A solid trade that any fan of DC Comics can pick up and enjoy. Rebirth continues to be just that for DC and a breath of fresh air for the superhero genre.

Next to Superman, the best Rebirth volume I've read yet. I like Abnett's take on the character. Humans either fear him or think he's a joke. And Aquaman and Mera's relationship is actually pretty great. I really liked the political tensions of the book and the war brewing between Atlantic and the U.S. Superman's confrontation with Aquaman was absolutely fantastic.

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and DC Comics for this opportunity.
Aquaman as a superhero is underestimated in more ways than one. Most general comic book readers think of him as a weak secondary member of the Justice League and according to them talking to fishes is his unique super power. But, he is so much different than what people think of him. And veteran writer Dan Abnett gets the job of introducing him as part of DC rebirth and tries to tell the story of his struggles to establish good relationship between the surface world and Atlantis.

Arthur Curry aka Aquaman is a determined character to say the list, despite facing the never-ending struggle for maintaining peace between surface and his kingdom of Atlantis, he never gives up. In this first volume of the new ongoing; he has to face terrorists and rebels among his own people, one of his arch enemies bearing the name of 'Black Manta', distrust of the surface world as well as modern diplomatic maneuvering and even one of his fellow Justice League member comes against him. And all throughout there is the misconception and distrust from general surface dwellers, disquiet from his own people and a new emerging enemy plotting against him from behind the scenes.

Amid all this despair Mera is Arthur's one ray of sunshine, and even in this short scope Abnett does a give a short glimpse of their love and makes the reader root for the couple. Despite the plot being a bit slow at times, the progression is quite fun to follow and the sub-plots are intriguing enough to keep the reader wondering. Abnett does a fine job of depicting the main characters as is expected from him, but some of the side characters and cameo appearances lack the level of attention of the main players.

The art as a whole is a bit lacking compared to the storytelling, there are 4-5 artists and their styles give varied experience and makes the story a bit hard to digest at times. The action scenes are not that well done in my opinion compared to some other series' and the facial expressions leave a lot to be desired at times.

Despite having a promising start and strong main characters, the slow pace and lackluster art take some enjoyment away from the first volume of this new series. But as the story really gets going close to the end, I, as a reader will most certainly check out the future issues to find out what comes next.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/

Great reboot of Aquaman. Excellent artwork and story.

Aquaman, Volume 1: The Drowning is the first story in the Aquaman Rebirth from DC. Full disclosure, I have never been an Aquaman fan. I always found the character to be more of an after thought. Kind of a representative of the ocean world but not really a ruler.

In comparison to Marvel's Namor, Aquaman pales. Did DC just need an hero from the ocean and let's make him blue eyed and blond though everyone else in Atlantis is not and by the way, let's get him started on the surface world as well. Where as Namor is a true warrior king to Atlantis and pretty much pissed off all the time. Namor goes from friend to foe in a heartbeat. Aquaman just doesn't. The only time I believe Aquaman showed any real personality was in the alternative universe of FLASHPOINT. Don't get me wrong, DC has done some seriously crazy shit to Aquaman over the years. From killing his baby to chopping off his arm. But through it all, Aquaman has seemed kind of boring.

Now comes Rebirth and the new storyline for Aquaman as he goes forth and battles his own sea dwelling eco-terrorists. Quick thought though, he is the King, doesn't he have an equivalent of a Seal Team to go in and take down the terrorists? But it's Aquaman who takes them down and this brings some dissension to his people. Why is their King protecting the surface dwellers and not them. But what Aquaman wants to do is establish a diplomatic relationship with the surface and is willing to go to great lengths to do so. But the surface world is not so understanding or forgiving and with Political dumbasses in the way; and a Kryptonian boy scout who acts like a mob enforcer, Aquaman may find his desire for peace leads to war.

In the telling of the Drowning, we see Aquaman begin to change. The frustration and unfairness of the world around him, all his efforts for peace and understanding seem to be in vain. Even his time with the Justice League has earned him little to no respect. What we see is the change begin in him from Professor X to the stirrings of Magneto. This is incredibly interesting as well as the fact that Superman is willing to work on the behalf of the United States government and take a stand against his friend. Again, another reason the world at large loves to see the Batman kick Superman's ass. But it is this change in Aquaman, this epiphany, that makes this book interesting. Where does the character go from here?

