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Aquaman by Peter David #1
Aquaman by Peter David: Book One
Discover how the King of Atlantis came to be the benevolent ruler of the legendary kingdom through the storytelling of Eisner-award winning author, Peter David.
Since his dramatic debut in the 1940s, Aquaman has gone from admired hero to legendary icon. Able to breathe both in air and water, the King of the Seven Seas has fought villainy from the deepest depths of the oceans to the outer limits of the galaxy.
This volume collects AQUAMAN: TIME AND TIDE as well as AQUAMAN #0-8 and tells of how this scorned baby of Atlantis became one of the greatest heroes in the world. From his abandonment on a reef to his upbringing by a dolphin to his first encounter with surface dwellers, this book chronicles the origin and ascension of the mythical figure known as Aquaman.
Since his dramatic debut in the 1940s, Aquaman has gone from admired hero to legendary icon. Able to breathe both in air and water, the King of the Seven Seas has fought villainy from the deepest depths of the oceans to the outer limits of the galaxy.
This volume collects AQUAMAN: TIME AND TIDE as well as AQUAMAN #0-8 and tells of how this scorned baby of Atlantis became one of the greatest heroes in the world. From his abandonment on a reef to his upbringing by a dolphin to his first encounter with surface dwellers, this book chronicles the origin and ascension of the mythical figure known as Aquaman.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2018
17 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,567 books1,363 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 15, 2018
Oh.
So, yeah. Every Aquaman fan out there needs to get down on their knees and thank Geoff Johns for what he did for this character. Because I'm not saying that this wasn't interesting - it was!
But it was so fucking nutty and weird, that I can absolutely understand why a lot of comic fans think this character is such a laughable oddball now.
From the strange 'first adventure' with Flash, where he comes off as a completely antisocial douchebag...
To his origin of being raised by dolphins, where (in a very squicky turn of events) he tries to snag his BFF girl-dolphin as his mate?
This is one odd ride for Aquaman and his (understandably) small fanbase.
Still.
There was something strangely hypnotic about this version of Aquaman and the story that Peter David decided to weave about our aquatic superfriend.
Or maybe it was just that he was drawn to look shockingly like the lead singer of Whitesnake?
Eh. Whatever the reason, I found myself unable to look away from this trainwreck. It was good, it was bad, and in some instances, it was so bad it was good. But at the end of the day, there was an overall feeling that I learned something important about one of my favorite superheroes.
Now, I can't actually put my finger on what that something was, but that's not the point. Because if fluffy 80's hair and porpoise-lovin' isn't enough to get you salivating to read it?
Well, there's also the part where Aquaman gets his hand gnawed off by a piranha.
Fucking ewwwwww, am I right?!
Jesus! Who decided that was a good idea?! I'm personally partial to the version of the Hook-Hand Aquaman from the Justice League animated series. The one who chops off his own paw to save his son. Anybody else remember that one? Yeah. That was not this.
Anyway. This wasn't a total loss or anything, but I wouldn't recommend it to casual readers.
Diehard Aquatards only.
So, yeah. Every Aquaman fan out there needs to get down on their knees and thank Geoff Johns for what he did for this character. Because I'm not saying that this wasn't interesting - it was!
But it was so fucking nutty and weird, that I can absolutely understand why a lot of comic fans think this character is such a laughable oddball now.
From the strange 'first adventure' with Flash, where he comes off as a completely antisocial douchebag...
To his origin of being raised by dolphins, where (in a very squicky turn of events) he tries to snag his BFF girl-dolphin as his mate?
This is one odd ride for Aquaman and his (understandably) small fanbase.
Still.
There was something strangely hypnotic about this version of Aquaman and the story that Peter David decided to weave about our aquatic superfriend.
Or maybe it was just that he was drawn to look shockingly like the lead singer of Whitesnake?
Eh. Whatever the reason, I found myself unable to look away from this trainwreck. It was good, it was bad, and in some instances, it was so bad it was good. But at the end of the day, there was an overall feeling that I learned something important about one of my favorite superheroes.
Now, I can't actually put my finger on what that something was, but that's not the point. Because if fluffy 80's hair and porpoise-lovin' isn't enough to get you salivating to read it?
Well, there's also the part where Aquaman gets his hand gnawed off by a piranha.
Fucking ewwwwww, am I right?!
