Despite the running gag of being the guy that “talks to fish,” Aquaman has the full might of Atlantis with him when it comes to defending the planet from threats. And while Aquaman focuses primarily on the affairs of the sea, his determination towards protecting the planet makes him a worthy founding member of the Justice League.
And as the previous Justice League film proved, Aquaman is just as heroic as his companions. However, fans of DC Comics might want to explore Arthur Curry’s life as Aquaman through more stories and through different lenses. Thankfully, there’s a lot DC Comics has to offer when it comes to Aquaman stories that defined his character, which can help fans get to know the character before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres.
10 Aquaman: The Atlantis Chronicles (1990)
Fans of DC Comics might wonder just how relevant an undersea kingdom would be compared to the likes of Themyscira or the rest of the planet, and Aquaman: The Atlantis Chronicles shares exactly that. Not often does a pivotal story in a superhero’s life not feature said superhero, and yet The Atlantis Chronicles easily proves itself as an important tale in the context of the greater DC Universe.
In this 7-part series, The Atlantis Chronicles features a lot of characters often only heard from in Aquaman’s past or from Atlantean mythology. This comic finally features them as active characters and fleshes out the deeper aspects of Atlantean lore. While the end of this series will have Arthur Curry’s birth as a pivotal moment in a new age of Atlantis, The Atlantis Chronicles cements just how important a role the kingdom has to the overall survival of the planet.
9 Aquaman: Sword Of Atlantis (2006)
Following the shake-up of the DC Universe after Crisis On Infinite Earths, Aquaman: Sword Of Atlantis stars a new Aquaman and a completely different Atlantis. This story elaborates on the life and adventures of Arthur Joseph Curry as he discovers his destiny to become Aquaman - but not the Aquaman that everyone else knows.
In Sword of Atlantis, Aquaman II sees an Atlantis that is more akin to a lawless land in a high fantasy realm, rife with its own share of conflicts, intrigue, and someone brave enough to unify them under one banner. Although short-lived, Sword of Atlantis is a great short take on the potential of the Aquaman IP, and one that proves there’s a lot more to explore in Aquaman than just being a guy that talks to marine life.
8 The Brave And The Bold: Night Gods (2010)
It’s not often that an Aquaman story would feature him working alongside another hero, as such it’s all the more surprising that The Brave And The Bold: Night Gods sees Aquaman team up with Etrigan, an antihero usually involved with the supernatural. Through the eyes of a crazed sailor, Night Gods certainly had Aquaman and Etrigan take on darker, more terrifying horrors.
As it’s revealed, the pair actually partake in a yearly “tradition” of teaming up and facing an eldritch god that threatens to engulf the world in pure darkness. This story reveals that there are much darker things than the depths of Atlantis would reveal, and the Etrigan team-up is a nice touch that reveals Aquaman’s deeper (no pun intended) involvement with magical entities, at least when Atlantis is concerned.
7 Aquaman: The Triton Saga (1995)
There’s a reason why the Justice League film had an edgy Aquaman, and this is all thanks to the 1990s Aquaman. Beginning in Aquaman: Year One, Arthur would have to deal with the looming threat that is Triton, son of Poseidon. As if a god rising wasn’t enough, Aquaman would have to help save the planet from a raging Triton, which means the King of Atlantis coming face to face with an actual god.
Across all Aquaman stories, it’s The Triton Saga that easily cements Aquaman’s place as one of the most powerful heroes in DC Comics. Despite his scope being largely in Atlantis, stories like The Triton Saga makes it clear that a lot of ancient threats that can endanger the universe lie deep within Atlantis, and it’s up to Aquaman’s knowledge of the deep seas to help save Earth from impending doom.
6 Justice League: Drowned Earth (2018)
Aquaman would easily establish Atlantis as a core part of the DC Universe through Justice League: Drowned Earth, when a plot of the Legion of Doom had them assassinate Poseidon, curse the waters of the Earth, and potentially bring about early extinction at the hands of an unknown universal threat.
