Aquaman #23: Art is good aside from the 10-inch-waists on all the women, fairly good PAD story. Mildly recommended. $1.75/$2.50Cn
"Next Time, Read The Program, Koryak" Award to Aquaman #23
Aquaman "Deep Trouble" starts as our wasp-waisted alien babe engages spin control and Clinton calls in Senator "Neptune" Perkins to help convince the land-dwelling populace that the aliens are friendly. In the meantime, Arthur and company have arrived in Tritonis, where the population has all been crucified (which doesn't work as well when you're bouyant, so Kordax added some nifty Big Honking Spikes through the Tritonians' tails). While Atlan contacts Arion and starts rustling up allies, Arthur, Garth and Dolphin face Kordax down. Dolphin recognizes Kordax as the one who saved her from the alien testtubes and kinda freezes up.
In order to gain the freedom of S'ona, queen of Tritonis, Arthur challenges Kordax to a fight, but his ancestor proposes a counter-challenge of Koryak versus Garth. Kory's not up to date on the playbook and gets one-punched by his own attack. THEN Arthur and Kordax fight, mind to mind, and the result nearly kills everyone by fragging their brains. So they call it a draw and Arthur leaves with S'ona. Kordax gives Kory a scar to match Garths as a reward for hsi failure and Arthur and Garth have a Hallmark moment.
As the ally-gathering continues, we find there's a link between Tsunami (who, aside from the 10 inch waist, looks smashing for a 70-year- old, as Tang pointed out in another post) and Atlan. He seems to be the one responsible for her girlish figure, and I'd guess he's also responsible for her blue-skinned (Namorita riff?) daughter, Deep Blue. Atlan just can't keep it in his loincloth, can he?
Meanwhile, on the way to base with Power Girl (now back in a variant of her original costume for no adequately explained reason, Derec) Aquaman rescues the Sea Devils, who were inconvenienced by the reaction of some whales to the psychic battle of a few scenes ago.
With everyone gathered together, Arthur explains why he's in charge, and then Deep Blue shows up to shock everyone but her mom and Dolphin (who is too busy shooting Arthur a jealous Look for his shocked expression).