Jesus! Who decided that was a good idea?! I'm personally partial to the version of the Hook-Hand Aquaman from the Justice League animated series. The one who chops off his own paw to save his son. Anybody else remember that one? Yeah. That was not this.
Anyway. This wasn't a total loss or anything, but I wouldn't recommend it to casual readers.
Diehard Aquatards only.
March 15, 2018
The Time & Tide miniseries doesn't hold up well at all. It's 4 issues of random points in Aquaman's life. Kirk Jarvinen's art is cartoonish and blocky. I didn't much care for it. The regular series is better but not as good as I remember. It very much feels like a work in progress. It does have the moment where Aquaman loses his hand. Marty Egeland's art fits the title well. His art gives a sense of the characters floating in water.
January 8, 2024
Well I refused to go see AquaBro 2: The Lost Extended Universe but I do like me some fish-whispering adventures so I decided to Dive Deep on Hoopla and check out the first of these compilations from the Peter David era.
While I appreciate how hard it had to be to shift an essentially goofy character to "Brooding '90s Man" mode these stories had to feel very transitional, and some of the over-the-top soap operatic melodrama of the latter stories (including the very forgettable green scaly heavies of "The Deep Six") was just too cheesy for my tastes, and Aqualad's non-stop ogling of Dolphin had me shaking my head at how far we've come in terms of the writing of these comics- first step was probably waking up to the fact these were not exclusively being read by boys aged 11-15!
I'm not any kind of expert on aquatic female fashion but you can't tell me that "Daisy Duke" cutoff jeans are the right call for someone who spends all their time swimming?
While I appreciate how hard it had to be to shift an essentially goofy character to "Brooding '90s Man" mode these stories had to feel very transitional, and some of the over-the-top soap operatic melodrama of the latter stories (including the very forgettable green scaly heavies of "The Deep Six") was just too cheesy for my tastes, and Aqualad's non-stop ogling of Dolphin had me shaking my head at how far we've come in terms of the writing of these comics- first step was probably waking up to the fact these were not exclusively being read by boys aged 11-15!
I'm not any kind of expert on aquatic female fashion but you can't tell me that "Daisy Duke" cutoff jeans are the right call for someone who spends all their time swimming?
June 8, 2020
This is a reread, of sorts, since I vaguely recall reading these comics upon release decades ago, though I didn't remember much, if anything, of the stories themselves. I was a huge fan of Peter David’s Hulk run back in the day, so anything he wrote back then I bought and generally enjoyed. Have to admit though several decades of age hasn’t been kind to the Time and Tide miniseries, as the art is pretty unappealing and the story is a disjointed attempt to retell bad Aquaman lore. Now, the issues from the main series are better, just not as good as I remember them. A lot of that probably comes from my sense of humor having evolved over the years, but it also, sadly, is due to the story arcs being pretty forgettable except for the piranhas snacking on some Aqua-hand. (Sigh. Guess my sense of humor hasn’t really evolved very much.) I also didn’t enjoy the art. Martin Egeland is serviceable and certainly does a good job convey the sense of the characters being in and fighting in water, but it just isn’t the kind of artwork I personally like. Overall, the collection is a good nostalgia read, which I can’t see myself wishing to revisit anytime.
June 30, 2020
If you don't agree that Peter David made Aquaman cool, you have to admit that he laid the groundwork. He inherited a B-list character with a bonkers mythology, and I wouldn't have held it against him if he wasn't able to make it work. I've read enough Aquaman stories to know that the circles on the Venn diagram of "Arthur Curry" and "badass superhero" rarely come into contact. But in my humble opinion, David manages to pull it off.
However, Book One isn't a smooth ride. At times it feels like the snappy dialogue and cringey dialogue are going blow-for-blow, duking it out for supremacy. The fist pumping moments and the eyerolls are evenly matched as well. And as a result, this book doesn't feel either entirely clever or entirely lame. But it is entertaining for the most part. And that I can live with.
Aquaman isn't able to completely shake off his inherent goofiness, but this book does feel like a step in the right direction. I've got to mark this one as essential reading for Aquafans.
However, Book One isn't a smooth ride. At times it feels like the snappy dialogue and cringey dialogue are going blow-for-blow, duking it out for supremacy. The fist pumping moments and the eyerolls are evenly matched as well. And as a result, this book doesn't feel either entirely clever or entirely lame. But it is entertaining for the most part. And that I can live with.
Aquaman isn't able to completely shake off his inherent goofiness, but this book does feel like a step in the right direction. I've got to mark this one as essential reading for Aquafans.
