Kyle Matz, Author at Comic Book Herald

A simple, yet elegant ethos greets the reader on the first page of Marvel’s The Ultimates.

“Start with the impossible and work up.”

Promising at once a cerebral parascientific adventure and a modern framework for the nuts-and-bolts workings of the Marvel universe, The Ultimates is certainly bold in its artistic vision. Does it stand under its own weight? Maybe you’ve been recommended The Ultimates as just such a sci-fi adventure. Maybe you’ve seen characters such as Monica Rambeau and America Chavez making their way to the big screen, and you’ve found this weird little book with them in the main cast. Just what have you gotten yourself into? (Spoiler: It’s really good!)

When you talk about Aquaman at any length, there’s always a certain conversation that hangs in the background: that of his relevance. For years, he was the butt of jokes, the man who talked to fish, the “also attended” of the Justice League. Despite numerous reinventions, despite his role as a founding member of the Justice League, the image of Aquaman in the public consciousness remained that of a spandex-clad seahorse riding buffoon. That stigma surrounding the character remains to this day, a permanent mark on the cultural zeitgeist that, in all honesty, will probably never truly go away. What I find fascinating about Aquaman, however, is that he exists as a part of a duality. You have your Super Friends incarnation, sure, but there is simultaneously a vision of the extreme that can ultimately be traced to Peter David’s post-Crisis treatment of the character. While directly at odds with the former “softer” interpretation, this rough-around-the-edges outlaw incarnation has carved its own space in the minds of the general audience, coexisting in an endless push and pull for cultural relevance. [Read more…] about The Old 52 – Heavy is the Head: The Influence of The New 52 on Aquaman

Kyle Matz

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