Tempest returns in Titans #15. Well, it seems I got my wish with regards to Dolphin.

Blackest Night Aquaman:


If you aren't reading The Aquaman Shrine daily, you are missing a lot. Rob tends to scoop me on just about every story because I'm blogging very infrequently lately.

More Aquaman reflections from The Comic Treadmill.

The webcomic Sheldon mentions Aquaman then clarifies a little.

Kurt Busiek has a website.

More on Mermaids.

I don't really understand why Spain would have a claim to this recovered gold. And speaking of underwater treasure, look at this rock heist that stole $1 million from an underwater farm.

In another story right out of an Aquaman tale, Mexico is looking for a missing island. The reason is logical, they want the territory the island would give them. But you have to wonder where the island went, if it ever existed in the first place.

Labels: Aquaman Shrine, Comic Strip, Comic Treadmill, Kurt Busiek, Sea Life, Sea News, Sightings, Tempest, Titans

Whine whine whine. That's all I'm hearing from Aquaman fans right now. "Bring back the real Aquaman!" Whine. "I don't like change!" Whine. "Come on, DC, let the writers bring Aquaman back!" Whine.

Are any of you actually reading the book? I mean, really reading it? Has it completely escaped your notice that Orin, the original Aquaman, IS the focus of the book? Oh sure, the surface reading would indicate that Arthur Joseph is Aquaman... but look who MADE him into Aquaman. And look who was guiding him while trying to figure out reality for the whole length of the book so far. And who is the focal point, the only real force, in Atlantis? I'll give you a hint, it's not Artie Joe.

It was clear to me during Busiek's run that, while Arthur Joseph was being groomed to be another weapon for Aquaman, Orin was still the main character of the book. Arthur Joseph is not Aquaman... he's the sword of Atlantis. An extension of Aquaman.

And while Tad is not going in exactly the same direction, he's still holding on to the initial concept. Aquaman is still Aquaman. Arthur Joseph is a Sword, a weapon, and he is not and will never truly be Aquaman (though he will always be AN aquaman).

I know for a fact that Kurt never intended for Arthur Joseph to completely replace Orin. I talked enough with Tad about the subject that I have great confidence in what he's doing as well. I can't understand this utter disrespect for these writers, who are professionals in every way and know exactly what they are doing (with the blessing of the editors, not as the editors' slaves).

C'mon people, LET THE FREAKIN' STORY PLAY OUT!!! STOP WHINING THAT THINGS AREN'T PERFECT NOW! Has it ever occurred to any of you folks that maybe there is a story to be told here, and that if you WAIT UNTIL THE END, maybe you'll get all you want? I know, decompression in storytelling has made waiting for the end of a tale difficult... but good grief, people. You act like you all want to go back to the Silver Age RIGHT NOW. It's not going to happen. The story is going to take some time to tell. If you want Silver Age Aquaman, go buy the Showcase volume and stop whining.

And, frankly, I'm really enjoying this book. Perhaps that's because, unlike the whiners, I fully expect Orin to be Aquaman again eventually. Perhaps my tiny bit of possibly misunderstood inside information has made me immune to the fear. Perhaps it's because I've seen Orin as the focus of the book all along, despite the apparent change in main characters. I don't know, but I really like the book, and for the first time in ages I'm extremely interested in seeing what happens next.

And part of that is because you can't have a good story without conflict, and THIS conflict is finally something more interesting than yet another battle with Black Manta. The conflict of being. The conflict of identity. I'm thrilled with it. And I'm disappointed that so many fans aren't reading the same story I am. And I'm really disappointed that so many fans seem to think that the writers don't know what they are writing. That's the worst insult of all, and the whole reason behind this rant.

Labels: Current Issue, Kurt Busiek, Sword of Atlantis, Tad Williams

Tad Williams is back from his signing tour, and posted on the DC Message Board a nice note with some good tidbits for people to read. One item of note, Tad mentions that he will be working with Paul Gulacy on the book, which was rumored some time ago but never confirmed.

Rob at the Aquaman Shrine has an interview with Steve Skeates. Just to add to the fun, the next issue of The Aquaman Chronicles, a print fanzine, will be devoted to Steve Skeates.

The Comic Treadmill judges Kurt's run on Aquaman.

Labels: Aquaman Chronicles, Aquaman Shrine, Comic Treadmill, Kurt Busiek, Tad Williams

Aquaman #49 came out yesterday, have you got your copy yet? This is the final Kurt Busiek issue.

Labels: Current Issue, Kurt Busiek

Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers. I'll be posting the Ripples later this evening if I don't fall asleep from the turkey meal.

Wizard interviews Kurt Busiek and Tad Williams on Aquaman. Thanks to Lucid for the links.

