DC's Big Aquaman Reboot Is Here, And It Just Revealed 2 New Villain Redesigns

DC's new Aquaman origin story reveals new designs and origins for two of Arthur Curry's most famous villains, Black Manta and King Shark. Before his big-screen debut, DC Comics had spent decades developing Aquaman into an imposing ruler and one of DC's strongest heroes, but Arthur Curry's public image still languished in comparison to his power. Fortunately, Jason Momoa's performance completely flipped this perception thanks to his commanding screen presence and the DCEU's spectacular underwater action. Aquaman's wild personality quickly became synonymous with the character, and James Wan's 2018 movie cemented the King of the Seven Seas as DC's biggest cinematic success.

James Gunn's DC Universe now faces the challenge of preserving the DCEU's momentum, but also offering audiences a new version of Aquaman that doesn't feel like a carbon copy of Jason Momoa's Atlantean hero. Simply recreating Momoa's appearance and personality would invite constant comparisons, but abandoning every modern element would ignore the renewed popularity Aquaman now enjoys. A fresh interpretation could draw more heavily from Arthur's comic-book role as an accomplished diplomat and a seasoned strategist. Visually, the DCU also has an opportunity to embrace Aquaman's classic blond hair and unexplored elements like the prosthetic hand or the asymmetrical armor introduced in the 1990s.

Ahead of Aquaman's DCU introduction, DC launches a brand-new version of Athur Curry, with a different origin story and different relationships with Atlantis and the surface world.

DC's New Aquaman Faces Terrifying New Versions Of Black Manta And King Shark

Dark Knights Of Steel II Special: Heir To The Sea; Written By Tom Taylor; Art by Riccardi Federici & Arif Prianto

Dark Knights of Steel II #1 features the official debut of its medieval Aquaman, who arrives just in time to help the Els when Zala Jor-El suddenly falls in after her wedding with Wonder Woman. Aquaman's spinoff, Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea, zeroes in on Arthur Curry's origin in this continuity, revealing that the Kents adopted baby Arthur, and that during his childhood, Emperor Black Manta sent King Shark to kidnap him. This is the turning point where Arthur understands his heritage and reveals his potential, severely injuring King Shark and starting the beginning of his journey as the future King of Atlantis.

Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea is beautifully illustrated by Riccardi Federici and Arif Prianto, with highly realistic designs, lighting, and coloring that help Aquaman's medieval origins come to life just like a high-budget blockbuster movie would. King Shark and Black Manta look especially terrifying in this art style. Nanaue is an eerily realistic anthropomorphic white shark with a massive mouth, and Black Manta wears a sleek plated suit of black armor with a ribbon cape and a helmet that resembles a squid more than a manta ray, plus red eyes glowing underneath and tattered clothes that resemble medusa tentacles.

Aquaman And Atlantis Promise To Be Central To Dark Knights Of Steel II

Aquaman's World Is Rarely As Influential As It Should Be

Dark Knights of Steel I devoted most of its attention to the kingdoms tied to the House of El, the Amazons, and the political struggles of the medieval world, leaving Atlantis largely on the sidelines. Now, the sequel places the ocean kingdom in the spotlight, with Aquaman's role as an extremely powerful ally to the Els and a major political influence. Heir to the Sea further underlines Aquaman's relevance, as the Kents are revealed to be Arthur Curry's adoptive parents, Amanda Waller and James Gordon his protectors, and Black Manta the leader of an entire kingdom who promises to hunt down its prophesied hero.

Atlantis is one of DC's oldest and most technologically advanced civilizations, yet it often plays a secondary role compared to Gotham, Metropolis, Themyscira, and the Green Lantern Corps. Major crossover events typically revolve around the same settings while Atlantis enters the story only after Aquaman takes center stage. Dark Knights of Steel II seems to rebalance Atlantis' dynamics by treating the Atlantean kingdom as a decisive factor from the outset. This version of Aquaman joins Jor-El and Lara, Amanda Waller, Martian Manhunter, and John Constantine as regularly overlooked characters who gain a boost in Dark Knights Of Steel's medieval timeline.

Which character would you like to see debut in Dark Knights of Steel?

Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea is now available from DC Comics