Aquaman Leads the Charge in Justice League

We’ve said it a million times since the New 52 launched: Geoff Johns has made Aquaman cool and relevant to fans that have never given him much thought. But that’s old news a year removed from the debut of Aquaman #1. So what’s next for Arthur Curry? Taking center stage in an epic crossover story between the Aquaman and Justice League titles, dubbed Throne of Atlantis.

We got a sneak peek at Justice League #15, which goes on sale December 26, and marks the first chapter of the massive story. More importantly, we sat down with Johns to talk about his plans for Throne of Atlantis and what it means for Arthur and his role within the League.

Our review of Aquaman #13!

IGN Comics: Can you start by just telling me what the basic plot of Throne of Atlantis is?

Geoff Johns: It’s a conflict that escalates between Atlantis and the Justice League with Arthur caught in the middle.

IGN: Is this a crossover story with one part in Aquaman and the next in Justice League, or are they two separate things?

Johns: it full on begins in Justice League #15. There’s some prologue stuff in Aquaman #14, but really Ivan Reis and Joe Prado’s first issue of Justice League, #15, is the first part of Throne of Atlantis. It’s appropriately the first part of a huge Justice League story with Aquaman at the center.

IGN: So was this part of your initial plans for each series or did they sort of come together over time?

Johns: We always knew that we wanted to keep Atlantis off for a while and when it did show up, to make it a big story. The goal for Aquaman was to position him as an A-list character; position him as an important member of the Justice League. For the first big story in Justice League I knew I wanted it to be an Atlantis story; a story that would take the complexities of Atlantis and Arthur and his role on the team and pit it against the Justice League.

Essentially have Atlantis, which represents one side of who Arthur is, against the Justice League, which represents the other. And the reasons that they come into conflict aren’t so simple. It’s not just Atlanteans hating the surface world or the surface world wanting to destroy Atlantis. It’s a mystery, and that’s the core of what this story is. Why did this war start? Who’s positioning it, and to what ends?

Interiors from Justice League #15

IGN: How is this all going to impact Aquaman’s role within the Justice League?

Johns: It’s going to put him into conflict with the team because he has a different viewpoint of Atlantis and why they’re doing this. He thinks he can quell this war before it starts and the Justice League, because of events that happen, say it’s too late. So really, Aquaman is caught between Atlantis and the League and ultimately he has to pick a side.

IGN: So it sounds like we’re going to be meeting some new Atlanteans in this story – any familiar faces that fans should keep an eye out for that maybe we haven’t seen in the New 52 yet?

Johns: Really Orm is the main one. He’s not yet called Ocean Master; he earns this name in this storyline. You’ll see why. He’s not a super villain as Aquaman says. He’s the leader of a people who are very protected and very insolated. And he cares very much for his brother; he doesn’t understand his brother, but at this point, he kind of feels sorry for Arthur. He doesn’t understand why Arthur is here; he knows Arthur doesn’t really have anything. So really, Orm will be the focus of the storyline on the Atlantean side.

IGN: You introduced the Others in the last story arc. Will they be involved in this story at all?

Johns: Briefly. But there are big plans for the Others.

Interiors from Justice League #15

IGN: Awesome. This is sort of a bigger question, but you’re known for really giving new life to characters that haven’t been as popular in recent years. What’s your philosophy on revamping or reworking characters? How do you find that new hook to engage readers like you have with Aquaman?

Johns: Well, with Aquaman I worked with such talented guys, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. And he’s a great character. I mean, Aquaman’s a great character, he just hasn’t been positioned in a role of importance in a long, long time. We tried to do that in this series; give him this platform because he deserves it, and give a very different perception of Aquaman while at the same time staying true to who the character is. Showing his power level, his fortitude, his sense of honor and commitment and responsibility, and hopefully showing everything that makes a hero a hero. I think Aquaman embodies that more than a lot of other heroes out there.

He’s unique in the sense that he does it without ego. He doesn’t always have to be right. He’s made a lot of mistakes, and he really takes those to heart. At the end of The Others, it’s clear that he’s not entirely comfortable being heralded as a hero because he’s just trying to do his best. But his best isn’t always the right thing.

Re-introducing Aquaman and getting him to a place like that and then ultimately having him headline a Justice League storyline that crosses over between his book and Justice League really is the culmination of where we’ve been going with the character since the beginning. His role in this will change the Justice League storyline, it will change him, and it will send them both in new directions.

IGN: You mentioned Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, but Aquaman is changing artists now.

Johns: Yeah, Paul Pelletier is coming on.

IGN: So how has it been working with Paul and what does he bring to the book?

Johns: Oh, it’s been great. He brings enthusiasm, he brings power, he brings grace. He has that same clean style that Ivan and Joe have; they all have a touch of Alan Davis in there. He’s been a pro. It’s great to see Ivan and Joe and Paul, when we’re sharing pages, go back and forth and inspire one another.

I’m excited for everybody to see the books. In Justice League #15, there’s a lot of other stuff too that’s setup in this storyline that’s going to explore Superman and Wonder Woman and Cyborg. Cyborg has a huge role in this story, actually, that sends him on a new path as well.

Interiors from Justice League #15

IGN: Obviously you’ve worked with Ivan and Joe on many things, but how’s the transition to working with them on Justice League been?

Johns: It’s brilliant. The book just clicks together so quickly because we have such a great working relationship. With Ivan and Joe on board, the goal is just to make this the most epic comic book we can possibly make it. Character driven with widescreen action, but Ivan and Joe go beyond that. But I want to do character driven epic storylines with Throne of Atlantis kicking off the second year and going into that new mode.

IGN: Beyond Throne of Atlantis, can you say at all how many plans you have for Aquaman or how long you plan on staying on the book?

Johns: I can’t talk about anything beyond Throne of Atlantis right now, sorry man. [laughs]

IGN: [laughs] Well then I guess that’s all I’ve got for you! Is there anything you wanted to add?

Johns: Just that the art is beautiful, and Justice League #15 really kicks us off in an entirely new direction with this storyline, the scope, and the tone of the book. You’ll see a pretty great shift into the next level.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He's still waiting for Aquaman to get his own super pet.

Source : ign[dot]com