Collaborative Review: Aquaman and Justice League International

This time, I decided to try something a little new. Rather than just give all my thoughts about a comic, I decided to do a collaborative review/discussion with a friend of mine. Alyx has just started doing comic reviews for angryweb.net, so we decided to discuss two comics that we've been reading and enjoying, "Aquaman" and "Justice League International." Since their first arcs have recently wrapped up, we focused on those for the the discussion.

Hopefully I'll do more collaborative reviews in the future with other friends and fellow bloggers, so I hope you enjoy.


Robbie P.
Alright. Let's start off with an introduction for any unfamiliar readers, since I'll be posting the transcript along with the article.

I'm Robbie/Eliteslayer from "Whatever I Read"

Alyx L.
Hey all, I am Alyx! No blog here

Robbie P.
And we'll be doing a collaborative review of two of DC's titles from their new 52, "Aquaman" and "Justice League International."

Let's start off with Aquaman, shall we?

Alyx L.
Totally, this one is by far my favorite out of the 52

Robbie P.
We've got Geoff Johns, a big name in DC, doing the writing, and he's bringing Aquaman back to the top

What were your expectations going into this comic? Personally, I was expecting a good read about a hero that doesn't get as much respect as he deserves, but this proved more awesome than anticipated.

Alyx L.
Well I like to let everyone know that I am a newbie when it comes to reading comic books so I was stoked when they announced this because it was definitely a gateway for me to be introduced to the characters. I had only HEARD about Aquaman before reading the comics and always thought he was a pretty silly character. Like you said, he doesnt get as much respect as he deserves. When I cracked open the first issue I was thorougly impressed! Definitely not the one I was thinking I would like the most.

Robbie P.
That's a good segway to the first point I wanted to bring up about Aquaman: in and out of the comic, he gets no respect.

Even The Big Bang Theory, a show that tends to do its research, has said on at least one occasion "Aquaman sucks."

Alyx L.
And most of the jokes on Family Guy are the ones that lead me to believe he would be the lamest of the super heroes haha

Robbie P.
That too, yeah. It's like he's the go-to hero to joke about, in spite of the fact that "Superfriends" was ages ago, and new adaptations, like in the Justice League cartoon and even Batman: The Brave and the Bold have made him, well, OUTRAGEOUS!

Mind you, we're talking about a hero that goes toe-to-toe with a Cthulhu-like abomonation and wins every year, and when someone can command all sea life, brushing it off as "talking to fish" really doesn't do him justice.

Alyx L.
I agree 100%. That part of the comic alone was what got me to respect him as a character and totally push out the previous thoughts I had of him.

Robbie P.
There we have it, proof that Johns has managed to successfully turn misconceptions about Aquaman around. I loved how in the comics he kept encountering people who go, "He's useless on dry land" or "he can talk to fish," and Aquaman would just show them what's up in seconds.

Alyx L.
Even in the first issue he pretty much said that he cant talk to them but can control them and that fish cant talk therefore he can eat all the fish and chips he wants haha

Robbie P.
Oh, that scene was priceless.

Alyx L.
It really was, I definitely got a laugh out of that bit.

Robbie P.
There's also the villains he's up against this issue. I'm not entirely sure what to make of those; creatures from deeper parts of the seas than he's even explored - nice concept, well-executed, although a part of me still thinks a more familiar enemy might be better for starting off this story.

Alyx L.
Well coming from someone who isnt all too familiar with villains especially ones that Arthur has faced in the past, I think this was kind of the best way to start it off. It was a way to show us new to comics how well he works in battle even if it is against some creatures of the sea. I think that if they were to put him up against a familiar face they would then have to go on to give us that persons backstory on how they even became enemies in the first place..which would seem like a bit much for the beginning..at least for me anyway

Robbie P.
Fair enough. His enemies aren't all that well known, so there's no harm in starting something new.

And these enemies did work quite well; strong enough to challenge Aquaman, numerous enough to outnumber him and Mera, and mysterious enough to keep us guessing what they really are.

Alyx L.
Exactly, and speaking of Mera I am totally in love with her character. She is the strong comic book woman I have been waiting for. So far with the ones of the 52 I have been reading I have been thorougly unimpressed with the women and especially the wardrobe. I like that Mera is strong and level headed and will listen to Arthur but give her imput too. Proper wife material haha

Robbie P.
Before Blackest Night, I had no idea who Mera was. During Blackest Night, she was the most badass woman around. After Blackest Night, still badass.