This is what will make the Rebirth of Aquaman worth following.

Review ARC from Netgalley.
Politics and warfare! Aquaman is THE KING! (please can we have a battle between Aquaman and Namor?)
Spindrift Station, the dry ground embassy of Atlantis, is having a grand opening. Arthur and Mera (betrothal still holding, hopefully wedding soon) are trying to show the press and dignitaries a good time, when the whole world seems to drop out from under them. A rogue group of Atlantean terrorists attacks an American ship, Black Manta causes havoc in the embassy, and the long-standing prejudice between the surface and underwater dwellers rears its head..... with Aquaman surrendering himself to jail.
Mera goes to the White House to plead his case... then a misunderstanding causes a battle between Atlantean soldiers and American rescue crews! Paranoia and lockdown! Mera loses her patience, breaking Arthur out of jail. Battling troops (non-lethally!) while they head towards the water.... stopped by Superman.
This is where the book shines brightest.
While fighting, Aquaman and Superman debate Arthur's value to the Justice League. He says he feels left out (calls himself a "Molwark") because he isn't part of the Trinity (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) or the "Loyal and True Trio" (Cyborg, Green Lantern, Flash). Clark tries to refute the claim, but eventually gives him space to go off and fix everything for Atlantis, despite the arrival of an invasion force.
WHEW.... this book was a ride! Can't wait to see how this pans out!
High recommend. If you haven't read Aquaman, the time to start is now.

Dan Abnett captures my long-standing feelings about Aquaman in the prologue to this volume. He swims, he controls fish, he can breathe underwater -- all pretty useless abilities, as superpowers go. Maybe not as useless as Bouncing Boy, but in a fight with an air-breathing supervillain, I’ll take pretty much any JLA member over Aquaman. Hell, I’ll take Elongated Man over Aquaman. He can stretch himself across Kansas while Aquaman is trying to find a fish pond.

Recognizing that, Abnett portrays Aquaman as something of a joke in the sphere of public opinion. Even the president’s chief of staff calls Aquaman “Fish Man” and considers him the least important JLA member. Clearly, Aquaman doesn’t get the respect that Superman and Batman receive. How do I know that? My spell check ignores Superman and Batman but puts a squiggly red line under Aquaman. You know you aren’t important when the spellcheck doesn’t know your name.

By the time Book One rolls around, Black Manta is announcing himself as Aquaman’s number one nemesis. Well, of course, that’s tradition. Now, as King of Atlantis, Aquaman is a politician, and that makes pretty much everyone a nemesis. Air-breathers don’t trust him because he’s king of some freaky legendary place and Atlanteans don’t trust him because he doesn’t want to kill all the air-breathers. That pretty much sums up politics, and I like the way Abnett played it.

Book Two is a chat fest between Aquaman and Manta. They take time out from trying to kill each other to discuss their respective philosophies of life. Um, okay.

Book Three introduces N.E.M.O. and ratchets up the political tension between right wing extremists in Atlantis and right wing extremists in America. In Book Four, Aquaman goes to jail because he’s a terrorist. Not the first time the USA has been mistaken about who’s a terrorist and who’s a walking fish. OK, maybe it is the first time for the walking fish part.

Book Five, there’s a war. Even out of water, Aquaman shows the Army why he’s a superhero. He has a little tiff with Mera, who is sort of bossy and controlling, a sure sign of things to come if Aquaman marries her. It only gets worse, buddy. Think about it.

Book Six. Superman versus Aquaman. The odds aren’t good, and Aquaman only stays in the fight because it’s his book.

The art, in some panels, is pretty good, and in other panels Aquaman and Mera look like anorexic twig people. But the story is good, the political angle is smart, and while I’ve never been much of an Aquaman fan, I like the way Abnett turned all the negatives about Aquaman into positives.

So far Dan Abnett's Aquaman is the best of the Rebirth debuts. Aquaman Vol. 1: The Drowning is political and multi-faceted without lacking for superhero slugfests, and it reminds strongly in this way of Greg Rucka's original Wonder Woman -- high praise indeed. Reading the next volume is a foregone conclusion.

