Frontline Spotlight: Aquaman

Jess, Fictional Planet

You know him as that guy who lives in the ocean.  You know him as that guy who comes off as corny. I mean, really, his suit is like something out of Spongebob.

Now, you just know him as extremely buff (seriously though that Aquaman picture).  Suddenly, Aquaman has come out of the realm of being that character nobody can take seriously and now that character nobody would mess with because he looks like he's been at the gym quite a bit.

Suddenly those scales look less like your goldfish and more like armor. Real armor. Actual armor

It's nice to finally see Aquaman be brought into recent times.  He was created in 1941, is known to be the strongest (or one of the strongest) characters in the DC Universe, but he has remained a joke to many, many comic readers.  I can't go into his history too much because really it's decidedly very boring

, 

and frankly very normal.  He had a normal genesis, more or less.  A group of people invented this guy who can control the oceans and fish and whatnot (sidenote: before people thought Aquaman was a joke, I wanted to have that power; I might want it again).  I keep pet fish (and a lot of them), so imagine if I could control them... 

This isn't a goldfish.  This is a servant.

But nonetheless, I want to bring something to everyone's attention here:  Why is Aquaman a joke and Thor isn't?  Well, a lot of people do regard Thor as a joke - but ever since the Avengers he's hot stuff.  Everyone saw how epic Thor was amidst his (strangely) Shakespearean speak. Marvel also confirmed they ignore Thor at the Marvel STATION exhibit (review on my main blog), but everyone else started taking him seriously.  Even the Thor movie generated some excitement in comparison to the other two that were released.  So why is Thor becoming big, but until now, Aquaman has been a joke?  Really, they're strikingly similar.

Thor has Mjolnir.  Aquaman has the Trident of Poseidon (all I can think of right now is a massive hunk of gum, though).  Thor has Asgaard, Aquaman has Atlantis.  Both do pretty ridiculous and fairly mystical things with them - Thor basically summons lightning and is a really good magician who talks really weird - because if you just happened to run into a guy talking like Thor in the street you'd be a bit put off.  Aquaman is a guy who runs around in a suit with scales who wants to be a fish, and thinks he can control things with supposed 30 second brains (note: that is a fallacy).  In reality, they're both really strange.  In fact, both of them are downright bizarre.

Both have evil half brothers.  Both feel the need to protect earth.  Both are founding or strong members of their respective teams.

Then how is Thor received so differently than Aquaman?  That is my question you.  Is it in the comics and how they're written/drawn?  Is it in the coolness (because only I think controlling fish is a cool thing to do until I realize it's not cool)?  Is it in the movies? Is it because lightning is more awesome than fish (it is, by the way)? I want to know your theories.

I do have one theory.  My theory, in short, is because Thor controls lightning - it is more in our daily lives than the ocean.  Some people do not see an ocean for decades of life.  They live in the middle of a continent, and it's like the ocean is this mystical place.  Who cares if Aquaman can control something you never see?  It's the same idea as Aquaman controlling Pluto.  Lightning happens no matter where you are.  Russia, New York, Canada, Georgia, volcanoes, Mars.  The ocean remains irrelevant to most people, and even if it wasn't, you don't know the difference between a Powder Blue Tang or a Hippo Tang (Dory), nor do you care if he controls either one partly because you don't know what those are.  It doesn't matter if he's controlling a tetra or a barb.  It's a fish.  He is controlling it.  Fish, to most, remain uninteresting.  And as such, his power and what he controls is practically irrelevant to society - save for fish nerds.

Related Links:
Follow Jess On Twitter
Check out Fictional Planet

Previous Frontline Spotlights:
Frontline Spotlight: Ant-Man
Frontline Spotlight: Suicide Squad
Frontline Spotlight: Deadpool

To find a comic shop near you, visit Comic Shop Locator or call 1-888-comicbook.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this Frontline Spotlight: Aquaman article  and don't forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest Previews, Reviews, News and Interviews!

All images are courtesy of DC Entertainment