I'm hoping this is Arthur Jr, do you think its possible or am I dreaming.

If its not, I'm not sure I will care to read it.

Edited By Siteowner

Oh, crap! Can you edit my post. Its supposed to read "I'm not sure I will care to read it"

Anyway, any thoughts???

I'll confess, Bill. Kurt called me a couple of weeks ago to let me in on the secret and ask my opinion. After talking with him for well over an hour about it, I'm excited to see this version.

Give it three issues. If you can't stand it after three issues, then you are justified. But until you've read it, it's pretty hard to judge it, now, isn't it?

And I'm pretty sure this isn't Artie Jr. He's dead, and has been dead for a long time. But don't quote me on that. I'm not certain, just pretty sure.

What!!! You knew!!

I meant if it was the Arthur Jr, from Mera's dimension. If he has no connection to Arthur, its gonna be hardier for me to care for the character.

Arthur is the reason I read Aquaman, his character really talks to me, his connection to sealife and the environment, his loneliness and horrific past.

Thanks Tegan, its good to have a Aquafan to talk to about this.

Ah, the other Arthur... I have no idea. We'll have to wait and see.

I don't know if you'll get what you want from the series written by Kurt. But I do know that Kurt is a fine writer who has shown a great deal of interest in keeping the Aquaman mythos intact and thriving. For myself, I'm really looking forward to it.

For me Aqua-mythos with no Arthur, kinda deludes the point, Its like having Chocolate Cake with no icing. Oh well, I guess I see how it goes.

Icing-less cake can be very good. Give it a decent chance. Who knows, it might be more what you expect than you realize.

Icing-less cake is fine. Often better than iced cake, especially when you get the commercial stuff that is all air and vegetable shortning. (I can even bring this metphor back to comics by mentioning any number of "hot" artists, but it's just too mean.)

But asking for German Chocolate Cake and getting Devil's Food instead, that's not so fun. Sure, I love Devil's Food, but the menu says "German Chocolate". Sure, I love Busiek's writing, and I don't think he will do a bad job or anything, but if you are not going to sell me Aquaman, don't try and sell me on "Aquaman", you know?

At least have the honesty to title it "Conan like property in the DCU because Didio can through more money at Busiek than Dark Horse". (And have the guts to let it stand on it's own - it's freakin' Busiek! And Guice! - and not try to pawn it off on loyal fans it through for the sake of copyrights. If it's good, it won't have to be "Aquaman", right?)

Oh, but this will be Aquaman.

I've had longer to get used to the idea, but, as an Aquaman fan, I think this Devil's Food cake is going to turn out just as German Chocolate as I'd want it to.

Hm. Now I'm really hungry...

I'm with agreement with Mr Oakes.

It seems that the people interested in this are non-Aquareaders. Just because his lives in the ocean doesn't make him Aquaman. Mr Busiek said he is not Atlantean, not inline for King(I don't know why he brang this up, is he gonna become King in the future or is that his goal??), etc

I'm guessing this is another human/hybrid from Sub Diego or somewhere else???

It seems Mr Busiek is more interested in getting new readers then keeping old ones. And with these rumors that Arthur is gonna be amnesia stricken victim who can't tell the difference between friends, makes me even more worried.

We Aquafans have been worryin silly if Aquaman series will be canceled, what Sword of Atlantis means and know this?? DC ain't being really friendly to Aquafans.

There is no way that Aquaman fans alone can keep a series going. Kurt wants to pull in new readers, and I have NO problem with that. The other option was cancellation.

Again, I think you need to read the first couple of issues before you decide that this is Devil's Food cake. It may be much more like German Chocolate than you think.

Yeah, I agree. But I doubt if it was still Arthur Curry new readers will not pick up the book. You get where I'm coming from. What was the big deal with Mr Busiek using Arthur, he says all this things about Aquaman being a King and being hard to write, but Aquaman has not been a King for how long, I don't buy it. I'm thinking Mr Busiek just plain doesn't like Arthur and rather write a Hal Jordon/Conan type character.

I didn't see DC pumping known names on the Aquaman before this?? But they say Arthur didn't work.

Is this new character even have Kingship with seacreatures?

The art looks beautiful, but I wanna read about Aquaman, I doubt this character has anything in common with the Aquaman I wanna read about.