Justin Hartley interview:

Obviously a lot of the stuff was underwater. We would go out into the ocean. Everybody had wet suits on. I didn't realize how cold it gets without a wet suit. The water can be 72 degrees and after about ten minutes you're freezing. I would go down without a tank, without a wet suit, just wearing swim trunks and board shorts, and I would swim from one diver to another diver and share their air. I was down in the ocean for 20 minutes at a time without an air tank, breathing off of other people's tanks. I'm not afraid of water, but I had never done that before. When you're acting you don't want to have that fear in your mind because then you can't concentrate on your work.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Links, Smallville, Tad Williams

Apparently Aquaman has a new writer... Scipio broke the news yesterday on Big Monkey Comics with an interview with the new writer Tad Williams.

I admit I didn't believe it at first. Only once Newsarama chimed in with an explanation from Kurt Busiek did I realize this was more than one of Scipio's jokes.

My reaction is nothing like Doug's reaction, but not because I'm terribly upset. Tad Williams is a very good writer, and it's clear from the Newsarama article that he's chatted with Kurt, so we won't be losing Kurt's ideas so much as gaining Tad's perspective.

No, my issue is that I really like Kurt and enjoyed having him on the book, and I wish he'd been able to get more issues done before the change. A two year run would've been satisfying. Ten issues isn't enough.

Anyway, moving on, Shawn McManus will be taking over the artwork (which pretty much leaves Paul Gulacy out in the cold). I know nothing at all about Shawn McManus, so if anyone has a handy link, please pass it along. Update: www.shawnmcmanus.net.

Update: Tad Williams talks to Newsarama.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Links, Tad Williams

Aquaman artist news from Kurt Busiek:

Butch's last full issue is #45. He did a framing sequence for #46-47, which are mostly drawn by Phil Winslade. #48-49 are being drawn by Ricardo Villagran, and at some point, I'm told Paul Gulacy will take over.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Links

Kurt had some words on the DC Comics Message Boards about the status of future issues of Aquaman:

And for the record, AQUAMAN #45-48 are all fully-written, and I'm working on #49. #47's being lettered at the moment, #48's being inked.

Posted: Oct 26, 2006 11:39 AM

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #45 is, at this moment, the issue that is holding up the rest. From this and other things Kurt has written, I presume that Aquaman #46 is done already.

Labels: Kurt Busiek

No, I'm not happy about it either...

The ComicList is reporting that Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #45 is now due out on November 1st, and Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #46 is due out on November 22nd. Because the ComicList hasn't been wrong yet, I'll be updating the release dates in the events calendar and sidebar.

Pure speculation: This change will probably push back #47 to mid-December, but if they don't push back #48 as well, we'll get a nice treat of bi-weekly Aquaman in December. The delay is also likely to push back the publication of the trade, but I could be wrong about that as well.

For folks coming in late, the delay is due to Butch Guice not being able to keep up the superhuman pace that DC editorial expected of him. When Kurt and Butch took over the book it had already been cancelled, and they started two months behind. They asked for a relaunch, but DC didn't want to do it, so they attempted to keep up with it. Kurt was able to write the stories, but Butch hasn't been able to keep the pace on the art (although he managed it for a few months), and the book has been delayed because of it. Starting with issue #46, there is a guest artist, and the book should return to schedule. We hope.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek, Links, Shipping Dates

A very happy day to our current Aquaman writer!

Labels: Kurt Busiek

Kurt Busiek on the Aquaman Lateness, over on the DC Message Board.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Shipping Dates

Ok, here's the scoop. Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #44 is definitely shipping later than originally scheduled. As of last week's Diamond Dateline, it is now scheduled for August 30th. I'll be updating the sidebar and the Aquaman events calendar to reflect that.

However! ComicList reports that Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #44 has been pushed back even further, to September 13th, and that Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #45 has been pushed back to October 4th. Until I have independent confirmation of those new dates (preferably through Diamond Dateline), I won't be changing the sidebar and calendar to reflect them. But ComicList is generally correct, so don't depend on getting the new issue of Aquaman any time soon.

As was mentioned before, when issue #43 was delayed, Aquaman was canceled when Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice took over. They started out two months behind and have been struggling to get the book out ever since. After the first six-issue arc, there will be a two-part story with a guest artist, which will allow Guice more time to catch up with the book. The shipping delays are probably still a result of the book having been canceled without ever actually being canceled. Hopefully they will be resolved soon and we'll get a monthly dose of Aquaman again.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek, Shipping Dates

Coville's Clubhouse has an interview with Kurt Busiek up for your reading pleasure. I love some of Kurt's great answers:

Jamie: What do you think a sword adds to a character?

Kurt Busiek: It gives him a sharp thing he can stick people with!

Read the whole article. There's enough Aquaman content to satisfy most readers of the book, although nothing really new is said.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Links

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #42: "Deep Down": It really would be difficult to convey how much glee this issue gave me. And not all for just story reasons. I have been really enjoying this revamp and this issue was, in my opinion, great from start to finish.


