Aquaman's 80th Anniversary: How Are You Celebrating The King of The Seven Seas in 2021?

2021 is jam-packed with many an 80th anniversary of our beloved marquee heroes, such as Wonder Woman and Green Arrow.

However, this year also sees Arthur Curry, Aquaman himself, hit the big 8-0. How you will ring in this major anniversary for the badass King of Atlantis and superhero who does much, much more than just talk to fish?

Some suggestions:

Comics :books:

  • Check out Aquaman’s first appearance in More Fun Comics #73. While you’re there, be sure to read the first appearance of Green Arrow, aka The Emerald Archer, as well. It’s a titanic two-some of two badass heroes!

  • Dive into Aquaman’s very first ongoing series and thrill to his adventures alongside Aqualad, Mera and many other characters who would go on to become pillars of the Aquaman franchise.

  • Jump into Adventure Comics #103, which not only features Aquaman, but Green Arrow, Shining Knight, Superboy and Johnny Quick. It’s a fun read, and then some.

  • Swim over to Adventure Comics #444, which stars Aquaman and Ocean Master. If you came to be a fan of both characters due to the live-action Aquaman movie, then this issue will be perfect for you! Stick around for the other issues of Adventure Comics as well (in particular #478, which features Aquaman’s arch-enemy, Black Manta!) as Aquaman would become a starring feature in the book.

  • If you’re in the mood for a bite-sized morsel of an Aquaman tale, the 4 issue mini-series from 1986 will be a quick, yet highly entertaining, tidbit of an adventure for you. This series features Aquaman’s “wave suit”, which is absolutely one of his most interesting non-traditional outfits.

  • Craving more modern Aquaman adventures? There’s plenty to choose from! Check out the ongoing series that began in 1994. This is the acclaimed series that writer Peter David worked his magic on. If you’ve ever wanted an Aquaman that eschewed his traditional orange and green, short-haired look for a more grungy '90s look (complete with a harpoon hook in place of his left hand!) then this is your Aquaman.

  • San Diego becomes Sub Diego in Aquaman (2002-2006) #15. From writer WIll Pfeiffer and artist Patrick Gleason, this tale is worth taking a plunge into, as are the remaining issues of this series, which concludes at #39 before becoming Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis with #40.

  • The New 52 was very kind to Aquaman. Besides Justice League, the King of Atlantis also soared to new acclaim via writer Geoff Johns’ run on Aquaman, while writer Dan Jurgens (of Superman fame) unfurled adventures of Aquaman leading a team of adventurers known as The Others in Aquaman and the Others. Justice League and Aquaman are the homeruns of these three titles, but don’t overlook Aquaman and the Others, as it’s wildly entertaining.

  • If you want the very most current and modern Aquaman adventures, then the Rebirth series is just what you ordered. Dan Abnett kicks off the series in fine form, with the series featuring Aquaman in conflict with Black Manta and Ocean Master, along with the introduction of new foe Dead Water. My pick for the best of Abnett’s run is the Underworld arc, which begins in issue #25 and features stunning artwork by Stjepan Sejic.

If you’re interested in comic tales starring other characters from the Aquaman franchise, be sure to check out:

  • Aqualad is no more, as Garth’s Atlantean identity is reinvented for the '90s in Tempest, a tip-top tale written and drawn by acclaimed creator Phil Jimenez.

  • Aquaman’s one true love, Mera of Xebel, takes the spotlight in 2018’s Mera: Queen of Atlantis. Written by Dan Abnett, this tale sees Mera cross tridents with Ocean Master in a tale worthy of the Queen of Atlantis’s first solo series.

Movies and TV :film_projector: :tv:

HBO Max currently features several animated movies featuring Aquaman. Some of the more notable titles being:

  • JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time
  • Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
  • Justice League: Throne of Atlantis
  • Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis

Aquaman can also been on HBO Max in the following live-action movies:

  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
  • Justice League (theatrical cut)
  • Aquaman
  • Zack Snyder’s Justice League (check out the black and white Justice is Gray edition as well, as Aquaman and Atlantis look quite striking in B&W)

The big screen aside, Aquaman is also featured in the following TV shows on HBO Max:

  • Aquaman, the 1960s Saturday morning classic produced by Filmation Associates and starring the voices of Ted Knight and Marvin Miller.

  • Justice League, the DC Animated Universe debut of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes™ united against all evil.

  • Justice League Unlimited. The follow-up to the above series that further expands the DCAU, the Justice League roster and featured the debut of Black Manta-inspired character Devil Ray.

  • Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Aquaman’s “outrageous!” adventures are a major highlight in this show, which is overflowing with all manner of highlights. From the Brave and the Bold, to the wild and wacky, this is a show fit for any fan.

