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SUMMARY:

Black Jack has gone truly modern, with tommy guns instead of cutlasses and new-fangled ship with all the latest piratical innovations.


OVERVIEW:

Black Jack, the modern pirate, abandons his old ship the Jolly Roger and takes on the Jolly Roger II. At first his crew is perplexed at his change in ship and methods, but he quickly proves that he's decided to take the "modern" part of his name seriously, and his new methods are very effective. Even more effective is the Jolly Roger II, which sprouts wings when it's time to get away from the scene of a crime... it's a seaplane!

Aquaman is notified of drowning sailors by Ark the Sea Lion, and recognizes Black Jack's work while rescuing them. He also sees no sign of the Jolly Roger, but notices the smell of gasoline, which tips him off. After he spots a couple of Navy destroyers headed full-speed for somewhere, he figures out that Black Jack has struck again, and races to the scene ahead of the Navy.

He attempts to weigh down Black Jack's seaplane with turtles, but is unsuccessful. Then he's captured, and Black Jack tries to drown him by putting him in a tank of water that has been chemically treated to get rid of the oxygen. But Aquaman outsmarts him, and escapes. With the help of his finny friends, he captures Black Jack and sends him back to prison on the original Jolly Roger.


COMMENTS:

I love the panel of Aquaman playing tag with some very happy-looking fish.

Yah! More Ark the Sea Lion! Aquaman's first sidekick gets more screen time in this story. Aquaman also chats with the fish he's playing tag with, and with Slippery the Eel. Both Ark and Slippery run errands for Aquaman and bring in help. Aquaman commands large sea turtles, manatees, eels, and whales in this story. Not a bad one for talking with the fish.

Black Jack's modernizations include smoke bombs to slow victims, tommy guns, chemical paint to cut through safes, sound detector to find victims, and a mechanical lasso. He's also come up with a fitting way to kill Aquaman, although his crew thinks he's nuts when he says he's going to drown Aquaman.

All time classic dialogue:

Aquaman: "You love the ocean, Black Jack--- How about getting a little closer to it?"
Black Jack: "Aqua---GLUB!"

The number of eel puns in the last couple of pages is truly painful.

Next month: "Plunge into the riptide of Aquaman's swirling adventures as he once again threshes through the world's waters in stormy battle against a vicious crew of sea-going scoundrels in next month's issue of More Fun Comics!"

This review was made possible by the Microcolour microfiche reprint of this issue.

Notables in this issue: a message for the Junior Justice Society of America in the Spectre code and a two-page text story "The Battle" by Warner Wilson.


CONCLUSION:

A very good Silver Age-like Aquaman tale with Black Jack.


Review Date: 18 October 2002, By Laura Gjovaag