Interview: Jeff Parker Brings Mother Issues to AQUAMAN

aquaman38cvr1

Jeff Parker is doing what no Aquaman writer has done before — returning Arthur’s mother to his side! But is he happy to see her? Parker checked in with Comicosity again to discuss what returning Atlanna to the world of the living means, both to Aquaman and Atlantis!

Matt Santori: Thanks for taking time out to chat with Comicosity again, Jeff! The focus of much of your run has been on Arthur’s role as king. What do you think Atlantis brings to his story that’s missing without its focus?

Jeff Parker: The important thing about Atlantis is that it’s still largely a mystery, to him and even to the Atlanteans. In the latest arc we go into the fact that a lot of knowledge about how the realm functions was lost over the years during tyrannical rule, and Arthur is finding ways to get what’s lost back. So it’s an adventure all its own.

MSG: Your framing of Atlantean magic as older, not well understood science is a different take on the mythos. What are your thoughts on that dichotomy in a medium that usually embraces the unexplained?

JP: I like that kind of world building to have a working logic behind it so everything makes sense intuitively, and sometimes magic can get too arbitrary. Not that you can’t establish rules with magic, and I’m not saying there isn’t any real magic present, but that a lot of what is behind Atlantis is arcane science.

MSG: The real shocker going into the next few issues is the revelation that Atlanna is still alive. Is this the same mother figure we’ve seen in other renditions of Aquaman, or will we be seeing big changes?

JP: I would lean to saying ‘big changes!’ Nothing contradicts the basic things Arthur knows about her seeing his heroic dad and falling in love, that’s all the same. It’s what happened after she returned to Atlantis is what we focus on, and how people can change.

tumblr_nf9474KAC21s2flqmo4_1280

MSG: Aquaman has never really had a personal relationship with his mother like he did with the father who raised him. How would you describe his perspective on her? Mythologized as a monarch? Indifferent? Idealized as the mother he never knew?

JP: I think the tendency would be to idealize. It would be weird to be indifferent about a missing parent, what kid wouldn’t daydream about that person all the time? The great thing about this story is that we’ve rarely heard much from Aquaman on the subject, he’s kind of a stoic guy. So to find out this is something that’s clearly been under the surface for him his whole life is pretty interesting territory.

MSG: Paul Pelletier appears to be redesigning Atlanna from the ground up. What are some aspects of his work on this that you think are critical additions to her story?

JP: His design is fantastic. He focuses on the kind of world she’s in now, which we’ve yet to see, but can assume there’s a lot of danger. She still bears her Atlantean belt crest.

MSG: In the last issue, Mera and Arthur were reunited in their rule of the kingdom, after some time on separate missions. How are their perspectives on the kingdom itself different, given each of their backgrounds? Does Arthur have a lot to learn from his partner?

JP: Yes, but the great thing about him is, he knows it. He trusts and respects Mera in a profound way. You’ll notice he never worries about the idea that she might get hurt on one of their missions, he knows she’s capable. And it would be useless to argue for her to stay behind anyway.

4106138-126

MSG: Any final thoughts or special teases for upcoming chapters of “Maelstrom”?​

JP: Next issue takes the aqua couple to Gorilla City!

The next chapter of “Maelstrom” arrives in Aquaman #37, arriving in stores and online Christmas Eve — Wednesday, December 24!

 

Authors

Related posts

One Comment;

  1. Danny E. Pagan said:

    Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier are my current favorite duo working in comics right now. Aquaman is just a lot of fun to read. I find myself re-reading issues after just a few days. Truly great stuff!

Top