June will also see even more animated adventures of Aquaman, via the June 18th arrival of Super Friends on HBO Max.

Finally, and to circle back to the medium that birthed Aquaman and continues to fuel his adventures, we have the Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular (whose main cover can be seen at the top of this post), due out later this year from DC. For more on this oversized celebration of the King of the Seven Seas, head over to the main DC site and read all about it.

The above comics, movies and TV shows are just a few options on how to ring in Aquaman’s 80th anniversary in 2021. Will you be reading or watching the above, or will you be checking out other entertainment starring the Aquatic Wonder? Sound off below, and let’s celebrate one of DC’s all-time greats, :00_aquaman: :0_aquaman: AQUAMAN! :0_aquaman1: :00_aquaman_rebirth:

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Wow, this is really impressive and amazing! I love Aquaman but have not been keeping up with him, this post will definitely help me fix that. :0_aquaman:

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Thank you, Emerald Gladiator! :00_lc_green_lantern:

As you’ve the time, be sure to chime in with how you’re keeping up with the adventures of our favorite kingly Atlantean. :0_aquaman_dceu:

I’m celebrating Aquaman’s 80th via:

  • McFarlane Toys’ first Aquaman figure in their DC Multiverse line:

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  • Re-reading the Adventure Comics issues with Aquaman, the Sub Diego arc of the 2002-starting volume of Aquaman, “Underworld” from the Rebirth volume and maybe, just maybe squeeze in a re-read of Mera: Queen of Atlantis as well.

  • Re-watch the Filmation Aquaman series, while also taking another dive into Super Friends later in the month when it debuts on HBO Max.

I’ve already watched both versions of the Snyder Cut, so I’ll add those feathers to my anniversary celebration cap as well. :0_aquaman:

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Watching DCEU Aquaman tonight for sure! :metal:t4:

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If you want to go really deep, how about the Aquaman episodes of Entourage?

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Nice! Have you seen the 4K UHD edition? It’s beautiful, especially all of the scenes in Atlantis.

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:joy: Then follow that up with a James Cameron movie as well.

Maybe…Avatar? Like Aquaman, it starts with “A”, and features bright locales that pop on-screen, along with interesting creatures.

admits he’s only seen a tiny amount of Entourage

Should I check it out on HBO Max?

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Well, in true Internet opinion fashion, I’ve never watched it. I just know the reference which is 95% of Internet posting.

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Outrageous! I didn’t know he turn 80! Happy 80th Birthday Aquaman! :grinning: :00_aquaman: :0_aquaman:

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Saw the list of writers, lots of great ones, but no Kelly Sue DeConnick which is too bad, I thought she did a fantastic job

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Anyone who wasn’t included wasn’t done so because I disliked their work (on the contrary, I liked DeConnick’s Aquaman quite well).

Rather, I wanted to highlight more of the prominent Aquaman writers, past and present, and while DeConnick’s run was good, I do have to admit to favoring Abnett’s more, so he got the OP spotlight as far as more recent writers were concerned.

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I’ve seen…maybe a combined 20 minutes of Entourage, so far. Didn’t really float my boat back then, but now that an actual live-action Aquaman movie exists, it could be fun to watch episodes that broach the subject and see how close to reality they may have unintentionally become.

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Abnett may be my favorite, but do think DeConnick helped add more humor and some cool new characters

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True. If you’d like to highlight her work here, you are absolutely welcome to do so. Just toss in a little write-up and some links. The OP doesn’t have to be the sole place every piece of info has to be in.

Plus, I’m a little rusty on her run, so I’d appreciate a refresher on it. :slight_smile:

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Yous know what?so many threads, I thought I was responding to the other Aquaman is old thread. Now I think :thinking: I sounded like I was complaining about your thread when I was actually commenting on the fact that DeConnick is not in the big Aqua book coming out. Oh, what a wacky comedy of errors. It’s like a really bad Disney Channel sitcom, sorry that’s redundant

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:laughing: Don’t make me bring up that Zack and Cody…thing. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Suite Life

BTW, who had any idea Brenda Song and those Sprouses were actually talented

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I like the Sprouse that’s on Riverdale. He made Jughead an interesting character.

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Yeah!!! I’ve always loved Aquaman….all the way back to the old Super Friends Saturday morning cartoons. 80 years……man that’s awesome.
“My Man” :sunglasses:
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I will pull out some Silver Age Adventure and Aquaman comics and enjoy the Sea King as rendered by the talented Ramona Fradon and Nick Cardy. And a rereading of Skeates and Aparo’s “Aquaman:The Serch For Mera” is celebrating in grand style.

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