The Problem With Mera: She's Cooler Than Aquaman

[Bullets& Bracelets]

Seriously.

On one end, we have a moderately super-strong guy who can communicate with fish (and apparently dead fish....does that include sushi....?)

And on the other we have a moderately super-strong woman who can MOVE THE ENTIRE DAMN OCEAN:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6128/merawave2.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8435/merawave3.jpg

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/15/merawave4.jpg

Wonder Woman had better watch her back....

Right now I honestly couldn't give two sh**s about Aquaman.

I'd rather read about AquaWOMAN. I'd rather see her in the JLA than Arthur.

Unfortunately for Aquaman, nearly everyone in his damn family is arguably more powerful than he is.

Aquawoman certainly is.

Aqualad not only has the ability to use hard-water like a Green Lantern (and Mera does too) but he can also generate electricity:

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8479/aqualadridiculous.jpg

The only one who doesn't seem to have an extra power is Aquagirl but that may change soon.

I feel sorry for Aquaman because not only is his family more powerful than he is but I think Mera is more interesting character to boot.

[Addams]

There is more about characters than just their power level honestly.

Mera kicks ass, good for the franchise, it's always nice to have some powerhouse around.

Wait a sec...are they pulling a phoenix on us ? :tongue:

[Maestro]

She is also hotter than Aquaman. That helps

[Skaddix]

It's simple DC does not understand the concept of a magic weapon. Seriously, in the Marvelverse Poseidon's trident would be treated like Thor's hammer. Which is how DC needs to treat Aquaman's trident. Lorena could also benefit from her trident being a magic weapon. Also a strength and durability boost to high tier level and a boost in speed and agility on land would not hurt either.

[Skaddix]

Still i must admit is sad that even aqualad looks more impressive after about a day of training. Still he is better Lorena.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

There is more about characters than just their power level honestly.

Mera kicks ass, good for the franchise, it's always nice to have some powerhouse around.

Wait a sec...are they pulling a phoenix on us ? :tongue:


The thing is she's supposed to be the "sidekick". However she effectively steals the show from Aquaman every damn time.

Aquaman was running around the beach with a bloody stump.

http://www.gr1fter.com/uploads/3/6/4/1/3641062/4743868.jpg?390

Mera on the hand:

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3286/merasharks.jpg

:redface:

The way DC works with the top guns and the sidekicks is that while the sidekicks may surpass their respective top gun in some areas (Nightwing is more agile than Batman; Batgirl is a better martial artist than Batman; Superboy has TK and Superman doesn't; Wonder Girl has a lasso that can generate Zeus' lightening and Wonder Woman can't) they never TRULY surpass them. Superman is still more powerful than Superboy. Wonder Woman can whoop Wonder Girl's butt. Batman is the goddamn Batman.

Aquaman?

Not only are nearly all his 'sidekicks' markedly more powerful than he is, but Mera has received a strong push that makes her an arguably much more interesting character than Arthur due to Blackest Night and now Brightest Day.

[Skaddix]

true although sidekicks would be better then the originals in most cases. I mean Dick is never going to be as smart as bruce. Still they would if they actually aged the universe. Still I take your point, at base aqua sidekicks and family members essentially start stronger or get their without Aquaman growing old. Tempest got a magic boost, Mera got a boost, Aqualad came in arguably stronger. Lorena is the only one left that is weaker.

[sirvk]

Mera is awesome, I'd never heard of her before BN but now she's one of my favourites

[Finganforn]

Honestly, "is cooler than Aquaman" doesn't say much about any character, it isn't hard to be cooler than him :cool:

[superchick]

I don't understand why this is a problem

[TripleX]

Honestly, "is cooler than Aquaman" doesn't say much about any character, it isn't hard to be cooler than him :cool:

He was cool when he had the beard and harpoon, unfortunately it didn't last.

[Finganforn]

He was cool when he had the beard and harpoon, unfortunately it didn't last.

You mean when Peter David turned him into blond Namor + more hair and beard -one hand? :tongue:

[Joe Acro]

I don't understand why this is a problem
Since Aquaman is getting a series, it seems to me that the problem might be that Mera is cooler or more liked than the title character.

It begs the question, why not just do a Mera mini and see how it does?


I still think they missed an opportunity to come out of Blackest Night with an Atom/Mera buddy book, but I think that's just me.

[skids]

I don't understand why this is a problem
Me neither.

[AgPhoenix]

You mean when Peter David turned him into blond Namor + more hair and beard -one hand? :tongue:

And it that's the only time he's ever been cool in Comics, what should that tell you about Aquaman?

[Free-Man]

And it that's the only time he's ever been cool in Comics, what should that tell you about Aquaman?

I really like what they did with him in the Brave and the Bold actually. But yeah, not comics, so it doesn't count I guess.

It's funny, but I never realized it befor this thread, but it's totally right. Save for both of the Aquagirls, all of Aquaman's sidekicks have cooler/better powers. Aqualad II has the electrical abilities and water weapons, Tempest had the sorcery and Mera can control a flippin' ocean.

Maybe they should just do an "Aquaman Family" book?

[Nyssane]

I'm not a Mera fan, but that scene is pretty damn badass.

[DarkKnghtJared]

I like Aquaman, but yeah, Mera definitely needs to have a bigger impact on the mythos in general--if/when they do the Aquaman book, she should be about as important to the book as Lois Lane is for Superman, if not more so.

As for Aquaman being de-powered/not as badass--well, there are, what, four more issues left in this book? Besides, I'm hoping he gets the water-hand back.

[FIFTY-TWO (52)]

The thing is she's supposed to be the "sidekick". However she effectively steals the show from Aquaman every damn time.

Aquaman was running around the beach with a bloody stump.

http://www.gr1fter.com/uploads/3/6/4/1/3641062/4743868.jpg?390

Mera on the hand:

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3286/merasharks.jpg

:redface:

The way DC works with the top guns and the sidekicks is that while the sidekicks may surpass their respective top gun in some areas (Nightwing is more agile than Batman; Batgirl is a better martial artist than Batman; Superboy has TK and Superman doesn't; Wonder Girl has a lasso that can generate Zeus' lightening and Wonder Woman can't) they never TRULY surpass them. Superman is still more powerful than Superboy. Wonder Woman can whoop Wonder Girl's butt. Batman is the goddamn Batman.

Aquaman?

Not only are nearly all his 'sidekicks' markedly more powerful than he is, but Mera has received a strong push that makes her an arguably much more interesting character than Arthur due to Blackest Night and now Brightest Day.

So what's the problem?
She's not a sidekick. She's his wife and the queen of the Earth's oceans.

[Aquadoc]

And it that's the only time he's ever been cool in Comics, what should that tell you about Aquaman?

Come on, "cool" in comics? Maybe Aquman should wear some shades and ride a motorcycle? Or sprout some metal claws or get a really big gun or be the strongest dude in the universe? The OP obviously likes Mera, but why must it come at the expense at Aquaman?

I can't believe we're still hearning more Aquaman is lame/not cool/only talks to fish chatter. And people say it like it's the first time it's ever been said. Aquaman may not have Mera's hydrokinesis, or Tempest's magic, or Aqualad's elctro-powers, but there's a reason that he's been the king of Atlantis and commands the respect of his super-powered peers. He's a born leader and brilliant tactician, who happens to be smart enough to surround himself with people who augment his own power-set.

I agree that Mera deserves more of the spotlight, and think an Aqua-family book would be awesome. But I don't think that Aquaman has to be trashed because he happens to have a powerful wife.

[Apathy Lad]

Come on, "cool" in comics? Maybe Aquman should wear some shades and ride a motorcycle? Or sprout some metal claws or get a really big gun or be the strongest dude in the universe? The OP obviously likes Mera, but why must it come at the expense at Aquaman?

I can't believe we're still hearning more Aquaman is lame/not cool/only talks to fish chatter. And people say it like it's the first time it's ever been said. Aquaman may not have Mera's hydrokinesis, or Tempest's magic, or Aqualad's elctro-powers, but there's a reason that he's been the king of Atlantis and commands the respect of his super-powered peers. He's a born leader and brilliant tactician, who happens to be smart enough to surround himself with people who augment his own power-set.

I agree that Mera deserves more of the spotlight, and think an Aqua-family book would be awesome. But I don't think that Aquaman has to be trashed because he happens to have a powerful wife.

Aquaman gets trashed because he's lame. Every cool thing he's been doing lately comes across as a forced attempt to take him seriously. Stop acting like somebody's perception of "cool" is entrenched in Liefeld, because the much more likely possibility is that Aquaman sucks.
Back on topic; I fully support a Mera ongoing, because she is kickass.

[Theozilla]

Come on, "cool" in comics? Maybe Aquman should wear some shades and ride a motorcycle? Or sprout some metal claws or get a really big gun or be the strongest dude in the universe? The OP obviously likes Mera, but why must it come at the expense at Aquaman?

I can't believe we're still hearning more Aquaman is lame/not cool/only talks to fish chatter. And people say it like it's the first time it's ever been said. Aquaman may not have Mera's hydrokinesis, or Tempest's magic, or Aqualad's elctro-powers, but there's a reason that he's been the king of Atlantis and commands the respect of his super-powered peers. He's a born leader and brilliant tactician, who happens to be smart enough to surround himself with people who augment his own power-set.

I agree that Mera deserves more of the spotlight, and think an Aqua-family book would be awesome. But I don't think that Aquaman has to be trashed because he happens to have a powerful wife.

I agree with this.

How does having more powers translate to being more "cool"?

[Ed Love]

Which all indicates not that Aquaman is not cool or Mera is cooler than he is. Just that we have bad writers who seem to think that and write them that way. Mera controlling the whole ocean AND making actual hard water constructs ala Green Lantern's ring constructs = bad fanfic. Makes for a kewl visual, but it's senseless uberfying a character that was already pretty powerful in her own right. To the point, that we now have this thread of how people find the central hero to be the least and least interesting of his extended cast.