We learned in Brightest Day that she was originally sent by her father to kill Arthur, but instead she fell for him and became his queen. She sent her sister back to be locked away in the Bermuda Triangle, so she's dead to her family in a metaphorical sense that they'd like to make literal. Her occasional loneliness is a real humanizing element to her, but it doesn't get in her way and weaken her.

Alyx L.
And that really shows in these comics, I think its really cool that she can I guess push all of that back to fight alongside Arthur when he needs her..and if I remember correctly (I read it last week and cant remember full details) in #5 Arthur arrived home to her being gone correct?

There is speculation that she may have just left and isnt coming back..OR that they might actually show her shopping...

It is also slightly apparent that without her he struggles a bit in battle..

Robbie P.
Well, she did indeed go shopping, just like the note said, and while out managed to do some heroics on her own.

Alyx L.
OH! I have not read #6...so I am at #5 where there was actually a note.

sorry for that miscommunication

Robbie P.
No worries. I won't spoil #6, then, but let me tell you there is a LOT of awesomeness from Mera there.

A little bit of stupidity from the other characters, but mostly Mera being a badass.

Alyx L.
Oh now I can't wait to read it then! I might pick it up tomorrow haha Gotta love Meras badassery.

Robbie P.
Aye. So, anything else important we should cover with Aquaman, or should we move on to JLI?

Alyx L.
Just wanted to add that the art in Aquaman is phenomenal. I have NOT been let down so far when it comes to that.

Robbie P.
Oh yes. We've got Ivan Reis doing the pencilling, wth Joe Prado and Eber Ferreira as the inkers. Wonderful job from all of them. It's clear, the colors are great, every scale on the outfits are shining - it's perfect for this comic.

Alyx L.
Even the bits in #5 when he was just in the desert were great haha

Robbie P.
You ever tried drawing a desert? It's a lot of sand, but to make a lot of sand look that good and expansive is worthy of praise.

Alyx L.
Agreed!

So before we get into JLI I should preface by saying I also haven't read #6 of this either..haven't done my #6 shopping yet

Robbie P.
That's fine; #6 is more of an epilogue, wrapping things up, showcasing the characters, establishing that the JLI is good to go, and leading into the next story arc.

Alyx L.
ok

Robbie P.
I lead the conversation for Aquaman, you want to lead it for Justice League International?

Alyx L.
Oh I can try haha

Robbie P.
Go for it

Alyx La.
So with JLI, we've got Dan Jurgens following up with the events from Flashpoint. Now, I haven't read Flashpoint at all so I was a bit lost going into this comic but it been one of the ones I keep reading for the story alone. For the most part though, I am a Booster fan...so thats been another thing keeping me interested

Robbie P.
Booster Gold was the reason I decided to start following this comic as well. Well, one of two reasons.

The other reason is "Justice League: Generation Lost," one of the Brightest Day comics, following members of the former JLI as they try to bring down Maxwell Lord, who made the rest of the world forget about him.

It was a great comic, very enjoyable, featuring a fine cast of characters, especially Booster Gold and (later on) the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. When they brought back the JLI at the end, I knew I had to read that, so here we are.

Alyx L.
One thing I didn't really enjoy with the first issue was the lack of character introductions. I mean thankfully I knew a bulk of them so I guess that was good..but some of then I didn't even know who they were. Also, it did start off a bit slow for me which almost made me lose interest. Thankfully the bulk of the action seemed to kick in in issue 2. But one of the things I seemed to enjoy the best was the relationship between Booster and Batman..

Robbie P.
I actually felt that issue 1 was a great way to start a team book. I feel that the other ones, such as Justice League Dark and Teen Titans, are taking too long to actually get a team established. By putting them in a team now, we get to meet and learn about the characters as they learn to work together.

But I agree that Booster and Batman interacting was great

Batman is one of the few people to know Booster's secret, about how he has to protect the timestream while maintaining the charade of a fame-seeking fool. Yet when Booster doubts himself, it's Batman who tells him to step up.

I also really liked the banter between Red Rocket and August General In Iron. It was in-character, amusing to read, and showcased the culture clash problems the team would have to deal with.

Alyx L.
What do you think about Guy being kind of a jerk about Booster being named leader? As much as I like Hal, I am glad Guy is getting some spotlight..people will get the chance to learn about the other Green Lanterns and not the one from the movie

But I think Guy was being kind of a punk.