December 26, 2020
Bored and confused..Dnfing for now
May 26, 2018
We're now up to the fourth post-Crisis reboot of Aquaman, all in less than a decade following the revamp of the whole DC Universe. This time, Peter David is at bat, following in the failed footsteps of Pozner, Giffen, and McLaughlin. As it happens, this is the one that would have legs. (Sea legs?).
Time & Tide. Following on Peter David's superb Aquaman: The Atlantis Chronicles Deluxe Edition his Aquaman origin, Time & Tide, is ... disappointing. Oh, there's a little bit of nice focus on the Chronicles' prophecy and a battle with Ursula from the Little Mermaid is almost mythic, but much of this mini-series is just mediocre. I mean, need we even speak of the entire issue about Arthur being raised by dolphins that culminates with him wanting to get it on with his dolphin sister? Then there's a boring team-up with Flash. And it's all horribly ordered and somewhat nonsensical. Oh, and there's garish art that makes Arthur look like a member of an '80s hair band. Not a great start for PAD's run ... [2+/5].
Aquaman (0-8). Now we move on to the series proper, and the elephant in the room concerning Peter David's Aquaman is obviously his decision to have Arthur's left hand eaten off by piranha, which occurs in issue #2. At the time it was seen as one of the worst and silliest excesses of the '90s ... and that's pretty much still the case. PAD does satirize it a few times, but more often he revels in its dark and gritty dark grittiness. In fact, PAD's first five issues (including the "0" issue, where he even more hilariously replaces his lost hand with a harpoon) are weak. Not bad per se, but they're bound up in the hand loss to a one-note foe and crossovers with Superboy and Lobo and more references to his ridiculous dolphin origin, and so there's no space for them to be particularly good either. The only thing of real note is the introduction of Dolphin, a long-forgotten DC character who works great in this new context. Fortunately, the last four issues are better, as they touch upon Arthur's past, introduce a rather surprising new aquatic character, and make good reuse of Kirby's Deep Six. The arc drags a little bit, but otherwise is what I'd love to see more of from PAD [3+/5].
Time & Tide. Following on Peter David's superb Aquaman: The Atlantis Chronicles Deluxe Edition his Aquaman origin, Time & Tide, is ... disappointing. Oh, there's a little bit of nice focus on the Chronicles' prophecy and a battle with Ursula from the Little Mermaid is almost mythic, but much of this mini-series is just mediocre. I mean, need we even speak of the entire issue about Arthur being raised by dolphins that culminates with him wanting to get it on with his dolphin sister? Then there's a boring team-up with Flash. And it's all horribly ordered and somewhat nonsensical. Oh, and there's garish art that makes Arthur look like a member of an '80s hair band. Not a great start for PAD's run ... [2+/5].
Aquaman (0-8). Now we move on to the series proper, and the elephant in the room concerning Peter David's Aquaman is obviously his decision to have Arthur's left hand eaten off by piranha, which occurs in issue #2. At the time it was seen as one of the worst and silliest excesses of the '90s ... and that's pretty much still the case. PAD does satirize it a few times, but more often he revels in its dark and gritty dark grittiness. In fact, PAD's first five issues (including the "0" issue, where he even more hilariously replaces his lost hand with a harpoon) are weak. Not bad per se, but they're bound up in the hand loss to a one-note foe and crossovers with Superboy and Lobo and more references to his ridiculous dolphin origin, and so there's no space for them to be particularly good either. The only thing of real note is the introduction of Dolphin, a long-forgotten DC character who works great in this new context. Fortunately, the last four issues are better, as they touch upon Arthur's past, introduce a rather surprising new aquatic character, and make good reuse of Kirby's Deep Six. The arc drags a little bit, but otherwise is what I'd love to see more of from PAD [3+/5].
April 10, 2021
Aquaman do Peter David.
Lembram?
Cabeleira de banda de metal? Temos.
Arpão do lugar da mão direita? Temos.
Barba de garçom de drinkeria gourmet? Temos.
Atitude de bad boy? Temos.
Criado por golfinhos? Tem... peraí? Sério?
Tentou pegar a amiga golfinho? Tem... peraí? Sério?
Esse esquema dos golfinhos é muito fora da casinha. E fica pior, porque lá pela quinta edição, Lobo, o maior fã de golfinhos vem pra Terra.
