There’s been a lot of speculation and discussion about the brand new Aqualad that will show up in Brightest Day #10, and now that discussion has reached a fever pitch on many message boards and forums, DC Comics has released more information about Jackson Hyde – Aqualad.
When we first meet Aqualad in BRIGHTEST DAY he’s Jackson Hyde. An average student, with an on-and-off girlfriend, that’s pretty bored in New Mexico.
Since he was young, he’s been taught by his parents to fear water…they don’t want him near it because his true parents would be able to locate him. Not to mention certain changes happen to Jackson when he gets in the water.
Jackson has kept this secret hidden for years, lying to his girlfriend about being afraid of drowning, being unable to swim and being in the dark about the mysterious tattoos he’s had since birth. He’s done his best to avoid it. But soon something’s going to force him out into the open and dive into the water.
Obviously, this all ties into the larger Aquaman and Mera story within BRIGHTEST DAY, but Jackson’s adventures will also be seen in the YOUNG JUSTICE animated series this fall along with more DC characters than you could imagine.
So there you go. He’s not Garth, he’s not some resurrected DC zombie, but something else…
Time for you to discuss the news!
15 Comments
Sounds interesting so far. Definately worth a look into his premier.
Hmm, so all this time, he’s never taken a bath? But he still has a girlfriend? I wonder if they’ll explain that dilemma…. Do you think he covers himself in deodorant?
And today’s award for excellence in missing the point goes to…
In all seriousness, I’m sure they are implying that he can’t go natural into bodies of water but, to keep the secret, he’ll have to stay out of pools, etc.
I can’t swim. I have a fear of water.
But I shower every day, thank you. I have even been white water rafting (which, in retrospect, was stupid of me).
It is the immersion that bothers me. The odds of me drowning in my shower are pretty slim.
Did DC really just make a Black character that can’t swim!?! Ugh…
Zombie Al Campanis gives it two thumbs up.
Did we really need yet another hero from New Mexico, though? What about Texas? Florida? Someplace with enough population to justify being a hotbed of meta activity?
Another hero from New Mexico? Who’s the first?
Blue Beetle is from El Paso, TX, which is a border town, which may have many thinking he’s from NM.
Yeah the stereo type of a black person not going in the water is pretty bad. Segregation at its height.
Did DC really just make a Black character that can’t swim!?! Ugh…
Nope. DC just made a character whose parents taught him he SHOULDN’T swim.
And it’s easy to find offense if you keep goin’ looking…
Well Matthew P, DC should try to be extra careful around race issues since they’ve been called on some iffy calls(and rightfully so) regarding their minority heroes. They’ve been called on their insensitivity and I’m not really surprised on their lack of awareness regarding the whole not swimming/black thing. Isn’t there at least handful of colored people(any color) hanging around the DC offices? I mean other than Jim Lee who appears oblivious to all. Heck he’d probably need to be surrounded by a whole coven of KKK-types cavorting in full regalia before he’d remembered he’s a minority…
I never heard that Black people can’t swim. That sounds just silly to me.
It’s not that he can’t swim it’s that he shouldn’t, think Frodo and using the ring. It’s not that he can’t put the ring on it’s just that it would attract the attention of Soron. In this case the adoptive parents don’t want the real parents to take their kid away if he gets in a large body of water and they sense him, think for a second he is the new AQUAlad, of course he can swim, he can probably swim better then any olympic athlete.
P.S. – Please don’t call racist/insensitive anything and everything, it’s the main reason why us minorities are thought to be “crying wolf” when faced with REAL racism.
From New Mexico? Albuquerque perhaps?
Go Wildcats!
So Troy leaves with Gabriella and Chad shows he has been hiding superpowers. Some friend he is.
Here is the thing, I don’t care if he’s black or white (WOOO!)so long as he’s not a stereotype then I am good. DC wants to go to the Silver Age, they should expect the flack. However, do some awesome stories and we’ll call it even.