[titanfan]

Mera could always make hard water constructs like Green Lantern--it's the level of hydro-kinesis that's pretty new. Too bad Rage Lantern Mera couldn't do the same thing, maybe she could have taken Wonder Woman then...

[AgPhoenix]

Come on, "cool" in comics? Maybe Aquman should wear some shades and ride a motorcycle? Or sprout some metal claws or get a really big gun or be the strongest dude in the universe? The OP obviously likes Mera, but why must it come at the expense at Aquaman?

I can't believe we're still hearning more Aquaman is lame/not cool/only talks to fish chatter. And people say it like it's the first time it's ever been said. Aquaman may not have Mera's hydrokinesis, or Tempest's magic, or Aqualad's elctro-powers, but there's a reason that he's been the king of Atlantis and commands the respect of his super-powered peers. He's a born leader and brilliant tactician, who happens to be smart enough to surround himself with people who augment his own power-set.

I agree that Mera deserves more of the spotlight, and think an Aqua-family book would be awesome. But I don't think that Aquaman has to be trashed because he happens to have a powerful wife.

Or maybe he just needs to be written like an actual character, with stories that are not only good, but matter to his development as said character. The only Aquaman stories that I've read that didn't make me roll my eyes were the Peter David ones, and the story where Black Manta killed Aquaman's son. The only reason why people talk about his Hook Hand is because visuals help people to associate things with stuff they may like or dislike.

And here's the thing, Geoff Johns CAN do it, but from everything I've seen from his current Flash and Green Lantern, he's probably not going to give the main character the tools he needs to be come worth reading (which is my BIGGEST sticking point with all of the Silver Age Dudes coming back). He actually writes his Villains and Secondary Characters pretty as seen with Sinestro, The Rogues at Large, and even Mera since Blackest Night (Though he's STILL running at a Negative Score after giving her that Rage Ring in my eyes) However, his main Protagonists are little more than the same one note cardboard cutouts that they were in the 70's, and Aquaman can't get away with that, I guarantee it.

[Kid Kamikaze10]

I've been totting this horn since Blackest Night.


I know Aquaman is the long running character with a former title and is considered one of the bigger members of the Justice League.



However, I see much more potential in Mera.

[Cayman]

She's awesome, but I would like to see them do some redesigns on her outfit. It's a bit too plain.

[Aelle3]

I think Aquamans still cool, but its a good thing Mera is kicking ass. I would read the hell out of an aquafamily title.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I cannot take a beardless Aquamn seriously. It doesn`t need to be PAD`S "Merlin", it could be the way Brian Hitch drew in the League (I actually prefer it).

He`s a king, his name is Arthur, he should have a "Sean Connery" quality, IMHO. It`s also the consensus regarding the current animations from DC (YJ and B&B, I believe), so it wopuld not hurt brand recognition at all.

Concerning the OP post:

If anything, this shopuld make you fear for her/them.

I mean, Wally was way more powerfull than Barry before Flash Rebirth, Kyle Rayner`s ring was unique among all the GLs, Tempest was way more powerfull than Aquaman, Cass Cain could probably kick Batman`s ass, both Connor and Roy were portrayed as more efficent H2H fighters (or even heroes) than Ollie and, well.... look how all of that turned out.

It appears to be DC current`s police to have no-one outshinning the title hero. Mera aparently is getting a free pass beacuse she is one of Geoff Johns (surprise?) pet characters, but will it last?

[Grav]

I love Mera and she's had such a big push lately, it's hard not to want her to shine on her own. She should get a mini, I think.

And nobody need hate on Aquaman. He just needs a good writer that is able to capture his best qualities and suddenly he's back to being awesome.

[Grav]

I cannot take a beardless Aquamn seriously. It doesn`t need to be PAD`S "Merlin", it could be the way Brian Hitch drew in the League (I actually prefer it).

He`s a king, his name is Arthur, he should have a "Sean Connery" quality, IMHO. It`s also the consensus regarding the current animations from DC (YJ and B&B, I believe), so it wopuld not hurt brand recognition at all.

More characters need beards, methinks. A beard is like a stamp that reads, "I'm a badass."

[erzan]

Soon Mera will be able to manipulate the water vapor in the air by condensing it and thus never needing a water source. A close encounter with a human she will be able to manipulate the water fluid in their bodies, thus giving her the ability to control humans like puppets!!!

Oh sorry wrong show, thats Avatar Last airbender. :tongue:

Still the idea that Aquaman isn't cool isn't news. I'm not a fan and I personally don't know anyone, ignoring the internet, who is. There is a reason why Aqualad in YJ is cool, as cool as comic book superheroes can get.

I've said it before and say it again. They should do a Marvel and treat the Aquaman trident like Thor's hammer. Its really easy to rally people behind objects that are powerful, rare and important to the character and mythos. Its not a silver bullet, but its something that helps identity the character. Green latern rings, Wonder woman lasso, Iron man suits, Captain America's shield, and Thor's hammer. Heck even Ben 10's watch (yeah I went there)

Oh and the difference between Batman and his sidekicks being better than him in niche areas is this. Batman is loved by many and others love to hate him. No one bothers to hate Aquaman.

[Seven_Ride]

He was cool when he had the beard and harpoon, unfortunately it didn't last.Psst....psst....it wasn't the least bit cool. It was "kewel", meaning..."trying too hard to be hip".

Pass it on.

[titanfan]

Soon Mera will be able to manipulate the water vapor in the air by condensing it and thus never needing a water source. A close encounter with a human she will be able to manipulate the water fluid in their bodies, thus giving her the ability to control humans like puppets!!!

Gah! I hate when magnetism powers people control humans like puppets by manipulating the metal in their blood or whatever. Or she'll instantly be able to dehydrate/kill someone by removing all the water out of their bodies.

(And she'll spend all her time, fighting crime, instead of doing something like curing all the drought issues in Africa....)

Remember the time in the Morrison-JLA when Aquaman basically used his telepathy (on a martian) because they all descended from water-based beings? Those were the days....

[mathew101281]

Yeah I'm more of PAD Aquaman fan to I think the beard made him look like Neptune which is cool symbolism

[Ghostman]

Oh and the difference between Batman and his sidekicks being better than him in niche areas is this. Batman is loved by many and others love to hate him. No one bothers to hate Aquaman.

Disagree

Dick may be a better acrobat than Bruce, but Bruce isn't far behind. Bruce still has a power, intellect, and overall skill advantage. Bruce would still beat Dick in a fight.

Cass may (or may have been) a better martial artist, but Batman is still consistently a top 5 fighter....add to that that Batman is smarter than Cass, and its not a stretch to assume that Bats would still beat Cass due to his superior tactical skills.


Mera can crush you with a damn ocean. Aqualad can manipulate water AND has electrical powers.

Aquaman can summon fish.

-_____-

Like someone else has been saying, they need to play up the fact that Aquaman has poseiden's trident.

[Theozilla]

[QUOTE=Ghostman;12676092]Aquaman can summon fish.

-_____-QUOTE]

Summon aquatic organisms, and give seizures to organisms that evolved from organisms that came from the ocean (basically everything on Earth and apparently Mars).

[Retro315]

I feel sorry for Aquaman because not only is his family more powerful than he is but I think Mera is more interesting character to boot.

Aquaman, despite being a Brightest Day save, hasn't actually had his ultra-cool-tastical Geoff Johns "Look how super-cool" moment yet.

But Mera's not more interesting. She's ... I want to lame it up and say, well, as a couple they're "equally interesting".

Her sea-witch-water-mancy-craft power is pretty amazing, and although not unique in the DCU, she's definitely the frontrunner with that power, while the rest are mega-obscure. But it seems even cooler still because we haven't seen limits imposed on it. It's like "just what can she do?"

Ironically, the same is 100% true of Aquaman. Also, she shares his weakness to dehydration only far greater. And she isn't nearly as physically strong. So while she's got some nifty brain/water powers ... and some newly retconned "death squad assassin" fighting skill ... she's not a powerhouse physically.

That and she was a proverbial Lois Lane back in the day ... always going missing, getting kidnapped, destabilizing and phasing back to her own water dimension, or bouncing a baby on her knee.

Anyway, long rant short ... don't count Aquaman out. He's Gladiator meets The Abyss. He'll get his due soon.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Nothing grosser than wet bushy beard.

Clean-shaved Art all the way.

[Perfection/Emma 2]

Mera is the Lois Griffin to Arthur's Peter

[Apathy Lad]

[QUOTE=Ghostman;12676092]Aquaman can summon fish.

-_____-QUOTE]

Summon aquatic organisms, and give seizures to organisms that evolved from organisms that came from the ocean (basically everything on Earth and apparently Mars).

Which pales greatly in comparison to hard water constructs, electrical discharge, and controlling the entire ocean.

[erzan]

Disagree

Dick may be a better acrobat than Bruce, but Bruce isn't far behind. Bruce still has a power, intellect, and overall skill advantage. Bruce would still beat Dick in a fight.

Cass may (or may have been) a better martial artist, but Batman is still consistently a top 5 fighter....add to that that Batman is smarter than Cass, and its not a stretch to assume that Bats would still beat Cass due to his superior tactical skills.


Mera can crush you with a damn ocean. Aqualad can manipulate water AND has electrical powers.

Aquaman can summon fish.

-_____-

Like someone else has been saying, they need to play up the fact that Aquaman has poseiden's trident.We were in agreement.

I said Batman's side kicks are better than him in niche areas. In another words, like you said Cass is/might be better than him in martial arts or Dick better acrobat. But no one gives a damn right? Because people love Batman.

