The waves of summer

Now that summer is officially here, we are spending this week looking at some characters and collectibles that remind us of this fantastic season. Yesterday we examined the "sun of summer" (an ode to the final episode of "Game of Thrones" season 6, "The Winds of Winter"), while today we'll focus on the "waves of summer" -- characters who get their kicks by being in (or being made of) water.

If these next few months stay as hot as they've started, we expect plenty of people to take a page from these characters and cool off thanks to a dip in the ocean, a splash in the pool, or just a nice cool glass of H2O.

Sub-Mariner #1 (1968)

Sub-Mariner #1 by Marvel Comics

When asked about oceanic superheroes, most people think of DC's Aquaman. But Marvel has its own deep sea do-gooder in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner (although, to be fair, Namor has played the villain role in the past as well, especially in relation to the Fantastic Four). And what many people don't realize is that Namor actually preceded Aquaman (Namor first appeared in 1939, Aquaman in 1941). Our favorite Namor comic is still this classic gem from 1968. Ranges in price depending on grade, but $100-$200 is the average.

Hydro-Man bust, Bowen Designs (2012)

Hydro-Man bust by Bowen Designs

This water-logged Spider-Man villain got busted by Bowen Designs back in 2012, and the sculpt turned out beautifully. The Hydro-Man bust stands 9" tall and is limited to only 750 pieces. He goes for upwards of $225 on eBay (if you can find one).

Aquaman Super Powers figure, Kenner (1984)

Aquaman Super Powers figure by Kenner

We've said it before that we are big fans of some of the action figure lines that were released in the 1980s (Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, etc.). Case in point -- Kenner's Super Powers figures. Here we get Aquaman, complete with his signature trident and a mini comic book. Aquaman is one of the more popular releases from Kenner and can go for $150-$200, minimum.