Thanks to Drowned Earth, fans of Aquaman and the DC Universe get introduced to a higher form of deities, in the form of the Ocean Deities worshipped all throughout the multiverse. With Aquaman having to make an important decision at the end of the story, Drowned Earth marks just how Aquaman could make an impact in the bigger picture of the DC Universe.
5 Aquaman: American Tidal (2004)
While Justice League and Aquaman saw a darker, grittier take on Arthur Curry, Aquaman: American Tidal was quite a polar opposite take on Aquaman from the usual convention. With the story moving away from Aquaman’s Warrior King persona, American Tidal sees Aquaman try - and fail - to save the sinking of a part of San Diego. Weirdly enough, it turns out he didn’t have to “save” them, as all people there can apparently breathe underwater. Now dubbed Sub Diego, Aquaman has to deal with this odd crisis.
Despite being about Aquaman and dealing with a rather “small” crisis in the grand scale of things, American Tidal proves just how important Aquaman could be when it comes to problems that dealt with the underwater. Not to mention, it’s in this story that Aquaman embraces a gift from the Lady of the Lake, that of a magical water hand that replaced his edgy hook.
4 Aquaman: The Trench (2011)
After events from Flashpoint, everyone in the DC Universe got a chance for a fresh start in the New 52. Here, Arthur Curry once again takes up the mantle of Aquaman in Aquaman: The Trench, but this time around, he easily cements himself as a force to reckon with in this new DC Universe. At its core, The Trench has Aquaman deal with the growing threat of the Trench under the sea. However, the 6-issue run ends with Aquaman being one of the most pivotal heroes in the Justice League.
It’s thanks to The Trench that fans can see DC Comics bridging the gap between how people perceive Aquaman and his “funny powers” with the actual sense of regality the King of Atlantis should deserve. Thanks to fast-paced writing and a decent core narrative, The Trench proves to be an exciting way to get to know Aquaman while slowly breaking the classic misconceptions about his character.
3 JLA: The Obsidian Age (2002)
Sometimes, one would only see the importance of a person once they’re gone - and JLA: The Obsidian Age deals with exactly that. Happening in the aftermath of the disappearance of both Atlantis and Arthur Curry, Aquaman sidekick Tempest tries to convince the Justice League to travel back in time to rescue his liege and the remnants of his home. When the Justice League decides to depart, others take their place in the role to defend Earth against various threats.
This approach towards an alternating storyline and the mystery behind Aquaman’s disappearance is a great way of sharing just how important Aquaman is to the League’s overall roster. And while everything gets settled in the end, it’s the efforts the League took to help Aquaman and Atlantis that prove Aquaman’s deeper relevance in the DC Universe.
2 Aquaman: The Crown Comes Down (2018)
Sometimes, the worst thing about being a ruler is the burden of the crown, and Aquaman: The Crown Comes Down explains exactly this in a gripping storyline. At its core, The Crown Comes Down explores Aquaman’s determination in saving Mera’s life by destroying the Crown of Thorns, which serves as the mystical defensive network that protected Atlantis from invaders.
This isn’t as easy as it sounds, though. Aquaman set his eyes on the Crown in the first place in his bid to dethrone Corum Rath, which he realizes he couldn’t simply do with small attacks. It didn’t help that Rath had numerous allies out to get Arthur, and that Atlantean views on monarchy don't sit well with Aquaman at all. This gripping fantasy epic of a storyline adds a regal aspect to Aquaman the likes of which some comic readers haven’t seen.
1 Aquaman: Out Of Darkness (2016)
When the New 52 ended with the Convergence event, the Rebirth line of comics kicked off yet another series of origin stories for DC Universe characters. And while Aquaman would yet again be about Arthur Curry accepting his role as King of Atlantis, it’s Aquaman: Out Of Darkness that repositions the way Aquaman stories are told.
Instead of being a grandiose showcase of an awesome, seemingly-perfect Atlantis and the external threats Aquaman has to face, Out Of Darkness shows there’s much more to Atlantis than meets the eye. With Mera seemingly his only ally, Out Of Darkness has Aquaman and Mera explore various issues regarding political intrigue, mysterious entities, and world-shattering threats that cements Aquaman as equal parts folk hero, urban legend, and superhero.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will premiere on December 16, 2022 in the United States.