Difference is you pointed out why he is loved and better. I was simply pointing out his better and loved. :wink:

I also mentioned his trident too. Like others have said powers alone do not make a character cool and interesting, but it does help. After we are reading about superheroes and the most of us, are also interested in how these people use their said powers.

For the love of god DC:

Poseidon, as well as being god of the sea, was also known as the "Earth Shaker" because when he struck the earth in anger he caused mighty earthquakes and he used his trident to stir up tidal waves, tsunamis and sea storms. In Roman myth, Neptune also used a trident to create new bodies of water and cause earthquakes

[Godlike13]

Ya, Aquaman's a push over :cool:

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/239b101730.jpg

Mera might control the water, but she doesn't control the entire ocean. They're perfect partners for each other.


Can't wait till he controls live creatures again though,
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ccadacb2aa.jpg

[Skaddix]

thats great when he is underwater

[Godlike13]

thats great when he is underwater

That's why he's called Aquaman :cool:

Hell, Mera needs to be close to water too.

[Aquadoc]

Aquaman gets trashed because he's lame. Every cool thing he's been doing lately comes across as a forced attempt to take him seriously. Stop acting like somebody's perception of "cool" is entrenched in Liefeld, because the much more likely possibility is that Aquaman sucks.
Back on topic; I fully support a Mera ongoing, because she is kickass.

Yes, yes, Aquaman is lame and he sucks. That just gets better every time it's used. Especially when used by people who are largely ignorant of the character, having not read his comics or not reading comics at all, but rather having heard it on some website or an episode of Family Guy.

And from many of the comments people have made, a character's worth depends solely on how many planets he or she can bench press or whatever badassery is in vogue. Let's power everyone up to ridiculous levels so that the world will take them seriously - kinda like the Liefield thing you mentioned in the 90s with all the giant guns and vest pockets.

This is a losing battle, because I'm not going to convince you of Aquaman's worth as a character and you're definitely never going to convince me the charcter sucks. We both agree that Mera's awesome though and I think she might drop the Pacific Ocean on your head for badmouthing her hubby. :biggrin:

[Apathy Lad]

Ya, Aquaman's a push over :cool:

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/239b101730.jpg

Mera might control the water, but she doesn't control the entire ocean. They're perfect partners for each other.


Can't wait till he controls live creatures again though,
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ccadacb2aa.jpg

Wasn't it totally cool when he beat up Cthulu singlehandedly? This is in no way shape or form an exaggeration by the writer in order to prove how cool Aquaman is.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

Mera might control the water, but she doesn't control the entire ocean. They're perfect partners for each other.



Um, she DID control the entire ocean. The entire Pacific Ocean.

Aquaman: I can control all sealife in the ocean!

Mera: And I can control the ocean in which the sealife live!

Aquaman: *meep*

[Bullets& Bracelets]

That's why he's called Aquaman :cool:

Hell, Mera needs to be close to water too.

Not necessarily. Mera's level of hydrokinesis has skyrocketed recently.

If she's powerful enough to control entire bodies of water it's not a stretch for a writer to say she can absorb moisture from the air or control the water in an opponent's body.

[Godlike13]

Um, she DID control the entire ocean. The entire Pacific Ocean.

Aquaman: I can control all sealife in the ocean!

Mera: And I can control the ocean in which the sealife live!

Aquaman: *meep*

Sea life is part of the ocean, in a vague sense :tongue:. Mera can make as big a wave as she wants, but once they're in the ocean sea life reigns. Her power might be more theatrical, but that doesn't make it more effective. They are a great one two punch though.


Not necessarily. Mera's level of hydrokinesis has skyrocketed recently.

If she's powerful enough to control entire bodies of water it's not a stretch for a writer to say she can absorb moisture from the air or control the water in an opponent's body.

She can't really control the Ocean with out the Ocean, and in till we see her absorb moisture from the air or control the water in an opponent's body, then we'll talk about that.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

Sea life is part of the ocean, in a vague sense [tongue]. Mera can make as big a wave as she wants, but once they're in the ocean sea life reigns. Her power might be more theatrical, but that doesn't make it more effective. They are a great one two punch though.

A tsunami is far more impressive than dozen school of tuna heading your way.

And who needs actual fish to manipulate anyway?

Mera can create her own damn fish out of hard-water constructs which are probably more powerful and deadly than any actual fish Aquaman could summon. Plus she can create them instantaneously while Aquaman has to actually call them and hope they arrive in time.

And Mera controls the water in which they live and breathe.

If she wanted to throw all sealife into the stratosphere she can do it.

If she wants to cause an enormous underwater typhoon and wreck havoc to their habitats, she can do it.

Sealife is utterly helpless against her.

It's like Hawkman vs. Storm.

Hawkman can summon birds and other avian creatures in the air.

Storm can control the actual AIR in which they fly.

OCEAN CONTROL >>>>>>>>>>>>> FISH CONTROL

And Aquaman was even more neutered when restricting his power to controlling dead fish.

Really? Dead Fish?

Like Sushi? Or that nice slab of tuna meat at Whole Foods?

That's like having the ability to control hamburgers because they're dead cows.....

[Godlike13]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wykeJBHdE

[Bullets& Bracelets]

Yes, yes, Aquaman is lame and he sucks. That just gets better every time it's used. Especially when used by people who are largely ignorant of the character, having not read his comics or not reading comics at all, but rather having heard it on some website or an episode of Family Guy.

And from many of the comments people have made, a character's worth depends solely on how many planets he or she can bench press or whatever badassery is in vogue. Let's power everyone up to ridiculous levels so that the world will take them seriously - kinda like the Liefield thing you mentioned in the 90s with all the giant guns and vest pockets.

This is a losing battle, because I'm not going to convince you of Aquaman's worth as a character and you're definitely never going to convince me the charcter sucks. We both agree that Mera's awesome though and I think she might drop the Pacific Ocean on your head for badmouthing her hubby. :biggrin:

I think you're missing the core issue regarding Mera and Aquaman.

The problem with Mera is this: If we have a woman who can control, manipulate and move entire bodies of water....what the hell do we need Aquaman for?

Geoff Johns made Aquaman look even more useless when she gained the power to create hard-water constructs into any form she imagined.....like FISH.

Aquaman can summon a dozen sharks. Mera can CREATE a dozen sharks...with water lasers on their heads!

The only edge that Aquaman possibly have is strength and durability...but Mera's "I can drown South America with a tidal wave" powers kicks that out of the ballpark.

Johns should have done something with that damn trident.

Summoning dead fish is utterly unimpressive when your wife wields control over the entire damn ocean.

[erzan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wykeJBHdELOL. I am now going to watch that film, can't stop laughing.

Oh and I agree, Mera rules the waves. Aquaman's man points has gone negative.

[nj06]

I like all of the members of the current Aquafamily and I hope that they can all be a featured in some sort of ongoing.

One way I feel they can improve on Aquaman is to play up the political aspects of him being King of Atlantis again. Maybe they can have him approach the UN and demand change from them and actually make it have an affect in other comics. I thought it was cool that Atlantis annexed Cerdia and I think it would be interesting to have them involved in another war. This could show off Aquaman's tactical side as well as show off some more Atlantean tech. Maybe Aquaman can develop a story with Osiris or Black Adam (if/when he comes back). it would be interesting to see two super-powered beings with different philosophies on life, with one coming from a desert country and another from a land under the ocean, etc. I think that would be interesting dynamic. Or maybe the could go a step further and have him meet Black Adam, Gorilla Grodd, and Hippolyta for some interaction between world leaders and things of that nature.

I like the new Aqualad, but was kinda upset that Tempest was killed off. see no reason why both of the two characters couldn't have both been members of the Aquafamily. Aqualad could have taken the role of student/sidekick/rookie while Tempest has completely come into his own as an equal to Aquaman as well as another teacher/role-model for Aqualad. He could have filled the Magical niche in the book and been used as the source by which writers could/would display the magical side of Atlantis. I also was upset that in Titans he was made ruler of Atlantis, but then nothing was ever done with that. And where is that other Aquaman, the Arthur Curry Jr. guy? Black Manta should just kill him and be done with it! Or maybe he himself can become his own villain. (Although I must admit I really did like that characters design).

I think Aquagirl is going to suffer the most out of everyone in the Aquafamily because there doesn't seem to be anything new for her. Mera has the power upgrade, Aquaman is the main character and he and Mera can have plenty of stories about them; Aqualad is the new guy so he is automatically going to get soem decent attention. But what about poor Lorena? She was in Teen Titans but no more and she doesn't have any exclusive power to differentiate her from the other characters. She might develop telepathy, but who knows when that will happen. I for one would like her to become the new Tempest, or at least learn his magic. Maybe he could train her from the afterlife and then she could use the magic to help out the others.

[nj06]

I think you're missing the core issue regarding Mera and Aquaman.

The problem with Mera is this: If we have a woman who can control, manipulate and move entire bodies of water....what the hell do we need Aquaman for?

Geoff Johns made Aquaman look even more useless when she gained the power to create hard-water constructs into any form she imagined.....like FISH.

Aquaman can summon a dozen sharks. Mera can CREATE a dozen sharks...with water lasers on their heads!

The only edge that Aquaman possibly have is strength and durability...but Mera's "I can drown South America with a tidal wave" powers kicks that out of the ballpark.

Johns should have done something with that damn trident.

Summoning dead fish is utterly unimpressive when your wife wields control over the entire damn ocean.

Good points. But does Aquaman still have his telepathy or is it only limited to sea-life? Because if he does than that means he can probably take down the other members of the Aquafamily with but a thought (literally).

Also, Mera lifting the ocean was impressive, but could possibly be a once in a lifetime thing. It also seemed to have taken a lot out of her so its not like she can do it all the time. Although it would be cool to see her in fight and when she's had enough summon a tidal wave and just take out everyone.