Lobo vs Aquaman? Temos.
Numa competição de quem tem o gancho maior para amar golfinhos? Tem.. peraí? Sério?
Esse esquema dos golfinhos não funciona muito bem.
Tirando os golfinhos, o resto meio que funciona. Temos uma breve recapitulação, na mini Time & Tide, em que o próprio Aquaman escreve nas crônicas atlantes algumas revelações bombásticas sobre seus primeiros anos. Depois, temos a história da mão, o Aqualad, o Superboy, a Delfim toda se querendo, a ex, um filho perdido - eu lembro vagamente dessa história -. eskimós, elementais e o Lobo.
Nem tudo funciona, mas eu entendo o Peter David.
Ninguém dava bola pro Aquaman antes disso, ele pegou um personagem do time B e tentou criar uma nova mitologia, com novos personagens, novas características, novas atitudes e virou o "Aquaman do Peter David" que é uma das referências mais importantes do Aquaman.
O Aquaman do Jason Momoa é mais "Aquaman do Peter David" do que qualquer outro Aquaman.
Felizmente, eles editaram a parte dos golfinhos.
Lembram?
Cabeleira de banda de metal? Temos.
Arpão do lugar da mão direita? Temos.
Barba de garçom de drinkeria gourmet? Temos.
Atitude de bad boy? Temos.
Criado por golfinhos? Tem... peraí? Sério?
Tentou pegar a amiga golfinho? Tem... peraí? Sério?
Esse esquema dos golfinhos é muito fora da casinha. E fica pior, porque lá pela quinta edição, Lobo, o maior fã de golfinhos vem pra Terra.
Lobo vs Aquaman? Temos.
Numa competição de quem tem o gancho maior para amar golfinhos? Tem.. peraí? Sério?
Esse esquema dos golfinhos não funciona muito bem.
Tirando os golfinhos, o resto meio que funciona. Temos uma breve recapitulação, na mini Time & Tide, em que o próprio Aquaman escreve nas crônicas atlantes algumas revelações bombásticas sobre seus primeiros anos. Depois, temos a história da mão, o Aqualad, o Superboy, a Delfim toda se querendo, a ex, um filho perdido - eu lembro vagamente dessa história -. eskimós, elementais e o Lobo.
Nem tudo funciona, mas eu entendo o Peter David.
Ninguém dava bola pro Aquaman antes disso, ele pegou um personagem do time B e tentou criar uma nova mitologia, com novos personagens, novas características, novas atitudes e virou o "Aquaman do Peter David" que é uma das referências mais importantes do Aquaman.
O Aquaman do Jason Momoa é mais "Aquaman do Peter David" do que qualquer outro Aquaman.
Felizmente, eles editaram a parte dos golfinhos.
May 29, 2025
Peter David's run on Aquaman is definitely a fun read, even if it doesn't quite hit "great" status.
It boasts some genuinely memorable moments, particularly Aquaman losing his hand, which was a significant development. Garth (Aqualad) also shines, proving to be a much more engaging character than one might expect. And for those who appreciate Dolphin in later runs, this era provides a cool origin story for her.
While the overarching plots often lean into B-movie-esque adventures, complete with elemental battles and deep-sea creature skirmishes, the real strength lies in the enjoyable characters.
It boasts some genuinely memorable moments, particularly Aquaman losing his hand, which was a significant development. Garth (Aqualad) also shines, proving to be a much more engaging character than one might expect. And for those who appreciate Dolphin in later runs, this era provides a cool origin story for her.
While the overarching plots often lean into B-movie-esque adventures, complete with elemental battles and deep-sea creature skirmishes, the real strength lies in the enjoyable characters.
April 17, 2025
I appreciate Peter David's work in general and I appreciate the effort to boost this under-exploited if not ridiculed C-list character.
However, the effort can't go beyond 3*. David's style is recognisable, particularly his humour, and pleasant to read but apart from the famous amputation the tropes used are too deja-vu to enthuse the masses.
And all the more so as the book is largely handicapped by mediocre draughtsmen who can't in any way magnify the underwater scenes, let alone the dramatic ones - the aforementioned amputation is particularly badly handled in this respect.
However, the effort can't go beyond 3*. David's style is recognisable, particularly his humour, and pleasant to read but apart from the famous amputation the tropes used are too deja-vu to enthuse the masses.
