Aquaman #45: Decent Calafiore art, okay build-up story from PAD marred by knowing he won't be around for the payoff. Mildly recommended. $1.95/$2.75Cn

"Neutrally Buoyant Corpses" Award to Aquaman #45

Aquaman "Line of Succession": Some days it just doesn't pay to be a blond-haired Atlantean. Triton kills Atlan, then moves on to Poseidonis with the help of the baby monster from last issue (who has been improved upon by Nuliajuk) to kick butt, take names and power trip. After toying with Aquaman for a bit, he kills Orin as well. Baby Godzilla destroys the city-ship under Poseidonis.

The whole thing smells a little like Scorched Earth, eh? Well, except that apparently Atlan's been dead before, and has assistants (a couple of fish in his bag) to help him get over it. And the Next Issue blurb says Arthur's going to Hades, which means that he had a plan in mind when he goaded Triton into killing him.

It's not stated anywhere that Arthur might have known about it, but I guess he deduced that the only way Triton would be this powerful would be if Poseidon was dead. And the quickest way to find Poseidon and bring him back to help out is to be killed by Triton. So it's off to the underworld to fetch a dead god, then back to life again next issue, right? Well, kinda. There's spoilers PAD has posted about and which are in Previews that mean the promised next-issue last-page shocker will go a bit wonky thanks to the writer change. Ironic, that PAD'll probably bring back everyone next issue just before he leaves...this issue would make an excellent "jumping off point" otherwise. PAD's gone, everyone's dead, how Shakespearean. Just Tritonbras left to pick up the pieces.