[Nite-Wing]

Mera is going to be a supporting character in his series so I don't really see the problem. Gives her fans incentive to pick the book up.

[Aquadoc]

I think you're missing the core issue regarding Mera and Aquaman.

The problem with Mera is this: If we have a woman who can control, manipulate and move entire bodies of water....what the hell do we need Aquaman for?

Geoff Johns made Aquaman look even more useless when she gained the power to create hard-water constructs into any form she imagined.....like FISH.

Aquaman can summon a dozen sharks. Mera can CREATE a dozen sharks...with water lasers on their heads!

The only edge that Aquaman possibly have is strength and durability...but Mera's "I can drown South America with a tidal wave" powers kicks that out of the ballpark.

Johns should have done something with that damn trident.

Summoning dead fish is utterly unimpressive when your wife wields control over the entire damn ocean.

So a woman having more power than her husband makes the man useless? Or somehow emasculates him? Sounds a little sexist to me. And it's not just fish, as the reductionist naysayers would have it - it's sea life. Whales, jellyfish, plankton, you name it. That's a huge amount of biomass at one's disposal. But that doesn't make a cute little soundbite when you're trying to put down a character and talk about how lame/useless you think he is.

Johns has been taking lots of liberties with Aquaman and Mera's powers and histories - so the extent of what either of them can do is still pretty unknown. It just seems odd to me that for some people moving Mera into the spotlight must mean that Arthur is thrown into darkness.

[Grav]

She can't really control the Ocean with out the Ocean, and in till we see her absorb moisture from the air or control the water in an opponent's body, then we'll talk about that.

Y'know, it reminds me of the girl from The Last Airbender cartoon. Didn't she carry around a jug of water so that she could use it as a weapon? I wonder if they'll adopt something like that for Mera or if they'll jump amp her powers up to the point where she just draws from the water floating around in the air.

[Free-Man]

Y'know, it reminds me of the girl from The Last Airbender cartoon. Didn't she carry around a jug of water so that she could use it as a weapon? I wonder if they'll adopt something like that for Mera or if they'll jump amp her powers up to the point where she just draws from the water floating around in the air.

It's also the same thing that they gave Aqualad in YJ. He carries his waterbearers around on a pack filled with water so that he can make swords and stuff even without being near the ocean or something. In fact I think only one episode has had him actually do anything in a body of water.

[Nite-Wing]

It seems like the idea that if a female can do anything a man can do then why do we need the man in the first place?
Why do we need Aquaman when Mera can do everything he can do?

Flip it and you would have a pretty sexist rhetoric going

[Grav]

It's also the same thing that they gave Aqualad in YJ. He carries his waterbearers around on a pack filled with water so that he can make swords and stuff even without being near the ocean or something. In fact I think only one episode has had him actually do anything in a body of water.

Y'know, that's right. I haven't been keeping up with the cartoon much, to be honest. The few episodes I saw were good, though. At least they have the idea, now they just need to implement it.

[silents47]

So a woman having more power than her husband makes the man useless? Or somehow emasculates him? Sounds a little sexist to me.

You've been taking offense to everything in this thread that speaks negatively about Arthur, and this just seems like you're really reaching for a way to negate Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid point. There's no way that you could have actually read anything sexist in that post unless you were fighting to make sexism fit.

This isn't a matter of "emasculation." We're in a fictional world with a finite amount of pages available to characters. If Aquaman's name is on the front of the book (not Brightest Day, but you get what I mean), having his sidekicks and supporting characters be several orders of magnitude more powerful than him makes him seem unnecessary, and makes the whole book seem off-balance.

This isn't a Batman and the Justice League situation where Batman has dozens of other qualities (and billions of other dollars) that make him equal to the superpowered heroes. This is a situation where the "main" character's powers are lesser than his supporting characters, plus he has no qualities that make him more deserving of his own book than the others.

Mera being more powerful than Aquaman doesn't "emasculate" him as a character any more than Aqualad being more powerful puts down White people. But both cases make his character look unnecessary when the other two characters' personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than the guy they're supposed to be following. It's like seeing a Justice League with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and having Snapper Carr lead them.

[erzan]

You've been taking offense to everything in this thread that speaks negatively about Arthur, and this just seems like you're really reaching for a way to negate Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid point. There's no way that you could have actually read anything sexist in that post unless you were fighting to make sexism fit.

This isn't a matter of "emasculation." We're in a fictional world with a finite amount of pages available to characters. If Aquaman's name is on the front of the book (not Brightest Day, but you get what I mean), having his sidekicks and supporting characters be several orders of magnitude more powerful than him makes him seem unnecessary, and makes the whole book seem off-balance.

This isn't a Batman and the Justice League situation where Batman has dozens of other qualities (and billions of other dollars) that make him equal to the superpowered heroes. This is a situation where the "main" character's powers are lesser than his supporting characters, plus he has no qualities that make him more deserving of his own book than the others.

Mera being more powerful than Aquaman doesn't "emasculate" him as a character any more than Aqualad being more powerful puts down White people. But both cases make his character look unnecessary when the other two characters' personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than the guy they're supposed to be following. It's like seeing a Justice League with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and having Snapper Carr lead them.Thank you.

[Theozilla]

This isn't a Batman and the Justice League situation where Batman has dozens of other qualities (and billions of other dollars) that make him equal to the superpowered heroes. This is a situation where the "main" character's powers are lesser than his supporting characters, plus he has no qualities that make him more deserving of his own book than the others.

Mera being more powerful than Aquaman doesn't "emasculate" him as a character any more than Aqualad being more powerful puts down White people. But both cases make his character look unnecessary when the other two characters' personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than the guy they're supposed to be following. It's like seeing a Justice League with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and having Snapper Carr lead them.

Saying that Mera's and Aqualad's personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than is a completely subjective statement. I personally find the ability two control all sea life too be more interesting than hydrokinesis and electrical abilities, especially if you consider that most of the world's autotrophs live in the ocean. Also Aquaman has greater physical abilities than Mera and other Alanteans and can last without water longer, so for me personally that more than evens the "coolness" of Aquaman compared to his family.

[silents47]

Fair enough. I was specifically addressing the response to that one post by Bullets&Bracelets and saying it from the point of view he/she/it and I seem to share, but I see your point.

[nj06]

You've been taking offense to everything in this thread that speaks negatively about Arthur, and this just seems like you're really reaching for a way to negate Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid point. There's no way that you could have actually read anything sexist in that post unless you were fighting to make sexism fit.

This isn't a matter of "emasculation." We're in a fictional world with a finite amount of pages available to characters. If Aquaman's name is on the front of the book (not Brightest Day, but you get what I mean), having his sidekicks and supporting characters be several orders of magnitude more powerful than him makes him seem unnecessary, and makes the whole book seem off-balance.

This isn't a Batman and the Justice League situation where Batman has dozens of other qualities (and billions of other dollars) that make him equal to the superpowered heroes. This is a situation where the "main" character's powers are lesser than his supporting characters, plus he has no qualities that make him more deserving of his own book than the others.

Mera being more powerful than Aquaman doesn't "emasculate" him as a character any more than Aqualad being more powerful puts down White people. But both cases make his character look unnecessary when the other two characters' personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than the guy they're supposed to be following. It's like seeing a Justice League with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and having Snapper Carr lead them.

I don't necessarily think that Mera is more powerful than Aquaman though, nor do I think Aqualad is more powerful. They have certain offensive abilities that are powerful, but I don't equate that to them being more powerful than Aquaman. He still has the advantage in terms of strength, speed, durability, fighting ability, and he has telepathy (although I don't know if its as powerful as it was before).

Put him in the water in a fight against either Mera or Aqualad and Aquaman should have no problem taking them down. The dude is still much faster and stronger. Mera can control the water sure, but couldn't Aquaman just control her mind? Also, while Aqualad has the electricity, I think that Aquaman has endured worst than that so I don't think it would be too much of a problem.

Again, I'm not saying that Mera and Aqualad aren't powerful, because they are; I just don't think that Mera's new skill-level or Aqualad's electrical attacks equate them to being more powerful than Aquaman. I do however think that they have better ranged/offensive abilities than Aquaman.

Regarding the bold: Much of that is personal opinion. The same JL reference can be used with Martian Manhunter. Why even have Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman, when Martian Manhunter is as smart as they are, plus has same abilities as them and many more. Even Superman has mentioned that J'onn is probably the most powerful member of them team. Yet, these three seem to command more authority than him.

[Aquadoc]

You've been taking offense to everything in this thread that speaks negatively about Arthur, and this just seems like you're really reaching for a way to negate Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid point. There's no way that you could have actually read anything sexist in that post unless you were fighting to make sexism fit.

This isn't a matter of "emasculation." We're in a fictional world with a finite amount of pages available to characters. If Aquaman's name is on the front of the book (not Brightest Day, but you get what I mean), having his sidekicks and supporting characters be several orders of magnitude more powerful than him makes him seem unnecessary, and makes the whole book seem off-balance.

This isn't a Batman and the Justice League situation where Batman has dozens of other qualities (and billions of other dollars) that make him equal to the superpowered heroes. This is a situation where the "main" character's powers are lesser than his supporting characters, plus he has no qualities that make him more deserving of his own book than the others.

Mera being more powerful than Aquaman doesn't "emasculate" him as a character any more than Aqualad being more powerful puts down White people. But both cases make his character look unnecessary when the other two characters' personalities, powers and appearances are so much more interesting than the guy they're supposed to be following. It's like seeing a Justice League with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and having Snapper Carr lead them.

Well, thank you voice of reason for clearing everything up and putting me in my proper place. Go back and read Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid points, when he/she talks about Aquaman being 'neutered' or 'if we have a woman who can do x' statements. Doesn't take much of a stretch to get there.