And all the more so as the book is largely handicapped by mediocre draughtsmen who can't in any way magnify the underwater scenes, let alone the dramatic ones - the aforementioned amputation is particularly badly handled in this respect.
April 3, 2025
Depois de um tempão de os leitores pedindo e pedindo, finalmente a PaniniTM trouxe a fase de Peter David no Aquaman. Não exatamente no formato que os leitores queriam, mas ela veio. E é bem legal. mas legal de um jeito estranho. É todo um enredo estranho, no sentido de esquisito e não de desviante, são desenhos estranhos, alguns feios, outros feios de ruins. Gostei mais da minissérie O Tempo e a Maré, que é uma espécie de ano um do Aquaman, mas também tem um arremedo de Mike Wieringo desenhando. Os nove números da série regular mostram como Aquaman acabou perdendo sua mão esquerda e como substituiu ela por um arpão. Nisso ele acaba enfrentando o Superboy Connor Kent e também o Lobo (por causa dos golfinhos, claro!). Como falei, o roteiro é todo muito estranho, com o filho de Aquaman, Kodiak, sendo revelado também nessa levada e que em nada lembra Arthur Segundo, seu filho com Mera, morto pelo Mestre dos Oceanos. Mas é um estranho bom, bem no estilo de Peter David, bem na pegada que ele tem feito com a Supergirl. Eu gostei e quero mais.
November 30, 2024
As someone who has read near every Aquaman comic ever, this was exactly the shot of adrenaline Aquaman needed by this point in the 90s!
That being said, this is a very 90s comic series with the escalation of violence and the most nudity any Aquaman series has, and likely will ever have!
This start of the run takes Aquaman's temper and makes it far more sensible and explained, perfectly extending from Giffen's short Aquaman run in the 80s and recontextualizing, but still weaving in Aquaman's classic runs!
Aquaman's brooding king and hero here is the closest thing and best inspiration for anyone who has read the more recent award winning Aquaman runs like Johns' and on!
The wit and ponderings of this book are sharp! Huge fan of David's writing! The art looks nostalgic and fantastic!
The way the sea life is brought to life in ways never before here is just one of the reasons this is one of the best Aquaman series ever!
That being said, this is a very 90s comic series with the escalation of violence and the most nudity any Aquaman series has, and likely will ever have!
This start of the run takes Aquaman's temper and makes it far more sensible and explained, perfectly extending from Giffen's short Aquaman run in the 80s and recontextualizing, but still weaving in Aquaman's classic runs!
Aquaman's brooding king and hero here is the closest thing and best inspiration for anyone who has read the more recent award winning Aquaman runs like Johns' and on!
The wit and ponderings of this book are sharp! Huge fan of David's writing! The art looks nostalgic and fantastic!
The way the sea life is brought to life in ways never before here is just one of the reasons this is one of the best Aquaman series ever!
July 2, 2019
It’s not a great book for a first time Aquaman reader, but still enjoyable as a snapshot of where the character was in the 90s. He needed to be updated at the time to standout in the “Extreme” era of comics, and David and Egeland did a great job of showing that the Aquaman character could still work. The hook costume is one of my favorite redesign in comics. Would I recommend this book to someone as an introduction to Aquaman? No, but if someone was curious for examples of how the 90’s effected superhero comics I would absolutely give them this book. It also has my interest enough to check out book two.
February 4, 2021
Overall the art was great! Aquaman is a little out of character for my taste. He seems a little too depressed with little reason overall and doesn’t seem to always act like himself.
Overall very good but not the best
Overall very good but not the best
January 14, 2024
This Peter David run is great. Very enjoyable
August 23, 2019
Wow, that was just...some bizarre shit. Didn't even seem like Aquaman, tbh. Regretting that I bought the second volume of this series (and the Peter David Supergirl books).
February 8, 2018
Just as good as it was the first time, back when it came out (although some of the gender politics hasn't aged well). And guaranteed to get you funny looks if you read it on the train. Aquaman never gets any respect.
November 8, 2018
I am starting to tackle Aquaman stories. Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman, is the King of Atlantis. This character I have read in comics as well as countless appearances in DC media. However, I have never really dived in (pun intended) to his own story-line. I have to admit it is way better than I had predicted. I am going to read Peter David' book 2 after this, then read some of the classics, then move on to New 52 and rebirth. I love the Peter David era so far, there is great artwork and edgy storytelling and takes place in the same run as the Superman (Death and Return) era that I had been reading recently. I look forward to getting to know this character much better.
