book.
Wow. (Gets up, stretches, checks pulse to see if still alive)
Right. The problems lie in how flat the stories read. There are no real stakes, no consequences, no tension to anything that’s happening. A giant monster shows up and it’s totally uninvolving to see because you know Aquaman’s gonna beat him - and he does. It’s predictable and boring. And just like that, he’s moved on to the next thing. Such forgettable, disposable fluff!
I like Swamp Thing but his crossover was totally pointless. When a lengthy fight can be avoided with a simple conversation, it just makes the characters look like idiots. If Aquaman had simply talked to Swampy rather than launching himself at him, they would’ve understood each others’ actions immediately. But instead we get the big dumb superhero fight scenes that I guess the DC chuckleheads drool over.
Parker’s Aquaman is a bit more relaxed than Johns’ Aquaman. With Johns, he was so determined to make sure everyone reading knew that Aquaman wasn’t a joke and that he was a serious superhero, it came off as overstated and trying-too-hard. Like DC’s Batwoman series where every other page reminds you that she’s a lesbian and isn’t that progressive of DC to be publishing a lesbian superhero comic, Johns’ Aquaman repeatedly made the point that Aquaman was a badass to death.
So Parker’s Aquaman isn’t the angry dickhead he was in Johns’ comics but instead he’s more-or-less character-free. He’s just a blank. He’s a tough dude who can competently fight ocean-themed baddies, and that’s it. I get no strong impression of a unique superhero or any reason to give a damn about him. Like the stories he starred in, I was left completely cold with his character and watched disinterestedly as he dealt with one “threat” after the other in dull methodical fashion.
Johns’ Aquaman comics made me angry at how stupid they were but Parker’s Aquaman comics make me sleepy with how tedious they are. Disappointingly, I still don’t like this series despite the change in writer. Having read Parker’s other comics - Angry Birds, Meteor Men, Red She-Hulk, King’s Watch - I can see he really is a one-trick pony with Batman ‘66 as his only major success.
Paul Pelletier’s art is fine. It’s decent for the comic and is up to the standard of DC’s range of superhero stuff, but it’s nothing to write home about. It’ll do, is what I’m saying. It doesn’t stand out, it’s not memorable or exciting, but it serves.
Will you like Aquaman still if you enjoyed Johns’ books? Probably. If you enjoyed that swill, I’m sure you’ll find something here to like as well. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother reading this unless you’re looking for something to put you to sleep quickly. -
Definitely not as good as the first four volumes by Geoff Johns. I liked this well enough, though. But the attention to character that made me consider Aquaman a new favorite hero in the first four volumes is gone here. He actually comes off a little douchey in this volume. But there was good attention paid to Mera. And I liked the Wonder Woman cameo in one of the volumes. Swamp Thing felt shoved in for no reason but it was my first experience with him so I forgive that. I'm not sure if I will read the next volume. Basically everything that made me really love Aquaman and this series is gone.
-
I didn't hate this volume but it felt like a major step down from the last two volumes. So now Aquaman is king and the next big adventure begins? What could be bigger than facing a old ass ice king who used to THE KING? Oh High School Reunion! DUM DUM DUM! No but really...that happens. We also have a few issues of Demigods escaping which brings in Wonder Women. We finally finish up the ending with Aquaman going head to head with Swamp Thing! OH SNAP CRACKLE AND A BIT OF POP!
What I liked: Aquaman at his school reunion was goofy but fun. Love the moment Mera met Arthur old lover. Funny times. I also enjoyed the swamp thing crossover. Sure it was just two issues but I liked how to protectors fought for obvious reasons but learn to come respect each other...kind of. Swamp Thing basically told him to fuck off but still lol.
What I didn't like: The Demi-god arc was kind of boring. I didn't find them scary or interesting. Wonder Women didn't help much either. Lame cameo that didn't add anything to the overall story. Also the art midway got pretty awful.
Aquaman drops a few notches in quality thanks to writer/artist shift. Let's hope it can recover. A 2.5 out of 5. -
Jeff Parker does a decent if unspectacular job taking over for Geoff Johns. This volume got a bit to crossover heavy but still fine.
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Easy enough to read, and less irritating than I remember of other recent Parker works. The art is great - imaginative, clean, leaves nothing important out of the scenery.