I haven't read a single convincing argument here that Aquaman's powers are lesser than any of his supporting cast. Mera has been shown controlling a large amount of water once, and nearly bleeding out to do it. Arthur has saved the universe, Atlantis, Earth, etc., more times than I can count, hydrokinesis or not. As far as battle skills and tactics go, he could run circles around Mera, Aqualad, or any other supporting cast member you want to name.

As far as Aquaman being less interesting than Mera or Aqualad - Arthur's been around for much longer and has had layers upon layers of character development and integration into the DCU over the years. Plus, it's been primarily his likeness emblazoned on shirts, action figures, and other merchandise. People are suddenly interested in Mera and Aqualad now because Mera just had a massive upgrade/revised origin and Aqualad is a new character with a mysterious past.


Thank you.

What are you thanking him/her for? Didn't you post about Aquaman's 'man points' going negative? Nope, no sexism/emasculation here.

[Artificial idiot]

I feel it's worth pointing out, in all fairness, that while Mera was stood, bleeding, struggling, stock still and very much exposed to an attack while she moved the ocean... Who was there to defend her and encourage her to the point she could do it? Yep, that's right, Aquaman.

As far as I can see, Aquaman can seemingly bring down an entire army of sea life (from sharks, to giant octopi, to god knows what else) without breaking a sweat? Mera? She can only seem to move large bodies of water by nearly killing herself, and leaves herself very much open to an attack while she's doing it.

So really, I don't see the issue here. Aquaman and Mera seem on equal footing to me, and compliment each other well. They're equals, partners and I hope they have a long run of being awesome together.

[paulski]

I feel it's worth pointing out, in all fairness, that while Mera was stood, bleeding, struggling, stock still and very much exposed to an attack while she moved the ocean... Who was there to defend her and encourage her to the point she could do it? Yep, that's right, Aquaman.

As far as I can see, Aquaman can seemingly bring down an entire army of sea life (from sharks, to giant octopi, to god knows what else) without breaking a sweat? Mera? She can only seem to move large bodies of water by nearly killing herself, and leaves herself very much open to an attack while she's doing it.

So really, I don't see the issue here. Aquaman and Mera seem on equal footing to me, and compliment each other well. They're equals, partners and I hope they have a long run of being awesome together.

Well said.

Some people see it as a problem, I see it as potentially having two great characters in the same book. Go figure.

[DiceRoll]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wykeJBHdE
Oh God...That's awesome. Someone needs to do that scene with Aquaman and someone else (Maybe Guy I dunno. Seems like something he'd say.).

[Silvermoth]

Mera is fantastic, I love her. She's sort of like DC's Queen Elizabeth metaphor which has fantastic story potential.

In a way she reminds me a little of Medusa from Marvel in that sense.

[silents47]

Well, thank you voice of reason for clearing everything up and putting me in my proper place. Go back and read Bullets&Bracelet's perfectly valid points, when he/she talks about Aquaman being 'neutered' or 'if we have a woman who can do x' statements. Doesn't take much of a stretch to get there.

As far as Aquaman being less interesting than Mera or Aqualad - Arthur's been around for much longer and has had layers upon layers of character development and integration into the DCU over the years. Plus, it's been primarily his likeness emblazoned on shirts, action figures, and other merchandise. People are suddenly interested in Mera and Aqualad now because Mera just had a massive upgrade/revised origin and Aqualad is a new character with a mysterious past..

If you take "woman" as an insult rather than a term for a person with female body parts (or someone who identifies as female, what up LGBT community), then yes, I'd consider it sexist. The sentence has the same meaning if you replace "woman" with "person," so it's pretty clear there was no sexist intent.

(EDIT for being wrong, but original post continued after this...)

On the other quoted point: Would you rather they pretended that Mera and Jackson aren't interesting in order to push Aquaman? This is the entertainment industry; what's interesting now is what matters. Aqualad's a main character (hell, the leader) of the only current DC show, as well as being a new, mysterious, and I'll say it, minority character with relatively high power levels. Mera is a character on a massive upswing thanks to BN and BD. Without his lingering Black Lantern powers, Aquaman is basically the same Aquaman we saw before the beard and hook hand.

Power-level wise, I can see Artificial Idiot's point of the characters complementing each other well, and I'd love to see Johns run with that. I just feel like we're seeing "HOLY CRAP did you see what Mera/Jackson just did... but remember, guys, ol' Arthur's still the top dog" when there's an Aquaman series coming rather than "The Aquaman Family" or "Ocean's Finest."

[marvelboy74]

I've always liked Mera, going back to old 70s stories in Adventure comics where she was the star and Arthur was the supporting character. I don't find Arthur interesting at all but would read him in the JLA. I can't say his powers would make him more interesting. People have often complained about WW's powers but her problems have less to do with her powers. Likewise, Captain Marvel seems to suffer from the same thing with his powers. But I find that with many Marvel Mutants, many of them were powers with faces than an actual character. So interesting or unique powers really don't mean everything.

[Aquadoc]

If you take "woman" as an insult rather than a term for a person with female body parts (or someone who identifies as female, what up LGBT community), then yes, I'd consider it sexist. The sentence has the same meaning if you replace "woman" with "person," so it's pretty clear there was no sexist intent.

(EDIT for being wrong, but original post continued after this...)

On the other quoted point: Would you rather they pretended that Mera and Jackson aren't interesting in order to push Aquaman? This is the entertainment industry; what's interesting now is what matters. Aqualad's a main character (hell, the leader) of the only current DC show, as well as being a new, mysterious, and I'll say it, minority character with relatively high power levels. Mera is a character on a massive upswing thanks to BN and BD. Without his lingering Black Lantern powers, Aquaman is basically the same Aquaman we saw before the beard and hook hand.

I just feel like we're seeing "HOLY CRAP did you see what Mera/Jackson just did... but remember, guys, ol' Arthur's still the top dog" when there's an Aquaman series coming rather than "The Aquaman Family" or "Ocean's Finest."

You conveniently forgot to address the poster's 'neutered' comment a post or two above that one when you declared his/her non-sexist intent to be clear. For me, that painted future comments with a sexist brush. Your patronizing lecture aside, even you should be able to admit that words can take on different meanings depending on the intent of the speaker/writer (like woman, boy, etc). But of course that's just a distraction from the main point and we aren't in debate club.

I'm not saying that Mera and Aqualad don't deserve a place in the sun. But they have until recently been supporting characters with very brief histories/storylines compared to Aquaman's. It's similar to saying, 'Wow, Robin/Batgirl/Alfred just did something amazing five minutes ago that Batman couldn't - ergo Batman sucks.' What does one of those things have to do with the other?

As an Aquaman fan, I'm glad to see the character and his supporting cast finally achieve a higher profile in the DCU. What I can't figure out is why some people think Aquaman's worth as a character is inversely proportional to Mera's. I'll parrot the more reasonable comments of others and say why can't we just be glad to have an amazing husband and wife team?

[supergirls_pal]

I want Mattel to make a DC Universe Classics Mera action figure now. :cool:

[silents47]

You conveniently forgot to address the poster's 'neutered' comment a post or two above that one when you declared his/her non-sexist intent to be clear. For me, that painted future comments with a sexist brush. Your patronizing lecture aside, even you should be able to admit that words can take on different meanings depending on the intent of the speaker/writer (like woman, boy, etc). But of course that's just a distraction from the main point and we aren't in debate club.

I'm not saying that Mera and Aqualad don't deserve a place in the sun. But they have until recently been supporting characters with very brief histories/storylines compared to Aquaman's. It's similar to saying, 'Wow, Robin/Batgirl/Alfred just did something amazing five minutes ago that Batman couldn't - ergo Batman sucks.' What does one of those things have to do with the other?

As an Aquaman fan, I'm glad to see the character and his supporting cast finally achieve a higher profile in the DCU. What I can't figure out is why some people think Aquaman's worth as a character is inversely proportional to Mera's. I'll parrot the more reasonable comments of others and say why can't we just be glad to have an amazing husband and wife team?

I didn't "conveniently forget to address" anything. That was the edit. I had only posted about the comment you quoted, and went back and read B&B's previous post a while later. I edited out a paragraph about nobody having said "neutered" once I realized I had been wrong about it. I made a mistake, owned it, and was going back to write something about that. I've decided not finish writing it, because you've obviously decided that I'm a complete idiot with statements like "even you should be able to admit that words can take on different meanings."

For everyone who hasn't decided that I'm incapable of conscious thought, the Robin/Batgirl/Batman analogy would apply if Batman had been dead since 52. We've been sitting around for years waiting for Orin to come back, and since his return, his supporting cast has done infinitely more than he has to make themselves interesting. I'm just saying that if they wanted to make Aquaman the focus of all Aquastuff, they could have made him seem... well, as relevant as everyone else. To my recollection, he hasn't done much that was new and impressive since Waid was writing him on the JLA.

[Raker616]

Quite alot of reaching going on here when it comes to Aquaman, don't get it twisted Mera is very powerfull and cool but Aquaman has had plenty of badass moments in BD. Making his supporting cast interesting and adding depth to them isn't a bad thing it's actually a good thing. Johns has done a great job showcasing why Aquaman is a great character and many people have been turned onto that very fact, this is a new era for Aquaman he's getting his time to shine. Like I said some people here need to get over it, the days of Aquaman is lame etc. don't apply anymore stop reaching and realise Aquaman and his Aqua family are actually cool for the first time sit back and enjoy it.

