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Overview/Review (#9)

Dave's DC Rant: Aquaman #9

6 April 1995


Cover of Aquaman #9

Aquaman: Okay, this is the really weak link. Deadline uses a lot of Apokoliptian tech, or at least he did back in Starman when he had Intergang connections. He may have replaced it all with Crimelord or Syndicate stuff, so there's not a strong Kirby connection here.

Anyway, Deadline is hired by a Shadowy Figure (TM) to kill Arthur, but to wait until he comes to the surface first. The payment is in thousand year old gold coins.

When Arthur and the others get back to Poseidonis (it's only been a day for the last several issues...fun continuity for any crossovers!) it's listing to one side but not abandoned. Koryak is subtly unimpressed, and Arthur's basic reaction is "It was fine when I left it."

King Thesily cordially welcomes Arthur back to the court, a rather court-like sparring of polite phrases. At first it seems like the King's main ulterior motive is to butter Arthur up to help fix the city's problem with, um, inflation. Rising real estate? Whatever. But first, Arthur has to get his new Action Hand accessory, much to the dismay of Vulko and Dolphin. While he's off to STAR Labs, Vulko shows Kory around.

Cut to Garth. Well, Garth's bones. Oops.

Back at STAR, the new hand has all sorts of neato kewl gadgets in it, Arthur's deeeeep into denial and overcompensation now. It's even cybernetic and transforms. Most of Arthur's scenes for the rest of the issue are fight scene where he puts his Action Hand to good use, so I'll go to the other plots.

The similarity between Koryak's power and Mera's is brought up again, and seems to frighten some people, but no clues are forthcoming as to where it came from. While touring the city with Vulko, though, Kory saves some children from falling debris when the city shifts again, and the public just swoons over him. This does not sit well with Thesily, who wonders if he'll have to put contracts out on Kory and Dolphin now too....

Meanwhile, a decidedly non-skeletonized Garth washes up on some mysterious shore and is found by someone with a wooden staff and yellow boots. Who apparently knows him. So...where'd the skeleton come from? Or is Garth in a spirit realm now?

by Dave Van Domelen