Too convaluted and not what I expected. It was a bit too much for the first volume, I felt it was trying a bit too hard and most things made me lose interest.

Aquaman is solidly grounded (or watered, if you prefer) in this first part story of his rebirth in the DC Rebirth process. Written by Dan Abnett, it shows Aquaman as the responsible king of Atlantis, with Mera, now his betrothed, as ambassador to the surfaceworld. Some amusing in-jokes surface (!) here, as chowder is offered at a reception.

The embassy is in Amnesty Bay and Black Manta, as pawn or leading villain, stirs up trouble. The resulting altercations between Aquaman, Mera and US authorities touch on all the issues around terrorism, apparently hostile nations and paranoia in foreign policy. Aquaman, with and without Mera, is shown in very good artwork taking on the US forces, resulting from the ignoring of his pleas for peaceful co-existence.

Superman arrives to mediate and a visual highlight is the sight of Superman on the receiving end of Atlantean fists. The book breaks off as another phase is about to begin; otherwise, it would deserve four stars.

There are some good extras in the form of alternative covers.

Do you think that Aquaman is a weak superhero? Well I did, but after reading Aquaman Volume 1: The Drowning I have completely change my opinion on him. I had never read a story with Aquaman in it before, so I have no idea how I got the idea that he was a secondary superhero. I guess like most people, we see him wear his orange and green suit and hear that he can talk to fish and immediately write him off without giving him a chance.

After reading my first story with Aquaman, how do people not like Aquaman? He is the King of Atlantis; he controls the seas which make up 75% of Earth; he is a member of the Justice League. It seems like people who have the opinion that he is not a good superhero (like I used to), have not read any of his storylines. When you actually read what he does, he is more than someone who can talk to sea creatures (not that he really talks to them but that is a different matter entirely).

Lets talk about the storyline, this was probably one of the most thought out story’s that I have ever read. It is easy to see why Aquaman feels the way that he does, and it is also easy to see how both the Atlantean’s and that land-dwellers feel about each other. Like I did, most of the land-dwellers dismiss Aquaman as a secondary superhero and question why he is in the Justice League. Whatever he does to try and build good relations between Atlantis and the rest of the world is always meet with opposition and constant breakdowns. But even with all of these setbacks, he never gives up hope that one day Atlantis and the rest of the world will see each other as equals when most people would have given up.

The art style was okay. Since I have not read an Aquaman comic before, or a comic that is set in the sea for that matter I do not really have anything to compare it to. That said, I was not able to differentiate when he was on land or in the water at times. I suspect that if it was a tad more easy to see the difference then this would have been an almost perfect volume.

A very good story around Aquaman; give it a shot, chances are that you will enjoy it more than you realise.

This new Aquaman Rebirth series starts with a bang. A terrorist has sabotaged an event celebrating peace between humans and Atlanteans. And as attacks escalate, it’s obvious to Aquaman that his people are being framed. Aquaman gives himself over to human authorities as a show of good will. But tempers soon flare out of control.

This is an exciting start to this Aquaman reboot. Action-packed with plenty of drama, even Superman gets pulled into this political fiasco. I enjoyed this take on Aquaman – who feels he’s the odd-man-out in the Justice League. And rightly so, at least in this story. Volume 1 ends with a cliffhanger that left me ready for the next in this fun series.

I have never read Aquaman before, so I decided to give it a try. The story started out a little slow for me and I wondered if Aquaman was even worth picking up volume 2, but they did a good job at the end making the story interesting and pulling me back in.

First off the artwork is stunning. I always liked Aquaman and his story although some people consider him to be second class hero. this story is serious and intelligent and certainly resonates with today. Arthur has built an Atlantean embassy in Mass to create peace between his world and earth .Black Manta appears and causes chaos making it seem Atlantis is responsible. Will Arthur have to choose between his sea home and earth ? Solid story .

Welcome to Rebirth and a new start for Aquaman. The king of Atlantis is working very hard against the wishes of his people to bring the Atlanteans and the land dwellers together. Arthur has created a land bridge embassy to allow the heads of governments can meet with the heads of Atlantis and come to an understanding as well as get to know one another.