[Kiryu]

Quite alot of reaching going on here when it comes to Aquaman, don't get it twisted Mera is very powerfull and cool but Aquaman has had plenty of badass moments in BD. Making his supporting cast interesting and adding depth to them isn't a bad thing it's actually a good thing. Johns has done a great job showcasing why Aquaman is a great character and many people have been turned onto that very fact, this is a new era for Aquaman he's getting his time to shine. Like I said some people here need to get over it, the days of Aquaman is lame etc. don't apply anymore stop reaching and realise Aquaman and his Aqua family are actually cool for the first time sit back and enjoy it.

But what about the people who look at his appearances in Brightest Day and think they're lame, what are they just wrong? o.O

I personally haven't seen anything from Aquaman since his return that makes me go "Oh! So that's what we've been missing these last few years!", just more of a "Well I can see why it took so long to bring him back" sorta vibe.

I personally like the JLA incarnation of Aquaman the best visually and really dug the Sword of Atlantis concept when Busiek was on it. But this hasn't really grabbed me. I've got no prejudice against Aquaman but this story doesn't make me care. Except that Mera seems like she has some potential and I'd like to see other writes tell some stories with her to see she's got legs.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

I think most people can agree if that if it came to a no-holds bar fight, Mera would kick Aquaman's ass.

He already lost one hand from a water construct sword. Mera is so powerful she can make an entire ocean her construct.

She could just create a thousand water swords and throw them at Arthur.

Any sea life he summons could be swept away with a tsunami.

His only advantage is his telepathy.

He shouldn't be less powerful than his own supporting cast.

It's like Alfred being a better martial artist and detective than the goddamn Batman.

DC please do something with that damn trident....

[Bullets& Bracelets]

I feel it's worth pointing out, in all fairness, that while Mera was stood, bleeding, struggling, stock still and very much exposed to an attack while she moved the ocean... Who was there to defend her and encourage her to the point she could do it? Yep, that's right, Aquaman.

As far as I can see, Aquaman can seemingly bring down an entire army of sea life (from sharks, to giant octopi, to god knows what else) without breaking a sweat? Mera? She can only seem to move large bodies of water by nearly killing herself, and leaves herself very much open to an attack while she's doing it.

So really, I don't see the issue here. Aquaman and Mera seem on equal footing to me, and compliment each other well. They're equals, partners and I hope they have a long run of being awesome together.

Mera and Aquaman are not equal power levels at all.

Aquaman can summon whales.

Mera can CREATE whales. With swords on their heads.

The entire damn ocean is one big Green Lantern construct in which she can manipulate into any shape or form she can imagine.

A giant sea dragon out of nowhere? Check.

A thousand water swords spinning around in a typhoon? Check. (One water sword cut of his hand. Imagine ALOT of them...)

It's really limited by her imagination.

Moving the ENTIRE OCEAN is ridiculous feat because she was not only manipulating billions upon billions tons of water but she was also acting against the goddamn gravitational pull of the MOON. She was doing somethign completely unnatural that acted against every law of physics on a gigantic scale. No wonder she was straining herself.

Strength, speed, and durability mean absolutely nothing when the very environment you're swimming in is your opponent's weather.

Aquaman vs. Mera would be as one-sided as Hawkman vs. Red Tornado.

His only advantage is his telepathy but even that has been neutered by Johns since he can only call dead fish.

Seriously, Johns? DEAD fish?

"Help, waiter! My lobster bisque is attacking me!"

[Bullets& Bracelets]

So a woman having more power than her husband makes the man useless? Or somehow emasculates him? Sounds a little sexist to me. And it's not just fish, as the reductionist naysayers would have it - it's sea life. Whales, jellyfish, plankton, you name it. That's a huge amount of biomass at one's disposal. But that doesn't make a cute little soundbite when you're trying to put down a character and talk about how lame/useless you think he is.

Johns has been taking lots of liberties with Aquaman and Mera's powers and histories - so the extent of what either of them can do is still pretty unknown. It just seems odd to me that for some people moving Mera into the spotlight must mean that Arthur is thrown into darkness.

What the heck does her sex have to do with it?

Sexism has nothing to do with it regardless of how desperate you try to make the case for it.

I'm saying that Mera's ridiculously powerful hydrokinesis powers makes Aquaman look defunct.

Summoning fish >>>>>> Moving Ocean

Biomass? Plankton? Whales?

Mera can CREATE anything she can imagine with the ocean at her disposal.

A giant sea god with a trident? Sure.

The ocean is one big Green Lantern ring to her.

See it as this way.

You have power over a goldfish in a fish tank. Like Aquaman.

I on the hand have power of the fishtank itself. Like Mera.

I can simply pick up the fishtank and drop it on the floor.

Mera can simply think and tsunami any and all sealife, Aquaman could possibly summon. A pod of whales can't fight the ocean itself.

Johns has to make Aquaman bring SOMETHING to table that doesn't make him look useless.

Mr. Fantastic is much weaker than his wife the Invisible Woman....but she doesn't have his brains. His brains creates a Deux Machina to ultimately save the day.

Aquaman currently doesn't have anything his family couldn't do or replicate (don't say "control over sealife"; Mera or Aqualad can CREATE sealife out of hard-water constructs) better.

Something has to either be done with his telepathy or that Trident that seemingly has no special properties whatsoever.

[Aquadoc]

I didn't "conveniently forget to address" anything. That was the edit. I had only posted about the comment you quoted, and went back and read B&B's previous post a while later. I edited out a paragraph about nobody having said "neutered" once I realized I had been wrong about it. I made a mistake, owned it, and was going back to write something about that. I've decided not finish writing it, because you've obviously decided that I'm a complete idiot with statements like "even you should be able to admit that words can take on different meanings."

For everyone who hasn't decided that I'm incapable of conscious thought, the Robin/Batgirl/Batman analogy would apply if Batman had been dead since 52. We've been sitting around for years waiting for Orin to come back, and since his return, his supporting cast has done infinitely more than he has to make themselves interesting. I'm just saying that if they wanted to make Aquaman the focus of all Aquastuff, they could have made him seem... well, as relevant as everyone else. To my recollection, he hasn't done much that was new and impressive since Waid was writing him on the JLA.

I apologize, I wasn't clear on what you meant by the edit thing. I'll own my mistake as well.

I will agree that Aquaman, as currently written by Johns in Brightest Day, hasn't done much of anything to win any new fans. The bullet-proof thing on the pirate ship was cool (but also applied to Mera), as was the massive dead sea life summoning, but nothing nearly as concretely bad-ass as Mera's latest hydrokinetic feat. So since he came back, he's realized that he's been lied to by his wife for the duration of their relationship, had his hand cut off (again!) by a super-villain, and was saved from death by a new young protege in his very first battle.

So yeah, for people who are just encountering the characters, Arthur isn't faring all that well. All of that doesn't mean that Aquaman's lame though - it just means he hasn't had a chance to shine yet in his latest series. Perhaps this is a calculated move by Johns to increase the build-up for whatever plans he has for Arthur. Brightest Day ain't over yet.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

I apologize, I wasn't clear on what you meant by the edit thing. I'll own my mistake as well.

I will agree that Aquaman, as currently written by Johns in Brightest Day, hasn't done much of anything to win any new fans. The bullet-proof thing on the pirate ship was cool (but also applied to Mera), as was the massive dead sea life summoning, but nothing nearly as concretely bad-ass as Mera's latest hydrokinetic feat. So since he came back, he's realized that he's been lied to by his wife for the duration of their relationship, had his hand cut off (again!) by a super-villain, and was saved from death by a new young protege in his very first battle.

So yeah, for people who are just encountering the characters, Arthur isn't faring all that well. All of that doesn't mean that Aquaman's lame though - it just means he hasn't had a chance to shine yet in his latest series. Perhaps this is a calculated move by Johns to increase the build-up for whatever plans he has for Arthur. Brightest Day ain't over yet.

As another poster mentioned, Arthur has POSEIDON'S TRIDENT.

He has a weapon of GOD.

That damn Trident should be on the same level as Thor's hammer and Wonder Woman's lasso.

In Greek Myth, Poseidon was able to create earthquakes, summon volcanic eruptions, cause tidal waves and create an ocean out of nowhere.

Arthur's trident should have similar abilities.

[Theozilla]

Mera and Aquaman are not equal power levels at all.

Aquaman can summon whales.

Mera can CREATE whales. With swords on their heads.

The entire damn ocean is one big Green Lantern construct in which she can manipulate into any shape or form she can imagine.

A giant sea dragon out of nowhere? Check.

A thousand water swords spinning around in a typhoon? Check. (One water sword cut of his hand. Imagine ALOT of them...)

It's really limited by her imagination.

Moving the ENTIRE OCEAN is ridiculous feat because she was not only manipulating billions upon billions tons of water but she was also acting against the goddamn gravitational pull of the MOON. She was doing somethign completely unnatural that acted against every law of physics on a gigantic scale. No wonder she was straining herself.

Strength, speed, and durability mean absolutely nothing when the very environment you're swimming in is your opponent's weather.

Aquaman vs. Mera would be as one-sided as Hawkman vs. Red Tornado.

His only advantage is his telepathy but even that has been neutered by Johns since he can only call dead fish.

Seriously, Johns? DEAD fish?

"Help, waiter! My lobster bisque is attacking me!"

Firstly, Aquaman had his hand cut off by Black Manta's swords, not a hard-water construct.

Two, you're slightly exaggerating the extent of control of her control over water, she was able to create a static tsunami at a great physical cost that also left her open to attack she did not move the entire Ocean (and just a science correction, raising the water is working with the Moon, not against, since the Moon's gravity pulls the water up). A typhoon would be out of her range and is also a matter of weather, not just water currents.

Also, Aquaman has been able to beat hydro-kinetic users before, heck in a JLU episode he beet a meta-human who could turn into a large body of water.

And the dead telepathy power is temporary for the Brightest Day series due to the Black Lantern residue, he will revert to normal after the series is over.

