Aquaman trailer.

[The Romulan Republic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDkg3h8PCVU

This... actually looks pretty good. Some genre clichés, but some fairly nice visuals and no real "trying too hard to be edgy" grimdark vibe.

Maybe I should have learned my lesson by now with the DC films, but I think I'll try and make it to this one. I mean, Wonder Woman was pretty good, right? Thematic inconsistencies regarding the anti-war message aside, anyway.

[Elheru Aran]

It doesn't look bad, though I still think Amber Heard looks absolutely ridiculous with that shade of hair.

I also think this poster should be an official advertisment for the movie:

[Vendetta]

It looked okay. Though with Orm and Black Manta in the same movie with apparently different conflicts it's probably going to be pretty messy.

[FaxModem1]

Unless they're going for a 'Ideologically opposed enemies working together to get what they both want' type of reveal.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Ugh...
Zero interest to see it.
Once again DC is trying to hard at being "Edgy and cool"
They keep trying to copy the things Marvel gets right, and it always comes out wrong...
oh God.. You know who DC is? They are Justin Hammer!
Everything that is Cool about Tony Stark, but done wrong so he comes off as being utterly unlikeable!

[Imperial Overlord]

Ocean Master and Black Manta could work well if you have Black Manta's dickery adding to Ocean Master's distrust and hatred of the surface so that Aquaman has to go from just punching the bad guy (Manta) to preventing war and taking a leadership role.

[Tribble]

I'm still waiting for Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, El Dorado and Samurai. It'll be fun to see their grim-dark versions

[Q99]

Ocean Master and Black Manta could work well if you have Black Manta's dickery adding to Ocean Master's distrust and hatred of the surface so that Aquaman has to go from just punching the bad guy (Manta) to preventing war and taking a leadership role.

They're an interesting duo, who, of note, appeared together in Black Manta's very first appearance.



The dynamic is somewhat noteworthy in that Orm really wants to be Aquaman's arch enemy, he's pretty much entirely defined against Arthur. Black Manta actually is Aquaman's arch enemy, because even without being an atlantean, he's more ruthless and intelligent.

[K. A. Pital]

It's gonna suck.

Why?

Cause it's Aquaman, guys.

[Crazedwraith]

What an original opinion.

[Q99]

Aquaman is a better topic than often given credit for, he has a number of strong comic runs.

I'd argue one of the stronger points of JL too.

[Batman]

Arthur gets dissed a lot in the US due to the Superfriends cartoon, which is a nonissue in the rest of the world due to none of us ever having seen it

[FaxModem1]

Stas is probably just dissing Aquaman because he's a king, and Stas would much prefer to see Atlantis have Black Manta lead a successful revolution over the underwater monarchy.

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I am curious how much they're going to address the racial motivation of Black Manta, if at all.

[Imperial Overlord]

Stas is probably just dissing Aquaman because he's a king, and Stas would much prefer to see Atlantis have Black Manta lead a successful revolution over the underwater monarchy.

-----

I am curious how much they're going to address the racial motivation of Black Manta, if at all.

From what I understand of Black Manta, the racial motivation is a rationalization/recruiting tool for henchmen. He's a greedy, power hungry, vengeful SOB who plays the race card when it helps him.

[Q99]

From what I understand of Black Manta, the racial motivation is a rationalization/recruiting tool for henchmen. He's a greedy, power hungry, vengeful SOB who plays the race card when it helps him.

He's kinda undersea, evil, black Batman, who takes on a foe stronger than himself in said foe's natural environment with regularity, and does a lot better than technically more powerful opponents.

[Imperial Overlord]

Black Manta doesn't have super powers, although he does have great tech. Aquaman isn't as strong as Superman, but can punch hard enough that Supes will feel it. For Black Manta to hold arch nemesis position on a hero that powerful tells you all you need to know about his competency. He's a dick, but very good at being very bad.

[K. A. Pital]

Captain Nemo was a great undersea antihero, but Black Manta and Aqua-loser are lame.

Also yes, aristocracy sucks. Whether in space or under the seas.

[Q99]

Question, how much Aquaman media have you read or watched to make that call?