While trying to bring two worlds together a dark soul is hellbent on revenge and he is planning on doing whatever it takes to bring Aquaman down. Black Manta is going to destroy Aquaman and get his revenge for his father that Aquaman killed. To make matters worse, a new secret organization have plans to undo everything Aquaman has worked so hard for and bring about a new war between the Atlanteans and our world. Here is one of the covers from an issue in this collection. Gives you a sense of just how dire the situation is.

Not only is this a new beginning while keeping up with the events of New 52 but we get a great cameo from another hero. Superman himself has a brief spot in this book. Again, the situation really is stacked against Arthur. There is so much in this book that sets the stage for the next volume.

The story is actually very well done. I have been so impressed with Aquaman since Geoff Johns took over and then towards the end of New 52 the story started to get stale. This book is a fresh start that I hope brings some really interesting stories in the future. I easily give this 4 out of 5 stars. A big thank you to Netgalley and DC Comics for giving this to me for an honest review. I'm honored to get the chance to read this and really excited for the future of not only Aquaman, but the rest of DC Comics.

Atlantis has built a dry land embassy on the Massachusetts shore to strengthen relations with America. But xenophobic Atlantean terrorists calling themselves the Deluge, as well as Aquaman’s nemesis Black Manta, seek to destroy any attempt at peaceful co-existence. Time for Aquaman and Mera to hit stuff!

I’ve only read a handful of random Rebirth issues so Aquaman, Volume 1: The Drowning is my first full Rebirth book. Given how popular Rebirth has been with readers, putting perennial second-place comics publisher DC’s sales within swiping distance of market leader Marvel’s (whose own sales have nosedived dramatically in the last year), I was hoping that meant the quality would be sky-high… and unfortunately it’s not, at least for Dan Abnett’s Aquapants.

I thought Rebirth was a return to the pre-Flashpoint continuity, ignoring the New 52 years entirely, however the New 52 Throne of Atlantis storyline – when Aquaman’s half-brother Orm/Ocean Master flooded the coasts and invaded the land – is referenced as the basis for America’s fear of Atlantis in this book. So it looks like Rebirth is a return to classic canon while also incorporating the New 52 timeline - fair enough but no idea how that works given that the New 52 was a continuity reboot that wiped out classic canon!

The story is so uninspired. Black Manta is being Black Manta, causing mayhem, this time in the new Atlantean embassy, because he wants revenge against Aquaman like he always does – Abnett’s just spinning his wheels, it’s like reading tedium in comics form. Then things get dumber with the Deluge – terrorists obviously not standing for Atlantis – sinking a US ship and once again creating tension between the two nations. Rather than talk through the problem like adults, Aquaman and Mera – mostly Mera – behave like ‘roided out meatheads, punching everything and everyone, making a bad situation even worse.

I feel like anyone with a higher than double digits IQ is gonna be not only bored but frustrated with how stupid everyone behaves especially as the escalation could’ve easily been avoided if anyone stopped to think for a moment. But then we wouldn’t get Aquaman and Mera punching Superman which is apparently what Dan Abnett/DC think readers want? “Duuuuuuuuh, I wants me comix to reads like me Injustice game…..!”

Aquaman behaves weirdly out of character particularly in the Superman fight, suddenly being insecure about his place in the Justice League, ranting about being “the creepy fish guy” and not getting respect(the Superfriends cartoon exists in this world)!

“Aquaman is a joke” is the same tack Geoff Johns took in his first Aquabook and it remains a silly detail. That said, Abnett doesn’t have Johns’ blockbuster vision and pacing and the book doesn’t have Ivan Reis’ sharp pencils – because Aquaman ships every 2 weeks, a number of artists are required to keep up with the demanding schedule so the visuals throughout look rushed and keep changing.

Mera is poorly written too. Here she’s angry, stupid and overly aggressive, which doesn’t tally with the character we’ve seen in previous books. Given her behaviour here and Aquaman’s negative reaction to it only makes their engagement even more baffling. Remember DC Universe Rebirth #1? The only story point in that issue for this series was Aquaman proposing to Mera.

