Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the X-Factor semifinals, returning to The Shire in The Hobbit, or the Los Angeles Dodgers signing Ryu when Dhalsim was clearly a better choice, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In 2011, Geoff Johns reinvented Aquaman by acknowledging the jokes made about the character and showing what a bad-ass he can be. In many ways, it reminded me of his work in Blackest Night; he acknowledged the ridiculousness of having power rings in several different colors and still made the plot work. With Aquaman, he had a police officer ask the titular hero if he needed a glass of water and a patron in a diner saying that Aquaman isn’t allowed to eat fish & chips. Playing on the fact that many people see Aquaman as useless compared to Superman and Wonder Woman gave Johns something to play off of. It helped him make Aquaman shine.
In 2012, Johns took things to the next level with “The Others” storyline. The plot showed Aquaman’s past and the person he used to be…and it wasn’t pretty. Before teaming up with the Justice League and becoming a mainstream hero, Aquaman was relentless and ruthless. He was a harsh man that surrounded himself with harsh allies. The storyline expanded on Johns’ idea that Aquaman is a bad-ass, but also showed how the character has evolved into a hero.
While I’ve been thrilled by several comics in 2012, Aquaman has been consistently great. I highly recommend Geoff Johns’ run on this book. It was easily my favorite comic book of 2012.
Now it’s your turn! What was your favorite comic book of the year?
