Adventure Comics #451
Title: The Secret of the Sinister Abyss
Cover Title: Starro the Conqueror
Cover Date: May-June 1977
Anthology: 2 Stories
Other Stories: Manhunter from Mars: The Suspects
Writer: David Michelinie
Art: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Liz Berube
Editor: Paul Levitz
Cover: Jim Aparo
Cover Price: $0.30
Page Count: 11 pages
OVERVIEW:
Mera is still recovering from the injuries she received from the Weather Wizard when Topo kidnaps Artie Jr. Aquaman follows and discovers coral that has mobility and a giant crab. Just as he's wondering what he's getting into, Starro the Conqueror appears, with some water-breathers captured as slaves. Starro gets chatty and reveals that the canyon waters are polluted enough to keep him active, so Aquaman calls in fish to bring clean water from outside the cavern, thus rendering Starro powerless.
COMMENTS:
Aquaman is only following Topo when he gets caught up in Starro's plans. The purple-eyed wanderers that Starro takes as slaves are from a lost city and are looking for Aquaman.
Almost no sign of Aqualad in this issue, but the whole story is really one of Aquaman meeting the people of the lost city, just that Starro gets in the way.
Green Lantern takes Starro away for Aquaman.
By the end of the story, Aquaman has apparently forgotten his son, and Topo.
CONCLUSION:
Despite the inclusion of one of the JLA's nastiest foes, this story reads like a set-up issue.