Robbie P.
Guy is my second-favorite Green Lantern, right behind Hal (I gotta get my Hal Jordan cosplay made one of these days), but he can definitely be a jerk. Not without reason - he doesn't trust Booster, thanks to his outward appearance, and Guy has always been hot-headed, plus he doesn't want his on-again, off-again girlfriend Ice getting hurt by Booster's leadership.

I think that by the end of the first arc, Guy and Booster have gained a little respect for each other, but it'll still have a ways to go. That's one of the good things about character development, assuming they develop properly.

Alyx L.
In issue #4, I really liked the Peraxxus introduction, I am really hoping that he stays the villain for a while and with him also being in #5 it seems like that might be the case

I am not familiar with him but he seems to fit

Robbie P.
Comics can never let a good villain lie, although I'm pretty sure he's a new one made for this comic. World-shattering stuff is pretty big (says Captain Obvious) but I think it served its purpose in giving the team a disaster they weren't prepared for to make them all pull together.

I'm hoping that they bring Maxwell Lord back as an enemy, though, since they seem to have forgotten about him after the reboot.

From what I hear, he's been busy in OMAC, but with the upcoming cancellation of that, hopefully they'll bring him over to JLI and continue where they left off after Generation Lost.

Alyx L.
why do you think Blue Beetle wasn't brought back? I personally think I would've enjoyed him more in JLI then I did reading his comic..

Robbie P.
I think that first they're trying to reestablish his identity in his ongoing before integrating him further into the new DCu, especially since he lost his past connections to the league post-Flashpoint. I've been enjoying his ongoing to a point, but it's really taken a turn for the darker that I don't like, so I would like to see him back with the League. Love me some Blue and Gold.

Shall we discuss the team they've got assembled, and who we'd like to see join later?

Alyx L.
yeah sure, well for starters like I said I am a huge Booster fan. But I was REALLY happy to see Vixen as she is one of my favorite ladies in comics. I also really like Rocket Red. I also personally think they could do without Fire and Ice haha

Robbie P.
Booster, Fire, Ice, and Red are the four remaining members from Generation Lost. I'm also a huge fan of Booster Gold, so seeing him lead the team is a real treat. Rocket Red, I agree, he's very amusing, but also useful as both a big hitter and a smart guy, plus I like his banter with Zhifu, as I said earlier. Zhifu I believe debuted in 52 (another must-read for comic fans), but I never really saw what he got to do until now, and he's proven himself both wise, selfless, and a powerhouse, but not without his flaws.

Vixen has found herself a nice niche, and is a useful asset to the team, while not being overshined like she would sometimes be in the other Justice League teams.

As for Fire and Ice, I don't think we've really gotten to see enough from them yet, and I hope later issues show us more of them to make the readers more attached to them. Generation Lost did that quite well, it's time to do it again.

And of course, there's Batman, although I hear he'll be replaced with Batwing soon.

Yet there's also Lady Godiva...

She's after fame more than Booster is, although about the same about that people think Booster is, which is probably why she's hitting on him so much. Honestly, she has yet to grow on me, although a moment in issue 6 has started to improve her in my eyes. I really hope they give her proper development, since her powers don't make her the heaviest hitter, but do provide a lot of interesting potential.

As for Guy, we've already discussed him.

Alyx L.
Oh wow Batwing? That will be interesting...

Lady Godiva has something about her that I like but I know shes not someone who uses her powers like the others do.

Robbie P.
Like I said, I'm hoping they develop her in upcoming chapters, since right now she spends a lot of time complaining about how she only signed up for the PR, but I really like seeing those sorts of characters grow into the hero role and rise past those initial ideals.

Alyx L.
yeah shes the diva of the group next to Guy

haha

Robbie P.
Can't spell her name without it

Personally, I'd like to see Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, and Power Girl return to the team, although the first two are busy in their current ongoing series, and Peeg will be busy in "Earth's Finest," which I'm looking forward to reading.

Alyx L.
I would like to see Wonder Woman myself..she grew on me when I first started reading comics and the JL and everything

but I know a lot of people might be tired of her haha

Robbie P.
She's also got a nice place established for her in the regular Justice League, although so does Batman, so we can't rule out someone just because of that. I suppose she could always represent Themescyra.