Sorry, I'm ranting. the more I think about this, the more I don't think I'll try this. I hoping as a Aquaman fan you will understand.

Trust me, Bill, I completely understand where you are coming from. But, like I said, I've had a lot longer to come to terms with this than you, plus I know a little tiny bit more about what direction Kurt is coming from.

Kurt wants to pull in the new readers, but he has not forgotten about the old readers. Trust me.

I hope the new guy is Aquabeast reincarnated.

I'm on board for the new series. It looks interesting to me. I've been a long time reader of Aquaman, not as long as you guys probably, but a long time none the less. I'm willing to give it a try. Especially if Laura gives it a go ahead.

See, my problem here (and I've said this elsewhere), is that I do think Aquaman makes a create fantasy comic... but if you're doing Arthurian fantasy without Arthur, it's no fun.

Then again, I've also been told this is Conan-y fantasy and not Arthurian, but, whatever, swords, sea dragons, etc.

It's also incredibly similar to my own pitch I had devised in my head, right down to the costume design and appearances by King Shark, so I think I'd better put my tinfoil hat back on before DC steals more of my brain waves. (I would've kept Arthur and gone with more groovin' 60's pop elements, though, but otherwise...)

Especially if Laura gives it a go ahead.

I only know what Kurt told me about the new series, but for what little it's worth, I heartily approve of the concepts I was told about.

Now, the execution of the concepts could very well end up to be crap, it wouldn't be the first time that happened with Aquaman, but considering who's on the book I really doubt that.

I'm excited about this take, and I'm very interested in the direction of the book. And I hope Kurt has a long enough run on the book to get through all the ideas I heard about and all the ideas I didn't.

This is actually sounding really interesting; I'm looking forward to it.

I have to admit I'm very torn. I will try the book and give it a fair chance because I've always liked Kurt's work (and Kurt as a person, as well) and trust that there will, at least, be quality writing. I also like Butch's artwork, so if nothing else, the words will be good and the art will be lovely.

OTOH, I read Aquaman for *Aquaman* -- and that's Arthur. (Okay, well...those who know me know I really read it for *Garth*, but these two characters have been with me for over 40 years now, so yes, I have strong feelings about these two). Apparently, Arthur will have a role to play in the series, but will that be *enough* to satisfy me? If he gets more play around other parts of the DCU, then it might be. If not, then it might not.

But my primary concern (and yes, this is me fangirling), if the character who *should* be the title, lead character in his own titled series *isn't*, then what happens to the supporting cast? I know Kurt plans on having Mera be around (and just having her healthy, restored and whole again will be worth suffering through some fannish agida ), but fangirl me despairs that the Garth pickings, lean as they are now, will be even leaner.

He doesn't fit in Outsiders (and I wouldn't want him there anyway, since I don't care for the book at all). A place *could* be made for him in Teen Titans alongside Victor, Kory and Gar as 'seniors', but I don't know how well he'd fit there, either. He isn't going to end up in JLA.

So, where does that leave him besides the comic-book limbo he's been in for some time already? What plotlines for him that still dangle out there -- mainly the marital discord between him and Dolphin -- will still dangle. (Now, granted, an amicable divorce between those two would be the best resolution, but that's another story -- and one that will probably never get told now).

*sigh*

So, those are my concerns. But I'll be fair and give the new book a reasonable shot and see how it goes. Maybe I'll be surprised somewhere along the way because darn it, my concerns may not resolve around getting that German chocolate cake, but maybe I'll get a little of the coconut that gets sprinkled on the top.

">I'm wondering what will become of Garth ?"

"You'll see him in time, too."

"As for his reaction ... mmm, I'd better keep quiet about that."

"kdb "

From the DC Message Board.

See, I don't know if that makes me feel any better.

'..see him in time, too.'

Maybe I've just become too cynical about this particular subject over the decades.

I guess I should just keep my expectations low (pretty much as they've always been in regards to this) and then I won't end up being disappointed.

I don't know about you, Leah, but after reading the latest issue of Aquaman, Kurt's words about Tempest make me VERY happy.

Has more been said beside what's been quoted here?

Not that I've heard. I looked again, and saw nothing else. And if Kurt and I talked about Garth, I honestly can't remember a word of it.

I was still trying to deal with the information overload so I'm sure I've forgotten tons of what he told me.