By Michael Fitzgerald Troy

Being partial to blondes and a sucker for a man that can hold his breath for long periods of time, Aquaman was the DC Nu title I was looking forward to the most, right after Wonder Woman. (See my less-than-flattering review of everyone’s favorite reanimated ball of clay elsewhere on this site.) Certainly not yer granny’s fish sticks, DC Nu’s Aquaman #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis is no bucket of chum. No longer flopping around on the deck of the Justice League‘s yacht, Geoff Johns has transformed aqua stud into one tough tuna.

I think Aquaman is one of those characters that everyone wants to love, but you can only do so much with what they give you. Clearly, Johns falls in the category of those who adore the former king of Atlantis.

Johns is an amazing writer, crafting the perfect comic story every single time. Contemporaries, take note. He gives you action, excitement, heart, and intrigue. He addresses the fact that Aquaman is largely looked at as a joke by– well, by pretty much everyone, and Johns is poised to change that view and give us a must-read Aquaman that we have been wanting for much too long. Of course, my favorite part is when Aqus waltzes into a seafood shoppe and orders fish and chips. (It’s the only seafare I really like. Must be a blonde thing. Extra tartar, baby!) Oft looked at as a fish outta water (Yeah, I went there. I’m not proud of it, but I went there!), Johns gives us an Aquaman that I can’t wait to read each month. Normally diametrically opposed to “Gingers,” I didn’t even mind the cameo by Aquastud’s clam bake, Mera; she seems like a good egg. And, reminds me enough of Ariel to secretly want me to see Aquaman tussle with that bloated drag queen, Ursula the sea witch.

The art by Ivan Reis is beautiful. He packs action, detail, and packages that leave me no doubt Aquaman is no merman. (Hey, Aquaman is hot; I’m not made out of wood!) The inks by Joe Prado and colors by Rod Reis make this book as beautiful to look at as it is fun to read. So far, I would say this is the best of the New DC 52. I know I’d swim upstream to wrassle up my copy of the catch of the day each month and you should, too.

Michael Troy is a deeply superficial person. Born in the midwest in the ’70s, Michael came to Los Angeles to pursue his bi-polar career path as an actor and artist. 2005 saw the release of Michael’s first published book, Homo-Hero’s Big Book of Fun and Adventure (www.greencandypress.com). Michael has contributed to the Lady Gaga comic book from Bluewater Productions and has his hand in various other upcoming projects. Michael has performed stand-up comedy at all of the major comedy clubs in Los Angeles and is making his triumphant return to the main stage of The Comedy Store in September. Michael offers an off-beat sense of humor as the star of such youtube cult classics As The Gays on Film (www.youtube.com/fullfrontaltv), A Minute With Margot, a loving tribute to Superman legend Margot Kidder (http://www.youtube.com/user/rktcommander), and currently hosts a vlog style series Lethally Blonde over at www.monsterburg.com. Sitting alongside industry heavyweight Phil Jimenez at the “Divas and Lassoes” panel for the 2010 San Diego comic-con, Michael maintains and cherishes his “underground” status. A staunch believer in Blonde Ambition, Michael hopes his new comic about shallow blonde super heroes in Los Angeles, The Blonde Squad, will set the world on fire (or at least brighten it a bit). Check out Michael Troy and Lethally Blonde updates here!!!