[K. A. Pital]

Super Friends. Also, Smallville. *laughs* I need to insert a fish joke here.

[Q99]

Ok, so no actual Aquaman-as-protagonist stories. That'd explain it. And don't forget- Superfriends had anti-punching rules that stopped them from doing any punching and he has punching people powers.

They didn't even let him throws bears at people!




His appearance in Justice League the animated series might change your mind... they went with the hook-hand take.

There's been several different takes on Aquaman over time. Classic, grizzled bearded-hook-hand (IMO a bit of an overreaction to counter the superfriends vibe, but still, pretty badass), water-hand, rousing-song-of-heroism (from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In which he's just really into superheroing)....

[Elheru Aran]

Aquaman does have a lot of baggage from his Super Friends, talking-to-fish days, which has turned into a lot of memetic mockery over the past... eh... decade-ish? or so. The response to this in his native media has varied somewhat, from grimdark (which Kevin Smith mocked a little bit when he resurrected Green Arrow) to full-on embracing of the cheese (Brave and Bold).

But fundamentally he's a very underestimated superhero, in that a lot of people tend to focus on the mock-able elements (talking to fish, a kinda basic costume, lol mermaids) and forget about the fact that he's also a King of an undersea nation that pretty much controls the oceans, is capable of punching out whales, can travel underwater at several times the speed of sound (I am not kidding), and... can talk to fish. Which includes, you know, stuff like sharks, orca, sperm whales, the occasional giant squid, and a few mythical underwater beasties. Pretty sure they've pulled out a kraken a time or two. Frankly, he should be pretty much near to being on par with Superman, and probably be stronger than Wonder Woman.

They've played with his setting a bit from time to time. On occasion they split the undersea realm into multiple kingdoms (I think that's the current status quo) though Atlantis is usually the strongest/dominant kingdom. Currently there are knockoff Lovecraft-eque Deep Ones too (which you can see in one scene in the trailer). There's the whole controversy about him being half-human and that's pretty much Ocean Master's whole argument for why HE should be King of Atlantis and not Arthur. So plenty of juicy drama potential, and that's without even going over the surface. IIRC Mera is currently from a break-away faction of Atlanteans in the comics, though obviously allied with Arthur.

I do have to say that the dark, dreadlocked look kind of grew on me. It seems to suit Arthur a bit better than the classic surfer-god clean-cut blonde look.

[The Romulan Republic]

I'm not a big Aquaman fan, but even I know that judging Aquaman on Superfriends is like judging modern Batman on the '60s show.

[Broomstick]

Captain Nemo was a great undersea antihero, but Black Manta and Aqua-loser are lame.

Also yes, aristocracy sucks. Whether in space or under the seas.

You do know that Captain Nemo was an Indian Prince, original name of Dakkar, correct....? He's an aristocrat, too.

[Elheru Aran]

Captain Nemo was a great undersea antihero, but Black Manta and Aqua-loser are lame.

Also yes, aristocracy sucks. Whether in space or under the seas.

You do know that Captain Nemo was an Indian Prince, original name of Dakkar, correct....? He's an aristocrat, too.

To follow this rabbit trail, I suppose there's an argument to be made that Nemo renounced his ancestry and privilege when he built the Nautilus and set out on his anti-war campaign against foreign states.

That said, he still lived at a relatively high standard (had a fancy parlor with pipe-organ and cigars even), treasure gathered from the ocean floor, and was unquestionably in command of his ship, though I suppose a military-style hierarchy is a different proposition from class.

Stas' argument is silly though because Black Manta is something of an anarchist when he has any political convictions, and we know Aquaman has much more depth (hah) and nuance than the old shitty cartoons.

[K. A. Pital]

Captain Nemo was a great undersea antihero, but Black Manta and Aqua-loser are lame.

Also yes, aristocracy sucks. Whether in space or under the seas.

You do know that Captain Nemo was an Indian Prince, original name of Dakkar, correct....? He's an aristocrat, too.

I know, and I used "antihero" for a reason. Aristocracy sucks, but princess Leia is a solid character in the SW films, even a great one maybe. On the other hand, Jupiter Ascending or whatever... is not.