The Super Hero’s Journey by Patrick McDonnell

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Growing up, I was an avid consumer of comics—or funny books, as we called them.  I spent hours with various DC heroes (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were my favorites) but also with Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Baby Huey, and especially with Little Lulu and Sugar Spike.  Many’s the time my grandparents would park me at the magazine section of a grocery store and go off to run errands, knowing I’d be happily occupied for hours.

I did not read many Marvel titles, though.  I did read some, but as a sight reader I found some of the dialectal renderings difficult to read. (“Sez” for “says” for example.)  I do remember reading some Namor and Thor, and one of two Spider-Man but I was not a “true believer.”

Patrick McDonnell was, though, and as a devoted fan of his strip Mutts as well as his children’s books, I decided to take a look at The Super Hero’s Journey. This is his story of a childhood growing up with the Marvel universe.  He retells some parts of stories, recreating the art work, giving credit to the original artist who had such an influence on his own life and work.  Most of the reviews call it “a love letter to Marvel” and I can certainly second that.  He is most definitely paying tribute to his artistic heroes.

I’ll admit much of the Marvel storylines didn’t mean much to me, but I did enjoy seeing young Patrick and his romance with the comics.  It brought back my own happy memories.  I was also interested in the glimpses of his childhood.

Marvelites, especially those of a certain age, will thrill to this re-telling; McDonnell fans will still enjoy the book for its personal touches.

Aquaman: The Trench Graphic Novel

Reviewed by Ambrea

For years, Aquaman has reigned supreme as king of the seas, but, on the surface, he’s discounted as a second rate hero and disrespected accordingly.  As the child of a human and an Atlantean, Arthur—better known by his Aquaman moniker—is accepted by neither the race of his father nor the kingdom of his mother and he’s exhausted by the politics, so he decides to do as his father does:  he decides to seclude himself from the world in the light house he called home for most of his childhood.

But Aquaman knows he can’t escape the obligations that his power and his authority give him.  A terrifying new threat has emerged from the deepest abyss, a horrifying race of creatures that are set on devouring everything they can find—Aquaman included.  Now, he must save the people who have long disregarded and mocked him if he ever hopes to live up to his father’s memory and, more importantly, uncover the secrets of the deep kept even from the king of the seas.

Aquaman is frequently disregarded as a foolish superhero or completely discounted in the DC Universe, much like Adam West’s 1960s Batman; sometimes, he’s only ever used as the punchline of a joke (think Big Bang Theory).  He’s not the most popular superhero in the comic book world, and even I’ll be the first to admit that he’s not one of my favorites.  However, in Aquaman:  The Trench, the first in the New 52 series by DC comics, Aquaman’s reputation as a superhero is finally redeemed—and I am so excited.

I’ve always had a specific picture of Aquaman in my mind:  Aquaman of the Justice League series which aired on Cartoon Network in 2001.  I was introduced to a different kind of hero, a gruff and brooding king of the deep who rivaled Batman in his angst—and, being an impressionable youth, I instantly respected him for his uncanny strength, his ability to communicate with undersea life, and his absolute loyalty to the people of Atlantis.  He was, I thought, pretty awesome.

And, after reading The Trench, I feel like I’ve reaffirmed my place in the Aquaman fandom.

Honestly, it’s refreshing to see Aquaman in a new light.  I loved the humor in his story and, more importantly, I loved the amazing character design.  Artistically speaking, both Arthur (honestly, I don’t think I knew his real name before I read this volume) and Mera are beautifully designed.  I liked the detail and the color, the vibrancy of their characters; moreover, I loved the way they interacted as characters with one another and the rest of the world.  Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado do an excellent job of depicting Aquaman as a superhero.

Aquaman has an emotional depth and intricacy that, confidentially, I didn’t expect.  Arthur is tugged at by his urge to protect mankind and his duty as the king of the seas, by his father’s humanity and his mother’s kingdom beneath the waves.  It’s an interesting dynamic that adds a layer of complexity to his character and his story.  He wants to preserve humanity, but he doesn’t wish to destroy Atlantis in the process; he wants to be human, but he knows he isn’t.  I was immediately intrigued to see how his story plays out.

Granted, I found the pace to be a little quicker than I would like.  It seemed like the story was in a hurry to get somewhere, and I would have liked a little more time to dwell on Mera’s history and Arthur’s background before he became known as Aquaman.  However, it isn’t a deal breaker and it’s only a slight blemish on a story that’s fantastic overall.  It’s also a bit more violent than I expected, but, I suppose, it’s to be expected when terrifying creatures creep out of the deepest trenches in the ocean and seek out a new food source.

Overall, I loved reading Aquaman.  In fact, I think it’s one of my favorite superhero comics of the year.  It’s right up there with the new Spider-Gwen, The Long Halloween, Hush, and Mark Waid’s Daredevil.

NOTE:  We're running this review in honor of Rob-Con, Bristol's beloved comic book convention.  It's this weekend, July 30 & 31, at Viking Hall.  Visit them on Facebook or access the website here.

And, of course, visit them at Viking Hall!