[Aquadoc]

As another poster mentioned, Arthur has POSEIDON'S TRIDENT.

He has a weapon of GOD.

That damn Trident should be on the same level as Thor's hammer and Wonder Woman's lasso.

In Greek Myth, Poseidon was able to create earthquakes, summon volcanic eruptions, cause tidal waves and create an ocean out of nowhere.

Arthur's trident should have similar abilities.

I agree that having the trident take on greater significance could be a good thing. There's so much of Aquaman's mythos and history that have been neglected for so long. Hopefully a new series can explore this and more.

[Bullets& Bracelets]

Firstly, Aquaman had his hand cut off by Black Manta's swords, not a hard-water construct.

No, look at the first page. Siren gave Black Manta one her water construct swords.

His hand was cut off by a water construct sword created by Siren.

And god help Arthur, Siren is much weaker than her sister.




Two, you're slightly exaggerating the extent of control of her control over water, she was able to create a static tsunami at a great physical cost that also left her open to attack she did not move the entire Ocean (and just a science correction, raising the water is working with the Moon, not against, since the Moon's gravity pulls the water up). A typhoon would be out of her range and is also a matter of weather, not just water currents.

Mera was holding the ocean into a giant column with sheer force of will. She than created seemingly hundreds of water tentacles to defeat an entire army.

A underwater typhoon (yes, these exist) is simply nothing more than tide convections acting against each other.

Since Mera can manipulate water, it's not out of the question for her to think "Water swirl really really fast".....


Also, Aquaman has been able to beat hydro-kinetic users before, heck in a JLU episode he beet a meta-human who could turn into a large body of water.

Aquaman has never defeated a hydro-kinetic user of Mera's sheer scale.

JLU is completely useless in this argument since it's not canon and it's a completely different universe (BTW, the kid was already dying, slightly psychotic, and didn't use his powers intelligently. He should have trapped Aquaman with a water cyclone or something.)

There's nothing Aquaman really physically do to a woman who can manipulate the very environment Aquaman breathes in.

He would be fighting the ocean itself. He would be helpless as Hawkman would be against Red Tornado.




And the dead telepathy power is temporary for the Brightest Day series due to the Black Lantern residue, he will revert to normal after the series is over.

He sorely needs more than that if his wife and protege are arguably more powerful than he is.

The only one who's remotely on his scale is Aquagirl.

[Theozilla]

No, look at the first page. Siren gave Black Manta one her water construct swords.

His hand was cut off by a water construct sword created by Siren.

And god help Arthur, Siren is much weaker than her sister.

I checked the page, that is Black Manta's sword not Siren's (which would not make sense).



Mera was holding the ocean into a giant column with sheer force of will. She than created seemingly hundreds of water tentacles to defeat an entire army.

A underwater typhoon (yes, these exist) is simply nothing more than tide convections acting against each other.

Since Mera can manipulate water, it's not out of the question for her to think "Water swirl really really fast".....

She was holding a section of the ocean along the coast of a beach, not the entire ocean and at great strain that left her internally bleeding and immobile and a underwater typhoon would be definitely more difficult to create and control, and even if she had the power it not give her a tactical advantage if she could not move and got swept away by her own typhoon




Aquaman has never defeated a hydro-kinetic user of Mera's sheer scale.

JLU is completely useless in this argument since it's not canon and it's a completely different universe (BTW, the kid was already dying, slightly psychotic, and didn't use his powers intelligently. He should have trapped Aquaman with a water cyclone or something.)

There's nothing Aquaman really physically do to a woman who can manipulate the very environment Aquaman breathes in.

He would be fighting the ocean itself. He would be helpless as Hawkman would be against Red Tornado.

He sorely needs more than that if his wife and protege are arguably more powerful than he is.

The only one who's remotely on his scale is Aquagirl.

I would still argue that the JLU episode is good evidence of Aquaman's power. And again powers do not equal good compelling character.

[silents47]

I will agree that Aquaman, as currently written by Johns in Brightest Day, hasn't done much of anything to win any new fans. The bullet-proof thing on the pirate ship was cool (but also applied to Mera), as was the massive dead sea life summoning, but nothing nearly as concretely bad-ass as Mera's latest hydrokinetic feat. So since he came back, he's realized that he's been lied to by his wife for the duration of their relationship, had his hand cut off (again!) by a super-villain, and was saved from death by a new young protege in his very first battle.

So yeah, for people who are just encountering the characters, Arthur isn't faring all that well. All of that doesn't mean that Aquaman's lame though - it just means he hasn't had a chance to shine yet in his latest series. Perhaps this is a calculated move by Johns to increase the build-up for whatever plans he has for Arthur. Brightest Day ain't over yet.

I think we've found some absolutely common ground here.

[Thirteen]

After Mera's rousing turn in Blackest Night (as much as a Red Lantern as not), I would have been quite interested in seeing her take on the Aqua mantle and leave Arthur/Orin in limbo longer.

[Nate Grey]

When Peter David was originally on Aquaman many years ago, didn't he want to eventually make Orin a water elemental?

[Aelle3]

Wasn't it totally cool when he beat up Cthulu singlehandedly? This is in no way shape or form an exaggeration by the writer in order to prove how cool Aquaman is.

Well it helped that Etrigan hell fired it back through the portal. So not really single handed. And that was a great issue.

[Wulfmir]

The way Aquaman handled their situation with Mera, specifically her admitting she was sent to kill him, made Aquaman cooler to me than a lot of heroes.

[TripleX]

Psst....psst....it wasn't the least bit cool. It was "kewel", meaning..."trying too hard to be hip".

Pass it on.

The fact you just typed "hip" makes it clear you have no idea what you're talking about. gtfoh

[G. Wayne]

Y'know, it reminds me of the girl from The Last Airbender cartoon. Didn't she carry around a jug of water so that she could use it as a weapon? I wonder if they'll adopt something like that for Mera or if they'll jump amp her powers up to the point where she just draws from the water floating around in the air.

Avatar:LTA got real creative with water control by the end of the show. Pulling water from organic matter, and even the blood bending technique.

So Mera -could- be incredibly powerful.

But I still hate her rather uninspired costume. Just a solid green scaled bodysuit and a tiara? Needs at least a -little- something else. And the name "Mera" just comes off as too generic to me. Doesn't have a suitably DC-esque ring to it.

[Nate Grey]

I do agree about the costume, but its too late, its iconic now. :frown:

[G. Wayne]

I do agree about the costume, but its too late, its iconic now. :frown:

Eh? Mera is so far from an iconic character it's almost funny. There's -plenty- about her that can be changed at this point.

[Retro315]

Um, she DID control the entire ocean. The entire Pacific Ocean.

Aquaman: I can control all sealife in the ocean!

Mera: And I can control the ocean in which the sealife live!

Aquaman: *meep*

She controlled a stretch of beach-front coastline in southern Florida. A frigging TON of water. But not even a drop compared to the entire ocean. I'm still impressed, by the way. Unbelievably impressed.

[DC Fan Xman]

Mera is awesome, I'd never heard of her before BN but now she's one of my favourites

Yeah, well she has a lot to live up to in the aftermath of Blackest Night.

[Retro315]

Side note:

DEAR DC COMICS,

Since you've brought Aquaman back only to "poof" kill him off for the Brightest Day mystery ... could you please, when you bring him back, use the YOUNG JUSTICE hair & beard look on him?

The beard looks so good trimmed short, with short hair. And I mean ... Aquaman is a Mainer. And I've seen some proud, epic beards worn by Mainers.

[silents47]

The beard looks so good trimmed short, with short hair. And I mean ... Aquaman is a Mainer. And I've seen some proud, epic beards worn by Mainers.

Every awesome Mainer I've met has been female, or had themselves one well-crafted beard (or both, but that's a different, far more unsettling story).

No offense to any awesome beardless Mainers (but you guys really need to step your game up).

[dupersuper]

I really like what they did with him in the Brave and the Bold actually. But yeah, not comics, so it doesn't count I guess.


Morrisons/Waids/Kellys JLA and Davids Aquaman are comics...


More characters need beards, methinks. A beard is like a stamp that reads, "I'm a badass."

I have a beard. I'm about as "bad-ass" as Kevin Smith.


Wasn't it totally cool when he beat up Cthulu singlehandedly? This is in no way shape or form an exaggeration by the writer in order to prove how cool Aquaman is.

Any character's lame if you just dismiss everything cool they do as writers just trying to make them cool...

[Apathy Lad]

Any character's lame if you just dismiss everything cool they do as writers just trying to make them cool...

Of course, but there's a difference between a cool moment, a moment that's
meant to be cool.

Wasn't it cool when Batman broke his way out of a locked coffin buried six feet in the ground?

Wasn't it cool when Superman drained the anti-sunlight of the Mageddon Machine into himself while Wonder Woman led the entire population of Earth into battle?

Wasn't it cool when Hal and Kyle got into a fistfight with Sinestro across Coast City, ending with Hal punching his head through a window?

Wasn't it cool when Aquaman gave that martian a seizure?

The moment with Cthulu, one the other hand, has the Demon narrate about how we (subtle) don't understand how powerful Aquaman is; this is not cool, this is somebody talking about how awesome Aquaman is. Doing this to Superman or Batman is one thing, they have an established legacy and iconic status in popular culture that one can draw on to make this conclusion and make it not seem forced because, hey, it's Superman and Batman. But Aquaman? Aquaman does not.

[Grav]

Avatar:LTA got real creative with water control by the end of the show. Pulling water from organic matter, and even the blood bending technique.

So Mera -could- be incredibly powerful.

But I still hate her rather uninspired costume. Just a solid green scaled bodysuit and a tiara? Needs at least a -little- something else. And the name "Mera" just comes off as too generic to me. Doesn't have a suitably DC-esque ring to it.