Did I enjoy this book? Well, it wasn't *painful* to read, so it's already above the median of New 52 books. It's got some fun, though only a few smiles and no real laughs, and there's some extra layers to Aquaman's world to see.
Politics here feels pretty boring - as compared to what I just experienced in Hickman's Infinity, where it was tense, unpredictable and layered - so I skimmed that nonsense and focused on how Arthur was going to kick someone else's ass next. Which he does pretty regularly, and without a lot of thought (despite his claims).
Seems like a less regal characterization - and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I feel like Geoff Johns "got" Aquaman better. This feels a little more human, less angry and haughty, and even a bit meek at times. -
I think I can join the general consensus that this was a step down from the quality (of writing mainly ) we became accustomed to on the Johns run. The art was eye-popping, at least, and I did enjoy Arthur's high school reunion.
And at last he says...
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Coming from a four-volume Geoff Johns Aquaman run, Sea of Storms is definitely a disappointment. Its crossover stories with Greek creatures, Wonder Woman, and the Swamp Thing may be an interesting story to tell, but Jeff Parker falls short of writing it good. The plot choices were poor and weak (somebody stealing Aquaman's trident because Arthur went on a high school reunion???), disorienting at times.
Sea of Storms is still readable, but it is a mess of things with what could have been a great storyarc for the King of the seas. -
'Twas barely ok. The storyline basically as ancient as this language of yore. The art was a tad better to behold. There be-eth random people in this tome.
The eternal question remains: why wouldst thou doubt that squishy green creature when it takes no action? Methinks the Arthur doth protest too much. -
Aquaman fights monsters. Lots of monsters.
Toss in some Greek Mythology and off we go!
A lot less focus on Atlantean lore. Aquaman also goes back to his high school reunion.
The amazing artwork holds this barely at a four-star, though the tale is a three star.
MY GRADE: B to B plus. -
The biggest problem with this is the change of writer and there's just no getting away from the fact that Johns had aquaman down it was a beaut. This however is just eh it's just all over the place with no real plot there's stuff happening (and honestly i couldn't tell you why) where as previous volumes had a more slicker plot it covered a volume of comics. Where as this run the plot seems done by two issues then it's something else like one minute it's wonder woman's brother, and then aquaman at his high school reunion (like come on he's not bruce wayne!) and then we got swamp thing at the end out of nowhere (presumably from cross over issues but nobody got time for that) It's just ok at best which is a shame because i love aquaman hopefully it gets better or i just need to adjust to Parker's writing style but yeh if you avoided this collection you really aren't missing much.
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Where did we go wrong? This title was in my top 5, top 3 even.. what the hell went wrong I just don't understand how you screw up something this good like that or even DC letting it get bad as it is doesnt anyone pre read these? just kick Jeff Parker off Aquaman and let him stick to batman 66.
Don't get me wrong this book is not terrible but to go from what it was in the last 4 volumes to this makes me sad. me giving this a 3 is pretty generous because I love aquaman right now, it's more like a 2.5 I feel like I'm doing this alot lately for titles which should be doing better -
I really dug what Parker did here. This was such a breath of freshly oxygenated water after Johns' dull run. I know it had its fans, but The Others and the rest of the stories ruined for me what was a decent relaunch. This book's focus is on big fun. After the heavy-handed attack on the air-breathers in the end of Johns' run, it was nice to get some big fights and strange creatures in the mix, plus, everybody's favorite plant life avatar and a certain Amazon warrior.
Pellitier cuts loose and draws some beautiful monsters: there's a giant kaiju-like creature and a horde of freed mythological beasties that are a treat for the eyes. Aquaman is finally cool. Thanks, Parker/Pellitier! -
Big fun if, like me, you're an Aquaman fan.
I remain a Paul Pelletier fan, and Jeff Parker does pretty well scripting here, too.
Thanks, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library. -
I hate to say this, but so far I think I have enjoyed the New 52 Aquaman even more than I have the New 52 Batman. Yes, blasphemy I know! Well, that's not entirely true as there have been Batman volumes I've enjoyed just as much, but considering there are literally about 5 times the Batman material available it's not that surprising.
