Geoff Johns Convinces Us Why Aquaman is Cool

Geoff Johns is the Chief Creative Officer for DC Comics. He also is the writer of the newly launched Aquaman comic book series. I had a chance to talk with Geoff about his job relaunching the king of the sea as part of DC's New 52.

Why did you choose Aquaman to relaunch?

I love the character. Everyone knows who Aquaman is, but many people don't like him. I thought it was a great creative challenge to write a series about Aquaman that will change the perception of the character. We take on all those misperceptions about him head-on. The hope with Aquaman is to create something that people aren't expecting. When you read a Superman or Green Lantern book (up to this point), you know the type of story you're getting. It's wide open with Aquaman. I think Aquaman is a great character to look at because he's somebody who's had to live his life ignoring other people's opinions of him. He just lives his life the way he can. In the ocean, he's a king but he doesn't want to be. His people do not love him because he's more human to them than anything else. On land, he's a bit of a joke compared to the rest of the Justice League.

What needs to be fixed about Aquaman?

I don't think there's anything that needs to be fixed with Aquaman beyond the way he's been presented. I hope that we do a good job with that. I think he just needs the spotlight, a beautiful art team, and stories that display what he's all about. He needs stories that redefine him for today. Many people who haven't looked at comics in a while are being drawn in through the New 52. A lot of them know Aquaman. I want people to look at this book and be excited because they know him or with a big question mark on their face. I want them to open up the cover not sure what to expect. "Why is there an Aquaman book? Isn't he lame?" I want them to be surprised by it. I like underdogs.

Tell us what we have to look forward to with Aquaman in the book's first months?

Well, the first arc is taking a new look at Aquaman. We're showcasing everything he can do well and getting into why he does it. We get into who he is as a character. We give him threats that really challenge him physically but also emotionally. On the other side, what makes it different is it's built off that public perception that Aquaman is lame and he can't do anything except in water. We address that full on and make that part of what he has to deal with day to day. The goal of the first adventure takes place to establish how Aquaman is perceived on land and how he's perceived in the ocean. Then we send him off on a journey to find out the biggest mystery of all: who sank Atlantis and why.

When does Aquaman take place in the New 52 universe?

Aquaman takes place today, like most of the other books except Justice League and Action Comics.

What are you the most excited about in regards to Aquaman?

I'm most excited about people seeing Ivan Reis and Joe Prado's art for this book and the colors Rod Reis brings to it. I think that's going to draw people in immediately. I'm really excited for readers to get to know Aquaman. I think they're going to see a side of Aquaman they've never seen before. I hope they see him as more than just a design on a t-shirt or animation. I hope we can get a little deeper than usual with the character. I hope Aquaman becomes one of the books people look most forward to.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

DC Comics New 52 Top Five #1 Titles - September 14, 2011
Tony S. Daniel Talks About Detective Comics and Batman Relaunch
Grant Morrison Talks Relaunching Action Comics and Superman's Career