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2018 was a significant year for Aquaman, both as a character and as a figure in the cultural consciousness. After spending decades best known as a useless punchline, Arthur Curry’s status in pop culture was overhauled entirely into that of a muscular, sea-soaked sex symbol thanks to the outrageously successful Aquaman film, starring Jason Momoa. In contrast, Aquaman had never suffered the same harsh reputation as a joke in the world of comic books, thanks to well-regarded runs from creators such as Peter David and Dan Abnett.

On top of his blockbuster debut, Arthur found himself under one of his biggest comic book spotlights yet, leading a crossover event with DC’s flagship Justice League series, titled Drowned Earth. Wanting to capitalize on the hype surrounding the 77-year old mainstay’s movie debut, DC Comics announced a new, high profile creative team to take over Aquaman following the crossover: Kelly Sue DeConnick, the writer who modernized Captain Marvel and led to the Marvel superhero’s current massive popularity, with Robson Rocha, a historically overlooked but very talented star within DC’s artist roster.

With one successful revamp of a longstanding superhero into a mega star under her belt, DeConnick seemed like a natural fit to overhaul the King of Atlantis for modern readers. Unfortunately, Aquaman has yet to live up to those lofty expectations, having nearly all of its exciting ideas weighed down with questionable execution. [Read more…] about Excellent Ideas & Squandered Execution: AQUAMAN by Deconnick and Rocha Review!