Warning: contains spoilers for World's Finest: Teen Titans #2The often maligned classic costume of Aquaman finally makes sense in the larger scheme of the DC Universe. Despite multiple rebrands and redesigns - including a gritty harpoon hand - Aquaman has often been the butt of jokes in pop culture. While some find Aquaman's ability to talk to fish especially funny, his gaudy orange and green Atlantean garb was also an easy target.
The purpose of this costume gets redefined in World's Finest: Teen Titans #2, from Mark Waid, Emanuela Lupacchino, Jordie Bellaire, Steve Wands, and Chris Samnee. In a preview, Aqualad is mocked for his extravagant civilian wear - notable because he's relatively new to life on land. Questioned by his teammate Bumblebee, Aqualad replies that bright colors are preferred in Atlantis for "undersea visibility." This explains the blazing orange and green of Arthur Curry's costume, as well as the glittering gold he's worn on occasion - including in the DCEU, as portrayed by Jason Momoa.
Aqualad Exposes the Secret of Aquaman's Costume
In the preview pages that can be viewed above, Bumblebee and Aqualad go to meet their fellow Teen Titan and his partner, Donna Troy, at her apartment. There, they meet Mal Duncan, a community organizer, her friend, and her temporary roommate currently couch-surfing. Following an awkward meeting between him and Aqualad, the troupe has a day on the town right up until the heroes of the group receive a Titans Alert. It's a fun moment that shows how the Titans aren't just a team, they're a found family, and are forming bonds over their unique place in the world. Previous issues pointed out this bond between Aqualad and Wonder Girl, as both originate from mystical kingdoms once thought to be legend. Cover art variants from Riley Rossmo, Megan Huang, John Timms, Paolo Rivera, and Evan Shaner can be seen below:
Aquaman's Costume is Perfect for Undersea Visibility
Of course, while this lore is new, the reasoning isn't. Aquaman's costume has always evoked existing sealife, and his golden armor especially has the appearance of fish scales. Research has suggested that fish do not see color in the same way that humans can, and rely on detecting contrasting bright colors. Going by that logic, the strange combination of orange and green is perfect for Aquaman, as is the blinding level of brightness the colors offer. It's fun to see this made canonical and put into cultural , especially since Aqualand learns about his new world and its sartorial rules from his friends.
As a general rule of visual shorthand, mainstream superheroes tend to wear red, blue and yellow unless there's a reason to opt for a different look (for example, Batman wears black as a creature of the night, while Green Lantern and Green Arrow's colors are part of their identities), with orange and green as notable outliers in of overall hero themes. It's a smart detail to make this difference part of Aquaman and Aqualad's connection to a totally different culture.
World's Finest: Teen Titans is the perfect book for anyone who wants to see these young heroes at the start of their careers, forging the bonds that will define their lives and establishing their perspectives as newbies from often radically different places - from Paradise Island to Aquaman's Atlantis.
World's Finest: Teen Titans #2 is available from DC Comics August 8.