Alyx L.
yeah exactly

Robbie P.
Alright, I think we've covered plenty, so thank you for joining me. Any last thoughts you'd like to share?

Alyx L.
No I think we've pretty much talked about everything haha thanks for having me

Robbie P.
Alright then, until next time, this has been whatever we read.

Various Quick Reviews and Updates

So, you might have noticed that I haven't posted much lately. That is true, as I've been busy with things such as trying to get a job, and I've actually been working somewhere as a test run to see if they want me. That means I've had minimal time for reading or writing. Still, I have a few opinions to offer here and there, so here we go.

So hey, y'know how I was complaining about Rex Morgan arcs going on forever? Well, the one it was on when I wrote my review ended about a week or so ago, with a really poor conclusion. Then they immediately jump into another one that'll take forever involving characters I don't care about and the introduction of new ones I still won't care about. I think that I just like complaining about Rex Morgan at this point.

As for the good comic, Pearls Before Swine, I have an issue with his latest comic, involving a bike rider being a rude jerk for no reason except for apparently thinking he's better than other people because he rides a bike. As someone who enjoys bike riding and has had to deal with asshole drivers trying to force me out of the bike lane and onto the sidewalk, I have to take issue with this representation of biking. However, this is just one small issue, and it doesn't make the comic any less good just because I disagree on one issue.

So how have I been enjoying the comics I've been following? Well, let me start by saying "Wolverine and the X-Men" has been amazing. They switched artists to one I think is suited better for the comic, and the writing is always top-notch. If you like X-Men and you're not reading this, I highly recommend you start now. As for the other X-titles, Uncanny X-Men is still quite good, although this current arc doesn't interest me too much. I find it interesting how they've both recently tied in with Uncanny X-Force, another X-Men comic I really like, but I've been following it in graphic novel form, so I'm a little behind. That made it tricky for me to catch up on all the details, but it's not too great a loss.

Now let's talk Blue Beetle for a bit. I've been reading more of the previous run, before the reboot, and the more I read, the more I prefer it to the rebooted version. Personally, I don't mind how his story ties into the DC universe so tightly; my favorite parts in volume 3 involved tying in characters from other comics. Guy Gardner, Traci 13, and Eclipso added a lot of flavor to the story, and provided some of the highlights of the comic. I'll leave you with some quotes to demonstrate, and those who have read it will know what I mean: "Is. That. A. Giant. Green. Fist?" "Say 'I wish for a porsche' before it wears off!" and "I... am... A DENTIST!" It builds a good story, provides excellent character development, and ties Jaime into the DCU very nciely.

Then we have the rebooted Blue Beetle. It's similar in many ways; lots of the same characters, Jaime arguing with the Scarab, the Spanglish thrown throughout the dialogue, the same antagonists, that sort of thing. It doesn't exactly retell the same story, which is good, but it seems to be rushing through the key points while still taking more time than it should to really establish Jaime's Blue Beetle identity. It also seems to be taking a darker turn, and if future previews are to be believed, it'll soon have Jaime leaving his family and El Paso... which completely removes two of the best things about the comics. Not to mention how recent issues (SPOILERS) have caused a fair deal of trouble for Paco, and very well may have turned him into the Venom to Jaime's Spidey. Which reminds me, a friend of mine has stated his concern that they're turning Blue Beetle into DC's version of Spider-Man, and while I like Spidey, he and Blue Beetle are two different entities and should be kept that way.

Not to say I wouldn't like to see a Blue Beetle/Spider-Man crossover if DC and Marvel would ever agree to it. Cuz that would be awesome.

What else have I been reading? Well, I've been catching up on The Dresden Files. I recently finished Fool Moon, which I feel was weaker than the previous one, but definitely kept things tense and interesting. I have a feeling the author liked to mention when a woman was naked just a little much. However, I'm not going to review something published that long ago in the series, so my actual Dresden reviews will be reserved for when I'm caught up to speed.

I've also started reading a few other things. Game of Thrones I plan to read before watching the TV show (taking it one book at a time, of course), then I've been meaning to read The Princess Bride, since any friends of mine know I love the movie. I've also started on the webcomic Girl Genius (I know, what took me so long?) but I haven't gotten far enough to make any solid statements about it.

I guess at this point I'm not sure what I'll review next, so I'm open to suggestions. I've been short on time, but I still want to keep this blog active, and I'd like some input. So until next time, this has been whatever I read.