Comics Weekend Superman vs. Aquaman?!? That's going to be a quick fight!This is the first part of a two-part story, and for whatever reason it took me years to getting around to to picking up the second part. But now I have, so we'll be talking about next issue tomorrow.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves--this issue's story is called "The American Dream" and is written by Jeph Loeb, with art by the boffo team of Ed McGuinness and Cam Smith.
I love McGinniss' work, I have as soon as I first saw it His people are weirdly proportioned and have giant, tree trunk-like feet, and even the skinniest people he draws look like they could punch a hole in a wall, but yet it all works for me. His stuff is so dynamic, so fun, that's he perfect for superhero comics. So I was excited that I'd get to see him draw the King of the Seven Seas.
This was during the time when Lex Luthor was running for President (don't even get me started on that), and the first half of the issue revolves around that. Then an old friend of Supes' shows up, Lori Lemaris:
...I know how you feel, Jimmy!
Ironically, Lori doesn't figure into this story--even though you think she's be the conduit between Superman and our eventual guest-star--and we meet back up with Superman as he investigates a distress call coming from a LexCorp oil refinery.
When Supes arrives, he sees this:
A truly great creature design (see! McGuinness!), and even though he's a big fella, it doesn't take much effort on The Man of Steel's part to scoop the thing up and toss it miles away.
But when he does, an old friend makes his presence known:
With the matter unresolved, Superman returns to Metropolis to meet up with Lois, Lana, etc., for an event involving Luthor.
But suddenly Luthor is scooped up in a net, dropped from some sort of Atlantean hover bike, ridden by Aquaman! Aquaman charges Luthor for crimes against Atlantis, and takes off!
Clark does the quick change bit, and follows Aquaman, out into the ocean, where he's met with a little resistance:
As usual, Aquaman is a bit of a hothead here, but he's a good hothead. The idea that Lex Luthor could be President registers an "11" on the Goofy Meter for me, and I like that Aquaman doesn't want to hear any of Clark's crap--he's arresting Luthor, end of story.
Well, not really, I guess, since tomorrow we'll see what happens in Part 2!
But when he does, an old friend makes his presence known:
But suddenly Luthor is scooped up in a net, dropped from some sort of Atlantean hover bike, ridden by Aquaman! Aquaman charges Luthor for crimes against Atlantis, and takes off!
To be continued!
As usual, Aquaman is a bit of a hothead here, but he's a good hothead. The idea that Lex Luthor could be President registers an "11" on the Goofy Meter for me, and I like that Aquaman doesn't want to hear any of Clark's crap--he's arresting Luthor, end of story.
Well, not really, I guess, since tomorrow we'll see what happens in Part 2!
5 comments:
I don't know...this screams of the Namor-lite aspect of poor Aquaman stories...that being said, the fact that Aquaman isn't afraid of Superman, and has no problem telling him off...well, that does sort of appeal to me. I haven't read the Luthor-as-president run in the comics, but they did it really well in JLU...of course, they did MOST things better than the comics, so that probably doesn't mean much.
I'm not sure about this artist. Everyone looks like they are on steroids, even the women.
Speaking of McGuinness, have you done a post on JLA Classified #1-3 with McGuinness and Dexter Vines illustrating a script by Grant Morrison? The art on that story even inspired a line of JLA action figures, including an Aquaman you featured here all the way back in 2006. It's my favorite tale of the Morrison-era League, and Arthur -- the real, clean-shaven, non-brooding version -- plays a significant role in it.
Benton-
yeah, you're right, Arthur is a little Namor-y here.
Tusky- i agree with the steroids look, but i like McGuinness' stuff over guys like Liefeld and his clones...maybe its from the lack of a million little ugly crosshatches. i like the very cleanness and smoothness of McGuinness' work.
RAB- no, i don't have that run! i'll have to pick it up.
The individual issues are easy enough to find, but that story has also been released as a TPB also including Morrison's JLA/WildCATs crossover (which has no Aquaman at all but is otherwise a cleverly-written JLA tale).
On rereading that JLA Classified arc, I feel obliged to correct an earlier statement: Aquaman only plays a role in the third issue of the three, making just a cameo appearance in the second. However, in that issue he does give someone a serious whupping and speaks fluent Japanese.
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