Dan Jurgens Talks Aquaman & the Others #1, Futures End and...Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?!

Last week's launch of the new Aquaman and the Others gave the scaly superhero a second, ongoing monthly series for the first time and put Dan Jurgens -- who wrote and drew a year of Aquaman 14 years ago -- and Lan Medina in the drivers' seats. Jurgens is also working on The New 52: Futures End, a weekly series that he's co-writing and drawing parts of. That series, apparently, will involve Aquaman and The Others, and we saw the first hint of that in last week's issue. The Free Comic Book Day offering from DC Comics will pick up more or less where that sequence from Aquaman and the Others left off, hitting the stands before Aquaman and the Others #2 in May. Jurgens joined us to discuss the issue and how it ties into the larger picture he's hoping to paint, both for this title and for the DC Universe. This is a spoiler-heavy interview. If you haven't already read Aquaman and the Others #1, go buy a copy and join us to read along.

ComicBook.com: We talked about it a little before -- but why go back to formula a bit on this first arc? If there's one criticism I've heard from fans it's that it feels a lot like the first "Others" arc in Aquaman. Dan Jurgens: I'm certainly aware of that. At the same time, I have to assume that we'll have a number of readers who aren't necessarily familiar with the characters as individuals. ComicBook.com: As far as I'm concerned, the way you bring characters "on stage" and the information you deliver in a first issue is remarkably important. Introducing them one at a time really is the best way to do it, in my opinion, and building some of the story around the individual weapons only adds to that. Jurgens: Given the way we're tying aspects of this into Atlantis' past, well... I'm confident we'll be taking this in a different direction. ComicBook.com: Obviously these characters are new and so not all that familiar. Was writing an introduction to them while still being interesting storytelling on its own strengths challenging, or is it basically the same as you had to do with every New 52 #1? Jurgens: The challenging thing is to give each character enough of a presence to make them interesting, while also leaving plenty of room for more questions. It's a balancing act.

ComicBook.com: Is it just me, or does that "Gold" in the title's logo feel a bit like the '80s Booster logo? Jurgens: It does look a little similar, doesn't it? When I first saw it, I chuckled a bit. I don't believe it was intentional at all, but, yeah, it was kind of a fun moment. ComicBook.com: When the artifacts aren't working but our heroes are still able to fight off the bad guys, is there a worry that you're not making these villains formidable enough? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? Jurgens: There's going to be more to it. Part of the story has to get into the nature of the each individual's skills and powers. That will extend as we move deeper into the series. It gets into individual motivation as well, which is incredibly important. ComicBook.com: Is it intentional that Prisoner of War and Y'Wara both respond exactly the same way? "Do this the hard way"? Jurgens: Yes. Both are "to the point" people-- not strategists.

ComicBook.com: Since we don't actually know what Aquaman's trident does, that kind of makes him an ideal leader in a situation where they stop working, doesn't it? Jurgens: I tend to think Aquaman is the leader regardless of weaponry. He's certainly the glue that holds the team together. ComicBook.com: Is it fair to assume that our disembodied voice will have a connection to the scene with Atlan and the Alchemist? Jurgens: Very fair! All will unfold over the next few issues. ComicBook.com: You took out the Living Room in the first issue! Where will they make their HQ now? That's going to be a bit of a surprise, but I think it's appropriate to say that the Operative has a number of safe houses around the world. ComicBook.com: You know, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a Skye and they all work out of a plane. Coincidence? Jurgens: Our Sky, the Others and their plane came first! So there!

ComicBook.com: It's interesting that Sky is so disconnected. Was it a conscious choice to kind of play against type by making the "young" character the one who's a bit out of sync with technology, news and trends? Jurgens: Very much so. I grew up in a very rural environment where, believe it or not, people don't really care about what happens in New York. It's not that they don't care about the condition of the world, people and larger issues-- but they sure do roll their eyes at the self-obsessed nature of the NY based talk shows, SNL, etc. For example, other parts of the country get 2 feet of snow and it doesn't make the news. New York gets 6" and it the lead story on all the news shows. Sky's background is very different. Some of the things that would seem to matter so much to other people don't necessarily matter to her. She's far more spiritual and centered than that. ComicBook.com: Are we meant to know Hamid and Sayeh, or are they entirely new characters? Jurgens: Both are entirely new. However, when Black Manta killed Kahina in Aquaman #7, he very clearly referred to her children. That indicates a husband, as well as other family. ComicBook.com: You've talked a little bit about how the Others will play into The New 52: Futures End. Will these two be a key to making that happen? Jurgens: It's fair to say, I think, that Sayeh sees aspects of the future and can, therefore, have a connection to a series that takes place five years from now.