June 2, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.
Aquaman is a hard superhero to care about, and this would have been especially true in the 90's, when dark, gritty and extreme were the preferences in comicdom. However, Peter David is a pretty big name and that's really the main interest I had in reading this book. He's written some great comic book runs including Hulk and X-Factor, so I thought I would see what he could do with Aquaman.
All in all, this was very 90's and very entertaining. It starts off with the Time and Tide miniseries which gives snapshots of some important moments in Aquaman's life, such as his first outing as a hero (teaming up with Flash), his upbringing with dolphins, his first time living amongst humans and his first encounter with his brother Orm/Ocean Master.
After that there is the beginning of the 90's Aquaman ongoing series. Peter David updates Aquaman, making him more broody and giving him long hair, a beard and most famously having him lose his hand and replace it with a harpoon. There's a series of stories, including Aquaman teaming up with Superboy and Lobo, as well as several short undersea adventures. My favourite story was probably the Lobo team up, where after initially fighting each other, they then earn each others respect once they realize the others love of dolphins. What a concept.
During these adventures, some undersea mysteries begin to emerge concerning the history of the underwater kingdoms and Aquaman's bloodline. There are prophecies, strange disasters occurring and even some appearances by what appear to be sea gods.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this to first time readers of Aquaman, but I enjoyed it. If you like fun 90's craziness, then give this a go.
Aquaman is a hard superhero to care about, and this would have been especially true in the 90's, when dark, gritty and extreme were the preferences in comicdom. However, Peter David is a pretty big name and that's really the main interest I had in reading this book. He's written some great comic book runs including Hulk and X-Factor, so I thought I would see what he could do with Aquaman.
All in all, this was very 90's and very entertaining. It starts off with the Time and Tide miniseries which gives snapshots of some important moments in Aquaman's life, such as his first outing as a hero (teaming up with Flash), his upbringing with dolphins, his first time living amongst humans and his first encounter with his brother Orm/Ocean Master.
After that there is the beginning of the 90's Aquaman ongoing series. Peter David updates Aquaman, making him more broody and giving him long hair, a beard and most famously having him lose his hand and replace it with a harpoon. There's a series of stories, including Aquaman teaming up with Superboy and Lobo, as well as several short undersea adventures. My favourite story was probably the Lobo team up, where after initially fighting each other, they then earn each others respect once they realize the others love of dolphins. What a concept.
During these adventures, some undersea mysteries begin to emerge concerning the history of the underwater kingdoms and Aquaman's bloodline. There are prophecies, strange disasters occurring and even some appearances by what appear to be sea gods.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this to first time readers of Aquaman, but I enjoyed it. If you like fun 90's craziness, then give this a go.
October 28, 2018
3.5 stars
I originally read the first 3 issues of Peter David’s Aquaman series back when it was first published in the 90’s. I enjoyed it, but had to drop the book because of budget constraints. So I was excited when I saw that DC was collecting David’s run on Aquaman. It was a chance to go back and see what David had done with the character in his solo book over 20 years ago.
I was glad to see that revisiting David’s version of the Sea King was just as enjoyable now as it was then. The Time & Tide mini-series that kicks off this collections is a little uneven and frankly a little odd at times, but once we get into the proper Aquaman series I found David’s characterization of Arthur Curry really exciting, with the just right amount of David’s humor thrown in. In fact, I found the Peter David version of Aquaman more compelling and interesting than the highly marketed Geoff Johns’ version. While Johns seemed to work hard to prove to everyone that Aquaman was a tough character who deserved his place next to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, David’s version of Aquaman just is tough. David doesn’t push to prove Arthur’s place, he knew Arthur’s place and lets him be.
I look forward to picking up the second volume in the series.
I originally read the first 3 issues of Peter David’s Aquaman series back when it was first published in the 90’s. I enjoyed it, but had to drop the book because of budget constraints. So I was excited when I saw that DC was collecting David’s run on Aquaman. It was a chance to go back and see what David had done with the character in his solo book over 20 years ago.
I was glad to see that revisiting David’s version of the Sea King was just as enjoyable now as it was then. The Time & Tide mini-series that kicks off this collections is a little uneven and frankly a little odd at times, but once we get into the proper Aquaman series I found David’s characterization of Arthur Curry really exciting, with the just right amount of David’s humor thrown in. In fact, I found the Peter David version of Aquaman more compelling and interesting than the highly marketed Geoff Johns’ version. While Johns seemed to work hard to prove to everyone that Aquaman was a tough character who deserved his place next to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, David’s version of Aquaman just is tough. David doesn’t push to prove Arthur’s place, he knew Arthur’s place and lets him be.
