Aero (manhua)

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Aero
English cover of Aero Vol. 1 (TPB).
Art by Keng.
Character information
First appearanceAero #1 (2019)
Created byZhou Liefen (writer)
Keng (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoLei Ling
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsAgents of Atlas
Notable aliasesAero
Abilities
  • Ability to generate and manipulate air and wind
Publication information
PublisherNetEase in association with Marvel Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatsOriginal material for the series has been published as a set of ongoing series.
Genre
Publication dateJuly 3, 2019 - present
Main character(s)Aero
Creative team
Writer(s)Zhou Liefen,
Greg Pak (US edition backup stories)
Penciller(s)Keng,
Pop Mhan (US edition backup stories)
Inker(s)Keng,
Pop Mhan (US edition backup stories)
Letterer(s)Joe Caramagna (English translation)
Colourist(s)Keng,
Frederico Blee (US Edition backup stories)
Editor(s)Mark Paniccia
Reprints
Collected editions
Volume 1ISBN 978-1-302-91944-3

Aero (Simplified Chinese: 气旋)[1] is a Chinese action-superhero manhua series written by Zhou Liefen and drawn by artist Keng since 2019.[2] It is published by NetEase in collaboration with Marvel Comics.[3][4] The series is a precursor to and spinoff of Marvel's Agents of Atlas comic book, and introduces the character of Lei Ling (aka Aero), a young architect based in Shanghai who possesses the ability to control and feel air currents, read chi, and fly.[5][6] The series is translated into English by Greg Pak, who also writes backup stories in the English language comic-book reprints, which are drawn by Pop Mhan and coloured by Frederico Blee.[7] These backup stories are not included in the trade paperback collected editions of the series.[5]

Publication history[edit]

Lei Ling debuted in Aero #1 (2018), created by writer Zhou Liefen and artist Keng.[8] The first issue of Aero was released in English on July 3, 2019.[9][10][11] Lei Ling later appeared in the 2019 Agent of Atlas series.[12][13][14] The second issue of Aero was released in English on August 7, 2019.[15][16]

Plot[edit]

In her civilian life, Lei Ling is an architect who helped build the city of Shanghai’s modern cityscape.[17] However, she is also the superheroine Aero,[18] and uses her powers of wind manipulation, flight, and the ability to detect and see the chi of others to battle supernatural threats to the city. The story follows Ling's attempts to balance life with her doting boyfriend Zou (who disapproves of her superhero life) with her life as a superheroine, while the city around her is attacked by her former mentor, the mysterious Madame Huang, who utilises crystalline warriors and the ability to control buildings to wreak untold destruction for an as-yet-unknown purpose.[5]

Characters[edit]

  • Lei Ling – The titular superheroine Aero, she is a young but experienced architect who leads a double life protecting the city of Shanghai as a superheroine.
  • Zou Yu – Ling's doting boyfriend, and a biologist at the National Institute of Science and Technology. He does not know that she and Aero are one and the same, though strongly suspects that this may be the case, enough to ask her directly in the first issue. Despite loving Ling dearly, he does not approve of Aero's methods or supports her as a superheroine. He plans to propose to Lei.
  • Madame Huang – A mysterious former teacher of Lei's who has been planting destructive crystals across Shanghai. She serves as the main antagonist of the series.
  • Keystone – Madame Huang's new apprentice, he is an aggressive partially human crystalline warrior, with over half of his body made of rock.

List of volumes[edit]

  • Volume 1 – Before The Storm – Published February 12, 2020.[19] Collects Issues 1 to 6. Architect and superheroine Lei Ling, aka Aero, is forced to battle the very buildings she created, as they are animated by a mysterious force into living weapons of destruction. After dealing with the sentient buildings, a mile-long city appears in the sky and threatens to destroy Shanghai. Aero follows the chi of the city's controller to uncover the true mastermind of the destruction, only to learn that it is her former teacher, Madame Huang, who for as-yet unknown reasons is planning to destroy the city. When she attempts to defeat her former master, she is set upon by Huang's new apprentice Keystone, a half-man, half-rock monstrosity, who after an intense fight sends her crashing through a wall into her old office at the Sacred Tree Studio. In an interspaced flashback sequence that gradually takes over as the main plotline, several months earlier, Lei flies across the city for a date with her boyfriend Zou Yu, at an expensive tower-top restaurant. It is clear that Zou intends to propose marriage to her, but before he has a chance, a series of tornadoes suddenly appear and wreak havoc on the adjacent river. Needing to stop the tornadoes to rescue the people on a nearby ferry, Lei leaves to “powder her nose”, and uses her powers to dissipate the tornado, only for countless other tornadoes to spontaneously generate. After much struggle, Lei realises that a white jade tower that had formed in the middle of the river is to blame, and after battling a group of crystalline monsters that came from the tower, she approaches the tower and notices that the top piece is separate from the rest. After removing the top piece, the tower crumbles into the river, destroying all of the crystalline warriors. The battle won, Lei returns to her date only to be asked by Zou if she is Aero. Lying to Zou, she is shocked to learn that he is not a fan of Aero's methods. The next day, white jade towers erupt across the entire city, and Madame Huang introduces herself at Lei Ling's office.
  • Volume 2 – The Mystery of Madame Huang – Published January 6, 2021.[20]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Comic Book Resources ranked Lei Ling 6th in their "10 Heroes The Avengers Should Recruit" list,[21] and 15th their "Marvel: The 15 Strongest New Heroes" list.[22]