Yeah, hydrokinesis or water bending...or whatever fancy term you want to give it, has the potential to be really devastating. That's why I think Mera is coming across as so awesome right now. Her power set just strikes people as interesting and has so much potential. Back in the day, Mera never really had time to shine, but mix her new found character complexity with some awesome stunts and bam, instant success. :biggrin:


I do agree about the costume, but its too late, its iconic now. :frown:


Eh? Mera is so far from an iconic character it's almost funny. There's -plenty- about her that can be changed at this point.

I think her outfit is kind of iconic at this point. I mean, she's unmistakable...just like Aqauman's orange and green. I do think she could have some alterations, though. But I'd fear her alterations would consist of an open midriff with some gold trim and that's about it.


I have a beard. I'm about as "bad-ass" as Kevin Smith.
Then you're wearing it wrong? I've got a beard...and while I may not be badass, I do feel that my beard is. :tongue:

[Kiryu]

Aquaman's beard being shaved is more tragic then him losing his hand. Again.

[GirlWonder]

After Mera's rousing turn in Blackest Night (as much as a Red Lantern as not), I would have been quite interested in seeing her take on the Aqua mantle and leave Arthur/Orin in limbo longer.

I would love to see this. Her character really has potential and it would be awesome to see someone just run with it without Aquaman around.

[AgPhoenix]

I do agree about the costume, but its too late, its iconic now. :frown:

Who cares? If someone can make an awesome redesign for her, then go for it. Don't let Icongraphy ruin something that could end up being really awesome.

[Nate Grey]

It just looks like a green catsuit. I think if you keep the tiara and add some more colors to it (I say black and gold) it should be fine.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Side note:

DEAR DC COMICS,

Since you've brought Aquaman back only to "poof" kill him off for the Brightest Day mystery ... could you please, when you bring him back, use the YOUNG JUSTICE hair & beard look on him?

The beard looks so good trimmed short, with short hair. And I mean ... Aquaman is a Mainer. And I've seen some proud, epic beards worn by Mainers.

Quoted for truth.


Aquaman's beard being shaved is more tragic then him losing his hand. Again.

Quoted for truth AND comedic value.


I do agree about the costume, but its too late, its iconic now. :frown:

I really, really wish DC hadn`t thrown the world "iconic" around so much for the last few years. Because it`s probably the only one that gets thrown as justification of anything as much as "Mary Sue", and mostly, being wrongly used.

Superman is iconic.

Batman is SO iconic that is completely possible to change his uniform once every five years and still have Batman there.

Mera is not an "icon", for any means. And Aquaman, when he got the PAD look in the animated series, I have seen a lot of GOOD responses from my non-comic reading friends. In the lines of "so, we can take him seriously now?"

Iconic (or even "classic") should refer to elements that worked so well that they don`t need to be changed. But it should not be used as "well, thios is like he looked in the sixties" or to the cast of superfriends.

IMHO, best thing out of Blackest night was giving the Martian Manhunter pants, some decades too late.

Edit: NateGrey, this is only my opinion on the subject. After typing I realized ti might sound harsh or personl atack. I assure you, it`s neither,

[Retro315]

Iconic (or even "classic") should refer to elements that worked so well that they don`t need to be changed. But it should not be used as "well, thios is like he looked in the sixties" or to the cast of superfriends.

IMHO, best thing out of Blackest night was giving the Martian Manhunter pants, some decades too late.


I'll agree with this. Look, there's a LOT of wiggle room within the stuff that actually IS iconic. Look at Batman's new costume. And people are finally cool with Grayson being Batman now, but there's semi-regular talk about him "personalizing" the look quite a bit more than he already has.

I like Mera's costume a lot, and like the scale-mail look in Atlantean fashion in a big way. But it is basically a cat-suit. Not entirely the same as Catwoman (and there IS room in DC for two women in cat-suits), since Mera's doubles as a kind of fashionable diving/scuba suit look as well.

Still, historically it had a little more going on. It was sleeveless. It had a collar. And she had big frog-like flippers over her feet. So there's that to work with for starters, not to mention incorporated motifs into the scale-mail that are organic, floral, flowing, water-spray, or otherwise. I'd urge them to stay away from the god-awful 90's "beach babe swimsuit" designs, though. Erik Larsen era. God-awful.

Same applies for Aquaman. I like orange shirt, green pants, green gloves. But within that, I want to see all sorts of aspects of his history included. Short hair ... but beard. Long gloves. Scale-mail. But like Morrison tried with Final Crisis - throw that old "water camouflage" motif onto his green pants. Or is shiny plain green more "royal" seeming? (Camo isn't very fashionable)

[Nate Grey]

Edit: NateGrey, this is only my opinion on the subject. After typing I realized ti might sound harsh or personl atack. I assure you, it`s neither,

Well I didn't think anything about it until you said something about.

When I say "iconic", I mean fanboys will bitch and moan if its changed, despite how practical it may be. Guess I should have been clearer, but then people wouldn't have the soapbox to stand on to say how much they hate how "iconic" is thrown around. Glad I could help in that regard. But I thought it would be obvious that I want the suit changed, but you and Retro ignored the post where I gave an idea of how.

So I am clear this time, yes I agree with you. I agree more with not factoring in idiot, loud fanboys who love to argue for the sake of arguing. Screw 'em. DC, please change Mera's outfit into something better.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Well I didn't think anything about it until you said something about.

Oops, sorry. English is not my first language, so picking up irony in the internet is sometimes tricky.

(and I actually hadn`t read your other post by the time I quoted the first one, so, again, sorry. :P)

[dupersuper]

Wasn't it cool when Aquaman gave that martian a seizure?


It might be cool, but it sure opened a can of worms on the rumbles board...


this is somebody talking about how awesome Aquaman is. Doing this to Superman or Batman is one thing, they have an established legacy and iconic status in popular culture that one can draw on to make this conclusion and make it not seem forced because, hey, it's Superman and Batman. But Aquaman? Aquaman does not.

Aquaman has an in-story legacy, and pop-culture wise had 1 until the Super Friends jokes started.


Then you're wearing it wrong? I've got a beard...and while I may not be badass, I do feel that my beard is. :tongue:

This is starting to remind me of a Kids in the Hall skit...

[SJNeal]

One way I feel they can improve on Aquaman is to play up the political aspects of him being King of Atlantis again. Maybe they can have him approach the UN and demand change from them and actually make it have an affect in other comics. I thought it was cool that Atlantis annexed Cerdia and I think it would be interesting to have them involved in another war. This could show off Aquaman's tactical side as well as show off some more Atlantean tech. Maybe Aquaman can develop a story with Osiris or Black Adam (if/when he comes back). it would be interesting to see two super-powered beings with different philosophies on life, with one coming from a desert country and another from a land under the ocean, etc. I think that would be interesting dynamic. Or maybe the could go a step further and have him meet Black Adam, Gorilla Grodd, and Hippolyta for some interaction between world leaders and things of that nature.


The U.N./Poseidonis/Tritonis politics were played up in the vastly underrated and short-lived Shaun McLaughlin series in 1991, and again (to a lesser extent) during the also brief Dan Jurgens run. While I loved both, I don't think the political angle goes over well with readers in general...

I do like the idea of Black Adam and Isis being developed as foils for Aquaman and Mera though! :smile:

[Aquadoc]

The U.N./Poseidonis/Tritonis politics were played up in the vastly underrated and short-lived Shaun McLaughlin series in 1991, and again (to a lesser extent) during the also brief Dan Jurgens run. While I loved both, I don't think the political angle goes over well with readers in general...

I do like the idea of Black Adam and Isis being developed as foils for Aquaman and Mera though! :smile:

Yeah, I don't think Atlantean C-Span would grab too many new readers.

Black Adam & Isis vs. Aquaman & Mera - I like it a lot! Arthur and Mera need to develop some foes outside the ocean.

[Silvermoth]

I actually like Mera's outfit but perhaps a different artist would add some more definition to her green suit and make it seem more marine, like the skin of a fish.

[Dean MD]

Mera is great! I loved her part during Blackest Night/Brightest Day. I hope there is a series for her at the end of all this.

[Fatguy]

I love Aquaman and disagree that Mera is cooler.

However, Mera is flipping awesome and I want to see her all over the DCU. She would be great on a JLA roster.

[pryde15]

Fatguy is that really you?!
Oh and yeah Mera's cool and what not.

['Flo]

So I haven't really bought anything DC recently outside of a few issues of 'Wonder Woman,' but what book are those initial scans (featuring Mera) from? They look amazing! :eek:

[Fatguy]

Fatguy is that really you?!
Oh and yeah Mera's cool and what not.

Of course its me, can you not feel my awesomeness oozing through your screen???

[Wilder Midnight]

i agree that Mera should have just taken over the Aqua~mantle ("Aquawoman") leaving aquaman to rest in peace.

Unfortunately I'm starting to think that ship is sailing. Despite all her involvement in Brightest Day she seems much more a supporting character.

Plus it would have given the Justice League a second female in a big seven line up...especially if she was really played up as a powerful queen of the seven seas.

[Free-Man]

Who cares? If someone can make an awesome redesign for her, then go for it. Don't let Icongraphy ruin something that could end up being really awesome.

I liked the redesign they gave her in Young Justice.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wf0TkwnM3Zw/TXRq-baxMZI/AAAAAAAAApE/DCIS16zui68/mera.jpg

[Dean MD]

So I haven't really bought anything DC recently outside of a few issues of 'Wonder Woman,' but what book are those initial scans (featuring Mera) from? They look amazing! :eek:

I believe they are from Brightest Day #20.

Good series, I really like the art too. I hope Mera's role in the DCU continues to rise.