And that’s basically what Aquaman Rebirth is: a series without any real direction, drive or purpose. I suppose there’s enough backstory here for it to be a decent jumping-on point for new readers, which is one of the main selling points of Rebirth, but it’s not a book that’s gonna make anyone fall in love with the character or even entertain on any level. I got nothing out of this one except for yawn after yawn. A disappointing beginning to my Rebirth odyssey and another terrible Aquaman book to add to the pile!

Even with this sickening sense of deja vu I appreciated the story a lot, it was well illustrated and the pace was good, still I'm wondering if is there ever be an ending of the war between superfriends....

Nonostante avessi un nauseante senso di deja vu, la storia mi é piaciuta, era ben disegnata e con un buon ritmo, peró non posso fare a meno di chiedermi se non ci sará mai una fine alla battaglia tra i superamici....

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Aquaman Vol.1: The Drowning | DC Comics | January 17th, 2017
Written by Dan Abnett | Art by Philippe Briones, Andrew Hennessy, Bradley Walker, and Scot Eaton

Wait, wait, wait...you’re telling me that Aquaman doesn’t get as much respect as he deserves from the dry-landers that he protects or from those that are reading his comics? As much as I would like to say that the previous question is invalid, you and I both know that Aquaman doesn’t get the respect he deserves, and he most certainly isn’t a valued member of the Justice League. And while this is an unfortunate, the tension caused from such disrespect makes for a great story.

Aquaman Vol.1: The Drowning collects Aquaman: Rebirth #1 as well as Aquaman issues 1-7. In this collection, the Atlantean King attempts to close the ever-widening gap between his people and those living on the land above them. When things don’t go as smoothly as he would have liked, Aquaman is put into an impossible situation and must make a choice: continue to build the metaphorical bridge, or let it crumble into the sea.

Overall, Aquaman Vol. 1: The Drowning is a solid read, and for those readers that have failed to give Aquaman the chance that he deserves, this is a must-read. If, after reading this collection you still don’t like Aquaman, chances are that you never will. But, I find it very hard to believe that even non-Aquaman fans won’t find enjoyment in this collection.

My only complaint with the volume is that towards the end, I completely lose interest in the sub-plot that is taking place behind the scenes. This happens because the main story is quite intense, and I feel as though what’s happening with Black Manta may in fact be important, it just isn’t all that interesting when being compared to what’s happening with Aquaman, the people of Atlantis, and the American Government. Regardless, Aquaman Vol.1: The Drowning is well-written and well-illustrated, and I recommend you read it.

Bottom Line: While I cannot say for sure that long-time Aquaman fans will be all that impressed with the Rebirth Aquaman, I can say that new readers certainly will. The emphasis placed on Aquaman’s long-time lack of respect from dry-landers (you and me included), adds real depth to the story and raises the stakes when it comes time for Aquaman to act. The volume ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that has me looking forward to Vol. 2. At some point the sub-plot becomes dull, but for the most part this is a solid story and is definitely worth reading.

Thanks to DC Comics, I was fortunate enough to have been able to read/review this prior to its release. Buy a copy of this awesome graphic novel by clicking here: Aquaman Vol.1: The Drowning

Score: 8 out of 10

I've never really liked Aquaman – for many reasons that are mentioned in these pages, and others. It's not that he's a bit weird, it's just that he would seem to be the lamest, most old-school, most "John Carter of Mars"-styled member of the JLA. Can the differences between his world and ours really have been spun out since the early 1940s?! Either way, they almost look as if they're coming to a head in this trade, which is only fitting for a new issue #1 and a firm nod to Dan Abnett, who only had three months in the New 52 scheme of things before the changes at the Rebirth. What happens when he tries to establish an embassy on the coast of the US (and why don't Americans settle with coasts, but have to have seaboards, I'll never know) results in what is actually quite a talky comic, but a decent one. The multiple artists need to learn their trade quickly – the cute British naval officer here looks horrendous in some panels and lush in others – but on the whole this is a decent story, building of course to a bigger fight in the second arc. I would have queried why Aquaman was one of the first to get a second trade out of the Rebirth, but on this evidence I am almost actually looking forward to it.