Aquaman, I will read them so you won't have too!!

[Odinson76]

Let me know if anyone is interested in me reviewing all of volume 1 of the Aquaman that started in 1961. and maybe the adventure comics run too, I dont know I have not decided if I want to go that far. 

Thanks

[Navarre]

A comic book about trolls who breathe fire under the water?

How could you not review it?

[Odinson76]

Aquaman #1 from DC Comics 1961

My first thoughts when I read this comic was, "Is this issue # 1?".  For some reason DC decided not to number this issue, but numbered every issue after this. 

Another thing missing from this issue is the names of the guys who wrote, drew, inked, lettered and editied it.  After doing a quick Wiki search, we can narrow it down to Jack Miller, Steve Skeates, David Michelinie, Paul Kupperberg as the possible writers and Nick Cardy, Jim Aparo, Don Newton as the pencilers. 

This issue introduces us to the Bat-mite of the undersea world, a water sprite named Quisp and his awful catchphrase "ZOOKS".  Not the cereal character Qwisp, but oh so much more annoying.  He looks a lot like the sea monkeys advertised on the backs of your old  silver age comics. 

So the story starts with Aqualad and Aquaman cleaning up their underwater private museum with the help of a saw fish, three angler fish and an octopus straight out of Disney cartoons.  Out of nowhere their displays seem to come alive and move around. It turns out its just a sea sprite, goofing off before he tells them about the horrible disaster thats coming for the surface world. 

Apparently an earthquake caused a submerged volcano to erupt, freeing orange rock skinned fire trolls with fire breath that works underwater from the under undersea world of the water sprites.  So Aquaman decides it probably best to attack them head on while riding whales.  Well, that fails and they flee on the backs of a couple dolphins and head to the surface. 

Luckily there is a US missile base happy to give a stranger full access to the missile stock pile.  Calling upon some flying fish, Aquaman hurls the missiles at the creature (apparently the US did not equip the missile with fuel or engines, Just warheads).  This just gets the trolls to turn loose their flame breaths and our heroes run away again.  Quisp and the Aquas run to the mainland to get some super cooling aerosol spray, and return 1 panel later. 

Well Quisp shrinks the boys so we can see them fighting a scorpion for no reason other than shrinking is cool (enter Doctor Who quote here).  Who wouldn't want to see Aqualad fight a Scorpion?  The Aquaboys start freaking out about their lack of water and think it would be a great idea to swim in the radiator of an old army truck (which I see nothing wrong with). The boys return to normal size just in time for Quisp to save their sushi.  He shrinks down the monsters and places them in a cardboard box for their return to the bottom of the ocean.

This is a total 60's DC book, No back story, no character development, no dual identities.  just two guys and there pets having a romp underwater.  No wonder Aquaman has a rep of being a hozer. 

[CrowTRobot]

The cover art sold me on this.

I've never read comics that date that far back but the amount of insanity, that I gathered from the review, makes me happy. There are fire breathing monsters under the sea! That... that just makes me so happy.

[Forresst]

Is it a bad thing that I don't see trolls so much as angry meatballs?

[greyman24]

I'd be fascinated with this, but probably not with Aquaman. Tom Katers has been reading Aquaman from his appearances in Adventure Comics in his podcast to good effect. He's done 105 episodes so far, and he's pretty funny.

[Odinson76]

Coming tomorrow!!! Aquaman # 2.  Hold onto your seats, its a doozy! Zooks!

[Odinson76]

Aquaman #2 DC Comics 1962.

Batman might be the surface worlds greatest detective, but Aquaman is the sleuth of the seas.  Calling Aquaman a a sleuth is like calling a yo-yo a donut.  Pretty much every issue is somebody asks Aquaman for help and he does it without even asking any questions.

Take this issue for instance.

While out on patrol, Aquaman and Aqualad hear about a cargo ship that went missing.  Spot another ship on the horizon, cannons drawn out the side, and board it.  Turns out that the captain of this ship has stolen the cargo vessel and to prove it he wrote it down in his log.  The captain tells the boys that he will release the vessel if the undersea marvels track down two lost treasurers.  The captain give them a map of where the first treasure can be located at.  Its just a picture of an undersea mountain with an "X" drawn on it.  Of course they know exactly where to find this anonymous mountain and head off with out anymore questions.

One panel later they arrive and start excavating the coral mountain with the help of some swordfish and a pufferfish.  A pufferfish?? Because apparently a pufferfish can break coral? Once the pufferfish breaks away enough of the wall, an undersea gas leak erupts from the hole.  All the fish start growing and growing until they are gigantic, and very angry about it.  So again without questioning anything, Aqualad swims into the cloud and starts to grow and gets really angry.  He fights of all the monstrous fish and then turns on his pal Aquaman.  Right before Aquaman get the throttling of his life, Aqualad shrinks back to normal and grabs the pirate chest. 

They take the treasure chest back to the pirate captain and he hands them another map.  This time the treasure is on an island, Why the captain could not get this treasure on his own, is a question that The aquaboys should have asked.  But they dropped the ball on that.

As the boys arrive at the island in the next panel, they are attacked by a giant sea creature guarding the island.  Aquaman summons fish to create a tunnel for them to swim through so the sea monster does not see them.  One on the Island they are met by a native who looks a lot like Marlon Brando.  "King Brando" is not too happy about Aquamans arrival, but shows him where the next item is.  Its a konch shell that keeps the sea creature at bay.  From this Aquaman has figured out that the sea monster must be magical in nature, and tricks it into killing itself by going out side its boundary zone around the island. 

And take the shell back to the sea captain. And the pirate takes them to his secret lair.

