Aquaman Annual #3
Story 1 Title: Tusk 'Til Dawn
Story 2 Title: The Lady In Cement
Story 3 Title: Wet City
Cover Title: The Lady In Cement
Cover Date: 1997
Theme: Pulp Heroes - Suspense Detective
Story 1 Writer: Peter David
Story 1 Pencils: Marty Egeland
Story 1 Inks: Howard Shum
Story 1 Colors: Tom McCraw
Story 2 Writer: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Story 2 Pencils: Anthony Willaims
Story 2 Inks: Andy Lanning
Story 2 Colors: Tom McCraw
Story 3 Writer: William Messner-Loebs
Story 3 Pencils: Kirk Van Wormer
Story 3 Inks: John Lowe
Story 3 Colors: Pat Garrahy
Lettering: Albert DeGuzman
Asst. Editor: Eddie Berganza
Editor: Kevin Dooley
Cover: Glen Orbik
Cover Price: $3.95
Continuity: IN
OVERVIEW:
Tusk 'Til Dawn:
Tusky's wife comes to Aquaman begging for help finding her lost husband. After learning that he disappeared after visiting a sunken ship, he goes to investigate. The sunken ship contains a bunch of toys, including Aquaman action figures. As he's investigating, he's knocked out. When he comes to, he's being held by two thugs who think he'll die after an hour out of the water. He pretends to die, which gets them to throw him back into the water. He then pays a visit to the thugs, Brian and Minkus, and finds where to go from there, a toy company. He visits the toy company, and thinks he sees Tusky dead on a table. He barges in, only to find it's a toy. Based on Wally Walrus, who just happens to be... Tusky! Tusky is alive and well and performing at a theme park, and is about to be made into a Saturday morning cartoon. Aquaman agrees to cover for him, and leaves.
The Lady in Cement:
Aquaman finds a marine biologist dead, feet in cement. In her purse he also finds snapshots of his first love. He tracks down that love, and eventually gets knocked out and thrown in a vat of water to drown. In the vat is Nera, a dolphin, and his first love. The vat is the testing ground for a new engine, one that is killing sea life with it's sonic emissions. Aquaman destroys the prototype, and helps Nera.
Wet City:
Aquaman goes undercover to find a kidnapped Koryak.
COMMENTS:
The first story is so pun-filled it hurts, the second is ok, and the third is a mass of confusing images.
CONCLUSION:
Rating: 5
Not really worth the effort.