Literary reception[edit]

Volumes[edit]

Aero (2019)[edit]

According to Previews World, Lei Ling "garnered millions of readers when her series initially launched in China."[23] According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Aero Vol. 1 Before The Storm (TPB) was the 138th best selling graphic novel in February 2020.[24][25]

Issue 1[edit]

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Aero #1 was the 12th best selling comic book in July 2019.[26][27] Aero #1 was the 120th best selling comic book in 2019.[28][29]

Joe Grunenwald of Comics Beat asserted, "Overall Aero #1 does a nice job introducing English-reading audiences to two new international heroes they may not have met before. Pak presents a pair of entertaining stories, and the art on both tales fits the flavor of each piece well. If you’re in the market for some superheroes who don’t look like most other superhero out there, this book should leave you satisfied."[30]

Issue 2[edit]

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Aero #2 was the 122nd-124th best selling comic book in August 2019.[31][32]

Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com gave Aero #2 a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, saying, "Aero showed promise with its first issue, but the second issue delivers far more than just promise. The book kicks off with absolutely stunning visuals from Keng and a story by Zhou Liefen and Greg Pak that starts to pull back the layers to both Aero's personality and her impressive power set. Her nemesis is quite compelling too, and their battle hints at even bigger things to come. After that Pak, artist Pop Mhan, and colorist Federico Blee are up to bat, and while the visuals aren't quite as strong here, they do fit the type of story Pak is trying to tell. This story's much more focused on Wave, but in just a few pages you end up with a much more well rounded picture of who she is, what she's been through, and the heart of gold underneath all the pain. It might have started out a little slow, but here Aero is truly starting to hit its stride, and we're quickly becoming big fans of the hero and her amazing world."[33]

In other media[edit]

Video games[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 董静. "漫威推出首批中国超级英雄，了解一下？". language.chinadaily.com.cn. Archived from the original on 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  2. ^ Belt, Robyn (May 18, 2020). "Who Are the New Agents of Atlas?". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  3. ^ Yan, Alice (May 10, 2018). "Marvel's 'first official Chinese superheroes' make online debut". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Drum, Nicole (May 13, 2018). "Marvel Debuts First Chinese Super Heroes and Their Powers". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  5. ^ a b c Leifen, Z., Keng. 2019. Aero Volume 1: Before The Storm. Marvel Worldwide Inc/NetEase. ISBN 978-1-302-91944-3.
  6. ^ Brunner, Adam J. (2022-12-16). "Who Is Aero: Origin & Powers of Marvel SNAP's Avengers-Level Hero". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-01-01. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  7. ^ "Aero (2019) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  8. ^ Liu, Narayan (June 8, 2019). "Artgerm Variant Brings Aero, Marvel's New Chinese Superhero, To Life". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  9. ^ Markus, Tucker Chet (July 2, 2019). "Meet Brand-New Characters on 'Marvel's Pull List'". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  10. ^ Watch, Comic (June 29, 2019). "SNEAK PEEK: Preview Marvel's AERO #1". ComicWatch.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  11. ^ AIPT (June 28, 2019). "Marvel Preview: Aero #1 • AIPT". AIPTComics.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  12. ^ Frevele, Jamie (May 23, 2019). "The Agents of Atlas Are Getting Their Own Series This August". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  13. ^ Ridlehoover, John (May 24, 2019). "Marvel Announces Agents of Atlas Limited Series Set for August Release". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
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  17. ^ Markus, Tucker Chet; Dinh, Christine (July 17, 2019). "Writer Alyssa Wong on Welcoming Aero and Wave to the Marvel Universe". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  18. ^ Ayala, Nicolas (February 3, 2021). "Casting Jimmy Woo's Agents Of ATLAS Avengers-Style Show For Disney+". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  19. ^ "Aero Vol. 1: Before the Storm (Trade Paperback)". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  20. ^ "Aero Vol. 2: The Mystery Of Madame Huang (Trade Paperback)". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  21. ^ Ashford, Sage (2022-10-05). "10 Heroes The Avengers Should Recruit". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
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  23. ^ "'Aero' Trailer: A New Marvel Hero Takes Flight". Previews World. February 26, 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
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  25. ^ "Top 500 Graphic Novels--February 2020". ICv2. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
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  30. ^ Grunenwald, Joe (2019-07-03). "THE MARVEL RUNDOWN: The FF meet THE PRODIGAL SUN, and AERO soars into English". ComicsBeat. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  31. ^ "Top 500 Comics--August 2019". ICv2. September 16, 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  32. ^ "Comichron: August 2019 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  33. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (August 7, 2019). "Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 8/7/2019". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  34. ^ McWhertor, Michael (2023-01-10). "Big Marvel Snap balance patch nerfs Galactus, adds fast-forward". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
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External links[edit]

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