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Tuesday, August 21, 2007


Ripples Through Time - 145

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #222 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #222 (March 1956) - A Rival For Aquaman

A stranger, who calls himself the Seaman, asks for Aquaman's help.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is pushed down by a swimmer who then quickly poses for a picture of himself "saving" Aquaman.

Quotefile: Life Guard, "You must be used to pests like him looking for publicity by getting next to you, eh, Aquaman?" Aquaman, "You're not kidding! That's why I rarely let strangers get too close to me!"

Glove Color: Green.

Aqua-Exclamations: "Great Catfish"

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman rides a sea cow. He has Octopuses bring up the ship.

Aquaman starts the story annoyed because people want their picture taken with Aquaman... but do so in a sneaky way. The two doofuses that conspire to get a picture of one of them "saving" Aquaman are lucky to not end up with black eyes... but then, this was a gentler time. Aquaman wasn't an anti-hero yet.

Aquaman thinks that the Seaman (stop giggling) also wants publicity, and it takes him entirely too long to figure out that publicity is the last thing the guy is looking for. You would think Aquaman would catch on a bit sooner, but apparently he had publicity hounds on his mind that week.

The Seaman performs three stunts that Aquaman would have found difficult, if not impossible. The first was to create a channel of water flowing over a fire that Aquaman can swim on to rescue a sea captain. The second is to single-handedly steer a large ship away from a collision. The last, and most impressive, is to swim up a heavy rainfall to save a lighthouse keeper who has fallen from his lighthouse.

This is another "alien visitors" story, and like the first aliens Aquaman met, this one is friendly. He's also following the Prime Directive: "...our civilization is far ahead of yours! We have been observing you for years and do not feel that you are ready for outerspace visitors! My leaders felt our presence would only cause panic -- and that is why I had to avoid all publicity!"

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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Monday, August 13, 2007


Ripples Through Time - 139

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #216 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #216 (September 1955) - The Invasion of the Sea-Men

Aquaman witnesses a UFO arrive in the water, and learns that the occupants intend to conquer the oceans of Earth.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman is riding a sea cow at the beginning. Aquaman sends an octopus then a whale against the invaders. He then has a gold fish pose as the king of the sea. Electric eels protect the gold fish. A giant lobster poses as a subject of the king riding a giant sea horse (actually a coral shell shaped like a sea horse), while Aquaman lassos the invaders.

Quotefile: Invader, "L-look what's on the throne -- a gold fish! ... er -- Don't tell us you're the king?" Gold fish, "That's right! Down here, it's the little fish who rule -- not the big ones you handled so easily!"

Aqua-Exclamations: "Great Salmon" yeah, salmon is lovely, particularly when smoked.

Glove Color: Yellow.

Aquaman handles his first alien invasion. He's already visited an alien planet, but he thought that adventure was a dream. This one has no such escapes from the silliness. Aliens actually invade.

As usual, Aquaman uses his brains to get rid of the threat, not brawn. In fact, this story emphasizes that brawn isn't the right course by having the large fish easily defeated by the invaders. It also has Aquaman playing tricks on the aliens, by setting up the gold fish as the king.

This might be the first time that Aquaman refers to his own powers as telepathy. When the aliens land, he can hear them easily and realizes that they are using telepathy to talk. He then uses his own telepathy to speak for the gold fish: "They think the gold-fish is talking to them! Actually, what they hear are the telepathic thoughts I am projecting!"

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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Friday, April 20, 2007


Ripples Through Time - 120

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Want to read these stories yourself? Write to DC: Dan Didio, Executive Editor, DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York NY 10019 and ask for a reprint of Aquaman's Golden Age tales.

Adventure #196 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #196 (January 1954) - The Topsy-Turvy World!

Aquaman is sent to a planet where the oceans are made of earth, and the land is made of water.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman is riding his sea cow at the start of the story. Aquaman has the whales on Sea break up a tidal wave that threatens the city.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is captured and forced into a stolen Navy rocket, which is then launched. Aquaman blacks out during the launch.

Quotefile: Alien, "You're on the planet called "Sea!" We saw you being shot into space with our Super-Telescope, and attracted you her with our Super-Magnet!" Aquaman, thinking, "*Whew* I must be having a nightmare!"

Yay, Aquaman goes to outer-space! For the first time! But not the last! While Aquaman says he thinks the whole adventure is a dream, he has the gun the people of Sea give him, which he uses at the end of the tale. Which implies that the story actually happened.

While on Sea, Aquaman must wear chains to hold him down and a helmet so he can breathe. But at least he's able to talk with the local... um... earth life. While look identical to Earth sea life. Right down to the whales.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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