I have loved the art in every Aquaman volume, and and this was no different. The storyline got a little far out, as we have a race of giant monsters being freed from a prison realm, along with Hercules, who got stuck there when he put them away. Yes, THAT Hercules. (Not the Marvel guy of course, but, well, A Hercules.) Wonder Woman shows up and we have a big fight with giant monsters. I'm a big monster fan, so of course I'd love this volume. Also, I like shark stories, and as you can see from the cover there's a pretty horrific shark attack scene in this volume. I won't get into details, but I think the attack will turn into the origin of a new villain..or possibly hero.
The volume ends with a Swamp Thing crossover, which was the first New 52 Swamp Thing story I've read. It was also "out there" but still not bad.
This wasn't the strongest volume of the new Aquaman series, if anything it was the weakest, but it was still good. Like I've been saying, if you haven't been reading Aquaman, you've been missing out. -
Geoff Johns put in some pretty good work on Aquaman, and laid down a decent foundation for any writer that would follow him. Parker might not have entirely squandered all that good work, but it's a near thing. The biggest problem is not his take on the characters, which is fine, I guess. Arthur and Mera are basically consistent with how Johns established them. The real issue with this book is that the story is dull. Giant sea creature attacks because Reasons, Aquaman defeats it. Ancient Atlantean monsters attack, Aquaman (and Wonder Woman!) defeat them. Pointless cliche superhero battle with Swamp Thing, of all... people? Yawn. This is a fairly large trade, but nothing happens. Nothing of consequence, at least. But hey, the art still looks good, so that's something.
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So many negative reviews I made my mind up this was going to suck. Overall Jeff Parker is no Geoff Johns but this wasn't bad. I actually enjoyed some of story arcs quick and action packed. Liked the Swamp Thing crossover & Wonder-Woman team up.
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after geoff johns left aquaman (so sad :( ) i was not expecting good stuff from aquaman. but jeff parker is good! terrific arts, steady plot and thats all in you need for an enjoyable comic read.
well done!! -
Jeff Parker is a great replacement for Geoff Johns. This was pretty good.
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You can tell Geoff Johns is missing and this is still a good story. I'm surprised how much I enjoy these Aquaman stories. Maybe it's about him being blond, I don't know but Aquaman is awesome.
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4 stars, loved the swamp thing cameo.
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I'm not ready to call this one, or the last one, bad. Because they're not. I think I'm just cooling off on the run. Aquaman is a great character but a great hero needs a villain that's just as good or close to it, and Aquaman just doesn't really have those. Not like some other folks in the stable do.
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I am pleasantly surprised, this change in tone is quite good.
No one can deny that Parker had huge shoes to fill with the departure of Johns from the New52 Aquaman run. Not only did Johns make Aquaman cool again he also made it a successful series at DC. Of course I was just as sad to see him leave the series as I thought the world building he was doing for Arthur and Co. was great and the scope of his stories were grand. So, coming into this creative team's take on the King of the Seas I had high hopes but at the same time was open for anything that this team was going to throw at me. Though I see a lot of bad reviews, I must disagree with them as I found this new tone and style to be wonderfully entertaining and fun.
World: The art is great, the motion and the monsters that Pelletier displays is wonderful and the character designs are interesting without being a bit overzealous in the muscles and boobs that Reis is want to be. I also found the world building to be about on par with that of Johns. Sure there is a bit of a choppy side when the series starts off but soon finds it groove. The scope is not as big but the pieces that Parker shows us is good and well thought out, I like it.
Story: This feels very retro to me and I love that. It feels like one and done stories but at the same time there is a grander and larger arc that Parker is building so I get the best of both worlds. Each issue is very self contained in it's episodic nature which I love. I especially REALLY REALLY enjoyed the High School Reunion issue because it's so different from Johns' writing. It's a moment of levity in the doom and gloom that is norm for modern day superhero books. Sometimes these little pieces of character building and quiet allow for characters to grow on readers and also relationships within the story to grow. I JUST LOVE THAT ISSUE. Additionally the Trinton stuff is where I found the world building and story to be a bit wonky and pacing but overall the arc is fun and in making me interested. Add to the that Mera's story is great, she doesn't play second fiddle in this Aquaman book and her role in the story is just as big, I wish she had her own book instead of the boring Others. Really enjoyed it, one and dones with all the retro feels and a change in tone towards the lighter make for a fun book, kinda like what Waid did with Daredevil.
