Aquaman 80th Anniversary Special Stylishly Celebrates the Atlantean Hero
- WRITER
- Dan Jurgens, Geoff Johns, Marguerite Bennett, Stephanie Phillips, Jeff Parker, Michael Moreci, Shawn Aldridge, Chuck Brown, Cavan Scott, Brandon Thomas, Dan Watters
- Artist
- Daniel Henriques, Tom Derenick, Evan "Doc" Shaner, Norm Rapmund, Hendry Prasetya, Valentine De Landro, Scot Eaton, Miguel Mendonca, Paul Pelletier, Trung Le Nguyen, Steve Epting, Diego Olortegui, Pop Mhan
- Letterer
- AndWorld Design, Travis Lanham, Clayton Cowles, Pat Brosseau, Josh Reed, Rob Leigh, Wes Abbott
- Cover Artist
- Alex Sinclair, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado
- Publisher
- DC
- Price
- 9.99
- Release Date
- 2021-08-31
- Colorist
- Hi-Fi, Tony Aviña, Ulises Arreola, Jeromy Cox, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Adriano Lucas, Marissa Louise, Jordie Bellaire, Nick Filardi
Since his first appearance in 1941's More Fun Comics #73 by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris, Aquaman has starred in countless thrilling adventures in DC Comics. To celebrate 80 years of underwater crime-fighting, DC released Aquaman 80th Anniversary Special, an anthology of eleven stories that explore the history and mythology of the sea-faring Justice Leaguer. Editor Michael McCallister has assembled a star-studded cast of creators who all bring unique perspectives to Aquaman, Mera, Aqualad, and the other heroes of Atlantis.
The 11 stories in Aquaman 80th Anniversary Special explore different elements of Arthur Curry's storied history. "Multitudes" written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Hendry Prasetya, takes Aquaman back in time to the early days of Atlantis, before the city found itself underwater. Arthur teams up with Arion, the ancient king of Atlantis, to fight against a horde of wolfmen. But, Dan Jurgens and Steve Epting's "Rebellion" puts the hero in a much more modern type of danger. Someone attempts to kill the king with a drone, and he is tasked with trying to keep the peace and protect himself too. Still, other stories give the spotlight to other important characters in Aquaman's life. "Father's Day" by Geoff Johns, Paul Pelletier, and Norm Rapmund follows Aqualad as he sneaks off to visit his father, the villain Black Manta who is the central character in "Red Sea" by Cuck Brown and Valentine De Landro.
The most visually inventive story in Aquaman 80th Anniversary Special is "The Rhine Maidens." Written by Marguerite Bennett, the co-creator of DC Bombshells, with art by Trung Le Nguyen and colors by Jordie Bellaire, "The Rhine Maidens" returns to the world of DC Bombshells to tell the story of Aquaman and Mera's encounter with a group of angry sirens who fly into a jealous rage when Arthur rejects their advances. Le Nguyen's compositions and beautiful panel borders imbue the story with the energy and tone fit for an epic fairy tale. Le Nguyen's approach stands out from the other stories in the anthology and underscores the classical nature of Aquaman and his many mythological encounters.
"It's a Family Affair" by Shawn Aldridge and Tom Derenick might be the most fun story of the bunch. Arthur takes Mera and young Garth to a secluded beach to have a family cookout. Mera gently questions Aquaman's interest in the land-lubber custom while Garth plays in the water. But, their wholesome outing is interrupted by the fearsome Aquabeast who appears dangling poor Garth by the foot. The ensuing fight conjures memories of classic stand-alone Aquaman stories. Aldridge and Derenick's presentation of Aquabeast is a pitch-perfect reminder of just how campy and fun some of Arthur's enemies have been over the years.
In the 80 years since his inception, Aquaman has been an integral part of the DC Universe. Aquaman introduced readers to similarly unique heroes who have proven to be just as compelling as he is. While the stories in Aquaman 80th Anniversary Special only begin to scratch the surface of Aquaman's legacy, they provide numerous examples of the character's dynamic and entertaining range in this excellently curated anthology.