Rank & Phile #7: Aquatic Heroes
nweathington
Posts: 6,748
To recap, I'll post one list of five subjects each week (or so), and to try to prevent topic confusion and having to sift through pages of posts, I'll start a new thread for each new list. Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to rank the five subjects on the list below however you see fit. Why rank my list of subjects rather than have everyone come up with their own list of subjects, you ask? Personally, I find that the more options I am given, the more difficult it is to rank them. This is meant to be a quick, hopefully fun, process that you won’t have to spend too much time on. Also, it might get us talking about characters, creators, or stories we might not talk about otherwise. As always, explanation of your rankings is encouraged, but not required.
Since I’m at the beach this week, I’ve got aquatic heroes on the brain. I'm leaving out the Big Two—Aquaman and Namor, that is—to keep things more interesting (for me anyway). Hopefully everyone will be at least somewhat familiar with the characters on the list. Here goes:
Fathom (of the Elementals) / Mera (DC) / Namora (Marvel) / Abe Sapien (of the B.D.R.P.) / Triton (of the Inhumans)
Since I’m at the beach this week, I’ve got aquatic heroes on the brain. I'm leaving out the Big Two—Aquaman and Namor, that is—to keep things more interesting (for me anyway). Hopefully everyone will be at least somewhat familiar with the characters on the list. Here goes:
Fathom (of the Elementals) / Mera (DC) / Namora (Marvel) / Abe Sapien (of the B.D.R.P.) / Triton (of the Inhumans)
Comments
2) Mera — Everyone here knows I'm a sucker for Aquaman, and Mera is a big part of that.
3) Abe Sapien — Proves the old adage, “It ain’t easy being green.”
4) Namora — The only character on this list who had their own series in the Golden Age. But really it’s her depiction in Agents of Atlas that won me over to her.
5) Triton — Triton has always seemed to me to be “the other Inhuman”. Even though he was part of the original group, he never really seemed to fit in with the rest of them.
2) Namora - for the very reason Eric stated above. Her run in Agents was great.
3) Abe Sapien - I haven't read a lot of Hellboy, but I loved his depiction in the films.
4) Triton - As mentioned...he's "the other" Inhuman.
5) Fathom - never read Elementals. I need to, I know.
1. Mera: #1 because I read the first two volumes of the Aquaman showcase editions and the stories were some of the worst I have ever read until she was introduced into the book. She added another dimension to the story and gave Aquaman some more depth.
2. Namora
1. Sub-Mariner
2. Aquaman
3. And I always liked Triton's appearance.
2) Triton - due to Soule's Inhuman's run. The arc of him being on the outs, allied to Maximus, was a late highlight of the series.
3) Abe Sapien - due to the films
4) Mera - Eh.
5) Fathom - I'm sure Elementals worked well in the 80s, but by the time I borrowed it around 1997-98, it seemed like a relic from another time. And without the good art of a TMNT or a Nexus. Then I learnt this was the same Willingham who did all my least favourite art in D&D books, so I've never bothered with him since.
So you’ve never read Fables?
1) Triton - I'm a big Inhumans fan (yes, *I'm* the one), and granted, he's no Karnak, but he's still an easy 1st place vote for me on this list.
2) Mera - I mostly know her from the old Filmation Aquaman cartoon series, but it's still more than the rest of the list have going for 'em, so welcome to the runner-up spot, Mera!
3) Namora - I know I've seen her in books here and there over the years, but nothing jumps out at me. Namor was probably my favorite comic book character when I was a kid though, so she takes 3rd place for reasons of nepotism.
4) Abe Sapien - Heard of him. Have never read him.
5) Fathom - Neveh hoid of ya!
I mean, if I judged every creator by their first work, I wouldn't be reading very much right now. ;)
Unless they’re Nazis.
1) Abe Sapien - I've never once read a Hellboy or BPRD story and thought to myself this needs less Abe. He's great in the movies, he's great in the comics and he looks cool.
2) Mera - She has her moments, and she has a more interesting story than a lot of Superheroes.
3) Namora - a close call between her and Mera. She's fun, I liked her in Agents of Atlas, and her more recent appearances. But gentleman don't always prefer blondes.
5) Triton - one of the other inhumans. In the cool inhumans ranking he's just slightly below the no-name inhuman in the very back of the background.
4) Fathom - I'm pretty sure this isn't the Aspen comics fathom, but I've got no clue. What I know is she has to be better than Triton.