Aquaman Signals A New Era for DC Comics

Aquaman signals a new Era for DC Comics

The newest DC comic film Aquaman has already grossed $483 million worldwide, including $72 million domestically and by anyone’s standard, it is off to an amazing start. The film about the City of Atlantis which has become an underwater kingdom is already a sizable hit and it’s on course to be their biggest domestic and global grosser of 2018.

For DC Comics, it’s a great way to end the year. How has this changed things for the comic-book creator turned studio? it is standard practice after any DC Film movie to examine what its success (or relative failure) means for the brand as a whole. It’s the sixth offering by DC Comics and after faltering following the particularly bad Batman Vs Superman, the studio has seemingly found its film feet. It may be too early to explore the long-term impact, but at a glance, DC Films is now in a position where not every film has to carry the weight of the entire studio.

One thing the relative commercial and critical success of Aquaman means is that the series won’t necessarily live or die by the fate of each movie. There are plenty of sequels and prequels that could be made. It will be interesting to see if DC tries to span out with other characters or if they will stick with what has been successful in the past.

While the film has definitely succeeded financially, lining DC’s pockets, critics have found cause to complain. Mainly that the film is too long and that the story-line is messy. Was there a plot? Jason Momoa who plays Arthur Curry aka Aquaman tries to usurp control of a kingdom he knew nothing about from a man twice his age who was actually his younger brother. Patrick Wilson’s King Orm was trying to unite all the undersea kingdoms in order destroy the land people, who had polluted their water and were actively destroying the environment. It’s your typical action film

So is Aquaman worth the price of admission? Compared to Justice League, Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Man of Steel, it’s definitely an improvement. Aquaman doesn’t get close to the triumph of Wonder Woman, but at least it’s a step in the right direction of creating a unique, vivid, and at times escapist superhero movie. 

What did you think about the New Aquaman Movie?