Characters: That High School issue was a gold mine for character development and made me love Parker as a writer immediately. It showed me that he was not afraid to slow the story down for the sake of character building and I find that a breath of fresh air. At the same time the stories that Arthur and more importantly Mera is going though is done well with time not only look at each character, but also the characters surrounding them. The Trinton stuff is a bit weak, but I hope that more time will be spent on that in the next arc.
I like this new take, it's a bit lighter, it's a bit more retro and the character development is way more. Johns was great, what he did with Arthur with the New52 is amazing and will be remembered forever, but this new take, don't hate it, it's FUN!
Onward to the next book! -
This was just okay, probably my least favourite volume thus far. The art has been amazing as usual, but story-wise I'm just missing the old political intrigue and ORM and manta.
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Jeff Parker's Aquaman exists in a weird place. Coming off the heels of Geoff Johns' legendary run, it can't help but be disappointing by comparison, but nothing particularly egregious happens so it just doesn't get talked about that much.
I honestly kind of enjoy Parker's run on the character. It offers a more well-rounded Arthur who's trying to embrace both land and sea. Johns' run never quite found that balance in Arthur's life - Aquaman was either all superhero or all sea king, and I appreciate that both Atlantis and Amnesty Bay are prominently used here. The high school reunion issue was particularly enjoyable, as we got to see some surface people that actually have Arthur's back despite everything that's happened. We also get to see a pulpier side to Arthur's adventures. The carnivorous Giant-born! The mighty Hercules! The colossal Karaqan! Aquaman comes face to face with all of these while fitting in team-ups with Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing at the same time. Is it great literature? No. But it's fun.
Paul Pelletier continues to do well in the art department. Nothing particularly stands out, but his layouts are clear, and his style fits the tone and bombastic action of the book.
There are still issues I have with the book. Aquaman's acceptance by Amnesty Bay, while enjoyable, is a little too clean. The resolution of the Giant-born storyline is a little underwhelming. The Chimera's origin is really silly, and while he becomes an intimidating foe for Aquaman to fight, his beginnings knock him back as an antagonist for me.
Aquaman by Jeff Parker isn't a groundbreaking take on the character. It isn't an under-the-radar gem you've been missing out on. But if you like Arthur Curry and are in the mood for some pulpy adventure, consider giving it a try. And if you make it to Maelstrom...well. You're in for a treat. -
Of course most of us knew that the quality would take a bit o a hit after Geoff John's took his leave after the last volume. So it's not much of a surprise that I was right, but it's not thrown out to the dogs just yet!
So this had its good moments and it's bad moments. The worst part for me was the story with the Giant-Born. Most of it was above water and it seemed more like a Wonder Woman story, which I guess it was partly cause she turned up. The story went nowhere and didn't have any pizzaz that was previously apparent in the series. The growing story with Trident seems to be promising. I'm really hoping this comes into fruition nicely and doesn't flop over my face. And I enjoyed the brief encounter with Swamp Thing. Although I dot understand why Arthur was so quick to fight instead of hearing Swampy out? I mean it not like Arthur isn't a sensible guy, so I don't understand why they didn't get on. It seemed like a real shitty character shift.
Either way I hope it doesn't all turn to shut cause Aquaman is now one of my favourite heroes. Please, please, please don't let him become a shitty series! -
Geoff Johns had done a wonderful job during his Aquaman run. He essentially did the same thing he had done with Green Lantern, making the character far more legitimate and serious, while really expanding on the characters individual mythology.
Unlike the writers who inherited Green Lantern, after Johns, Jeff Parker is able to build upon that mythology and make it stronger. Not only that, but he adds an element of Lovecraftian style horror, by bringing in the children of the giants.
Really, none of this matters, though, the main reason to read this trade is for the single issue where Aquaman, Arthur Curry returns to his hometown for his high school reunion. A lot of current DC fans think of Aquaman as a mythological character, a king out of fantasy books. That is part of his personality, but for the first half of his life, he was a regular kid, growing up in a beach town. I had forgotten that myself, and the high school reunion was a wonderful way to remind us all of that. It made his character a lot more interesting.