I like how the status of Atlantis is explained. I love seeing parts of the undersea world from an outsider's point of view (Arthur's delight at the food and drink was a lovely touch). I love the fractured nature of the ocean civilizations once Poseidonis was destroyed, and I love seeing the underside of that world, the parts that Orin rarely entered. An undersea bar? Great! I love the Windward Home, and especially the view from below. I love seeing the old heroes return, like The Sea Devils, Red Torpedo (Jimmy Lockhart), and the variety of folks gathered at the Windward Home. And I LOVED the last page, even if the character wasn't drawn quite right.

And that's where I'll start on my complaints. I felt the coloring was too dark in many places, and would've preferred some brighter colors just for ease of reading. I also loved Guice's design for the bar... but we only see it clearly in a single panel, right before it's destroyed. I think I would've liked to see it more than that. And I wish the colors had made it look different than the trench wall it was clinging to. Same with the town. It's hard to tell that that opening scene is a town. Colors would make a HUGE difference here, but I wish Butch would give us a few more close-ups as well later on.

The only other major art problem is with the character on the final page. He just doesn't look quite right in robes. For obvious reasons, Atlanteans generally don't wear robes or dresses unless they are making a statement. So seeing that character in robes didn't look quite right. Not a big nit, but it did throw me.

So to sum up: Loved the story, loved most of the art, I think the color needs a bit of work (and some contrast in the backgrounds), and was absolutely delighted by the final page.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek, Reviews

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #43 is now officially due to ship on July 19th.

While we do not have an official reason, there is speculation that the shipping dates for #43 and #44 were delayed to allow artist Butch Guice to catch up, as he and Kurt Busiek started on the book after it had been cancelled, and therefore started out behind schedule.

The trade paperback of the first storyarc is still listed on Amazon, and is supposedly due out in October, though that date probably isn't set yet.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek, Shipping Dates

No drop for Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from the first issue to the second issue. The book actually rose on the sales chart. Estimated sales data is from Newsarama and ICv2.

Aquaman #39 sold an estimated 18,300 copies and was ranked 112 on the charts.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40 jumped to 58 on the charts, and sold an estimated 37,600 copies, more than double the previous issue.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #41 sold an estimated 37,600 copies and ranked 54 on the charts. No change in sales and a jump in rank.

While all this data is nice, we won't really know how the new book is doing until after the first arc is completed. With the shipping delays in the book's schedule, the situation might change completely. We'll have to wait and see. In addition, DC has already announced a collection of the first storyarc, which may bring in new regular readers.

As for the shipping changes... When Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice took over the book last autumn, it had already been canceled. They asked for a couple of months and a relaunch to give them more time, but DC didn't want to restart the book. Kurt and Butch started the series at least two months behind, yet still managed to get the first two issues out on time. The third issue was done, but delayed by production issues at DC.

Now we have word that #43 and #44 will each be delayed a full month to allow Guice to catch up and not get burnt out on the book with the looming deadlines. While this is far from ideal, it's better than having a fill-in artist in the middle of a major storyarc OR having no book at all.

In the meantime, Kurt's ahead on the writing, and has reported that Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #46-47 are done and in the hands of guest artist Phil Winslade, who will be drawing the flashback tale. Those issues are now likely to ship in October and November.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek, Sales

The DC Previews for August have been posted, and Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis is missing from the released lists. So far nobody has any word as to why it's not shipping in August, and writer Kurt Busiek has indicated that it's a surprise to him. Another book missing from August's list is Green Lantern, but I've got no idea if that's related at all.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Solicits

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis TPB by Kurt Busiek, Jackson Guice, 144 pages, release date November 1, 2006.

Update: The item has mysteriously changed to another book. Hmmm.

Update: As of May 20th, there's a new listing with a different ISBN (updated in link above) with a ship date of October 4, 2006. I'll be keeping an eye on it to see if it changes again.

Labels: Butch Guice, Kurt Busiek

Another interview with Kurt Busiek. A key quote:

Lorena, the current unofficial Aquagirl, is the one who saw it all, so she'll have to come back and fill the rest of us in...

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Lorena

Originally, I was going to avoid talking about David Blaine's Underwater Stunt, but seeing a report on it gave me a little fodder for thought. If he actually spends the full amount of time underwater, he might be able to give science some minor information on how the human body reacts to being submerged for an extended period of time.

In addition, he efforts to eat pretty much prove the scenes that Kurt Busiek wrote in the preview pages of Aquaman #42... Blaine is drinking liquid food in the same way King Shark and Arthur are drinking in the preview. Of course, Blaine isn't eating solid foods, as waste disposal is more of a problem when it involves solids.

I think they should add some goldfish to Blaine's bubble. That would make it far more interesting.

Labels: Kurt Busiek, Off Topic, Sea News

Newsarama has an mp3 interview with Aquaman writer Kurt Busiek. The Aquaman stuff starts a little over 15 minutes in, but the whole interview is fascinating.

Labels: Kurt Busiek