I look forward to picking up the second volume in the series.
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December 10, 2019I’ve got no real problem with Aquaman. He’s fine. I’m reading this out of historical curiosity more than anything else, and there’s a part of me that wants to be converted into taking Aquaman more seriously than I do. Alas, the taint of Super Friends is forever pungent. Peter David seems very aware of this, because he does his damndest to make Aquaman edgy and cool from the get-go: long hair, beard, brooding attitude, and the harpoon hand, of course. It sort of works. But the stories are less than gripping and so painfully 90’s, with cameos from Superboy and Lobo accentuating their 90s-ness. And I remain unconvinced that Aqualad and Dolphin have ever been useful characters. All that said, there’s a fun, what-the-hell-am-I-reading quality to this book that kept me entertained. I’m learning that you have to embrace the ridiculousness of Aquaman stories to enjoy them, and that’s what I’ll try to do from now on, regardless of era. Not saying it’ll be easy, but I’ll try my hardest.
December 21, 2018
Peter David started his great 90s Aquaman run here, and, as is his habit, he completely changed the character over in ways that made a perpetual joke interesting, starting with giving him a moody, no-nonsense attitude, and then going a step further and having the hero lose a hand and replace it with a harpoon. This was all just the foundation for more stuff that came later, and I'm glad I revisited it.
October 2, 2021
I picked this up in a whim as I had always seen Peter David’s time on Aquaman listed as one of the definitive 90’s DC stories. Similar to the Mark Waid and Geoff Johns Flash collections I’ve been reading, these comprehensive trades make reading the story easy. As to the contents, I found the story to just be ok, primarily because Aquaman is such a cypher. We barely know anything about him, but to be fair, he is trying to understand his past as well. Not in a huge rush to read volume two.
October 29, 2018
It definitely brought back some memories of the mid-90s DC Universe. I never read the early part of the Peter David run on Aquaman, so this was great to catch up on to see how the harpoon hand came about. It has some cheesy moments, but by and large a fun read. Definitely worth picking up if you're an Aquaman fan.
December 27, 2018
Primer tomo recopilatorio en inglés del Aquaman de Peter David. La mitad del material ya lo tenía en castellano en tomos de Zinco y de Vid, pero nunca se recopiló hasta acá traducido hasta que hace poco se anunció esta misma colección en edición española de ECC (con más números por tomo pero en formato reducido).
June 9, 2020
While the art is uneven, I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Peter David's take on Aquaman. He's playing with Arthurian myths a bit, while slowly weaving in the tapestry he'd built up in The Atlantic Chronicles to the modern Atlantis. Kako and Koryak are compelling characters, and Dolphin is an interesting addition to the mix.
April 3, 2018
I can see why some dislike this era.
Time and Tide is. Tough read. I don’t enjoy the dolphin origin, Orm’s new origin of hid Alaska backstory.
Johns gave us a tough man mocked...David’s Aquaman is afraid to live.
Time and Tide is. Tough read. I don’t enjoy the dolphin origin, Orm’s new origin of hid Alaska backstory.
Johns gave us a tough man mocked...David’s Aquaman is afraid to live.
April 21, 2019
The thing these days is or every superhero to be relaunched as a dark and brooding character, and Aquaman is no exception. Among the issues Aquaman faces are an evil half-brother, a son he didn't know he had, and losing his hand to piranhas. The piranha-eaten hand gets replaced by a harpoon tip.
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September 4, 2020A lot of material.
Good color artwork, with a lot of nudity. Dc comics freebie. Covers a lot of material. The origin of aquaman. His teen years. His early loves. The creation of a few children. The loss of his hand. A little dis jointed, it helps to be a fan of the character.
Good color artwork, with a lot of nudity. Dc comics freebie. Covers a lot of material. The origin of aquaman. His teen years. His early loves. The creation of a few children. The loss of his hand. A little dis jointed, it helps to be a fan of the character.
June 23, 2022
Peter David isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he spins a good yarn and is great at keeping a story going in interesting ways. I wasn’t familiar with the two main artists- Kirk Jarvinen and Martin Egeland - but they both have good, slightly cartoony styles.
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