With out Aquaman asking any questions, the sea captain explains how he is going to use the items to unleash a giant flying mutant seahorse to ravage ships at sea.  But somehow Aquaman already knew this and substituted the real shell with a fake one.  A fight ensues, disney octopi throw rocks, a sword fish get a gun and whales destroy the pirate hideout. 

At least there was no Quisp in this issue.  Maybe next time?  ZOOKS!!

[Odinson76]

Aquaman # 3 DC Comics 1962

A time travel story?  How would Aquaman travel in time you ask?  I Bet it has something to do with fish!! Quantum fish from the past that come to the future to summon Arthur into the past to save the future.  Or maybe its dumber than that.

On the first page we see a half naked man in yellow swimming away from a supposed dead sea king claiming "Aquaman is dead, now I will be king."  (Im paraphrasing to make it more interesting)  Oh no how could this be?  Your full of questions today, so let me fill you in.  While out on patrol Aquaman and Aqualad get an SOS from a lantern fish saying that Atlantis is in trouble and they must go there at once.  On their arrival at Atlantis the boys meet an Atlantean named Pomoxis.  Pomoxis tells our heroes that deadly earthquakes are ravaging the ocean floor near the great city and he needs their help to stop them.  While showing aquaman the quake area Pomoxis is killed in an explosion.   

Unscathed by the death of their new companion the boys return to their rounds.  they come across a ship in distress and give aid.  Only to fail and the ship explodes, turning Aquaman into a real jerk.  Come to find out that its not Aquaman, but Pomoxis in an Aquaman suit, complete with face and hair!  So creepy to see it hanging on a hook in Pomoxis' home. 

So it was not Pomoxis who died in the explosion afterall. The explosion created a time vortex and Pomoxis threw the sea sleuth into it. 

Aquaman ends up in Greece with the Persians attacking and take the grecian side of the fight.  The sea king unleashes all the power he can to convince the persians that he is Poseidon god of the sea and they must leave before they anger him.  He uses flying fish to catch spears and Disney Octopi to throw swordfish at the ships crews and finally whales to destroy their ships. 

Meanwhile Aqualad is figuring out that there is something wrong with his orange shirted buddy.  Aquaman (Pomoxis) want to do the patrols separately, so he can loot ships using his ability to command all see life.  How did Pomoxis get this ability, no explanation.  He removes his mask and begins telling more disney octopi to start removing crates from a sinking ship when Aqualad does some snooping.  Sees Pomoxis wearing an Aquaman skin with his head hanging like a hoody across his back.  Fight ensues only Garth is caught in a net and tied to a rock on shore.

Aquaman finds the time vortex back home and arrives just in time to save Aqualad and have a duel against Pomoxis.  Its a mighty battle between swordfish dueling swords, Disney eyed octopi wrestling, sea horses fighting eels and the best part is the dogfish versus catfish fight.  So Aquaman uses his brain finally and uses the skin suit that looks like him to fool Pomoxis and captures him.

Atlantis is safe again from the earthquakes because they were never in any real danger to begin with. 

Great Guppies what a swell issue!!

[Odinson76]

Coming Tomorrow ....Quisp returns! Zooks!

Aquaman #4

[Odinson76]

Aquaman #4, DC Comics 1962

"The Menace of Alien Island" 

Aquaman, Aliens and an annoying sea imp!!  How totally awesome is this going to be?

While out on Patrol, our plucky heroes come face to face with a gigantic freak tidal wave smashing into an inhabited island.  Aquaman sends out a telepathic summons to some octopi, who form themselves into a make shift bridge.  Leapfrogging victims arm to arm, and over their heads towards land.  Bang!! Out of nowhere comes another freak tidal wave, but wait, something is different about this one.  Its frozen in place.  Oh Crap!  This can only mean one thing.  Our friend Quisp has come back to lend his annoying hand and help the aquaboys with this zany problem.

Quisp quickly dispatches all the water from the island with a wave of his hands.  But what should appear when all the water has been removed?? Another island is floating about a hundred yards out.  How can this be?

So the marine marvels head over to the island to investigate, only to be confronted by a green skinned frog like alien with a ray gun!  Quisp distracts the big alien with a plume of water so Aquaman can sock him in the jaw.  As the alien lies unconscious, the three heroes do some actual detective work.  Thats right, aquaman investigates something!  They find a shaft leading into the island, only to find that its a space ship complete with prisoners.  The Prisoners explain that they are scientists who have been captured by three thieves, and the criminals only wanted their newest invention.  From all we can tell at this point is its just a giant metal phallus.  So the boys leave the captured scientists to head after the three thieves.  The sea sleuths get captured in a hard air bubble, but Quisp makes short work of the trap and frees them.  Only to get shot in the back and apparently die.  With the emotional range of a guppy, Aquaman runs away and doubles back to follow the aliens. 

The three alien criminals head ashore making a beeline towards a cliff.  Where they turn on the machine and a huge golem walks out of the rock wall and start reeking havoc on the population. Aquaman turns Texas Twister and hogties the golem. 

While the golem distracts Aquaman and Aqualad, the aliens decide they need to head back to the other island. So they hop in their little boat and start heading for home.  With a telepathic command, their boat is attacked by whales, man-o-wars, shell throwing octopi and electric eels.  One of the aliens who fell out of the boat gets the drop on Aquaman with his raygun.  Just as he is about to fire "BLAM"  the gun is knocked of of his hand by a magical bolt from the apparently alive Quisp.  Quisp makes short work of the aliens and sends them on their way home.  What happened to the golem?  Well it is now a tourist attraction on the island. 

Holy Haddock that was awesome!!

[Odinson76]

Aqualad trapped in a giant clam, phantom limbs, and Orca the Killer Whale.  Great guppies!! sounds like our boys are in trouble again. 

While on patrol the sea king and Aqualad witness a giant hand made out of water pulling a ship under.  They race to it only to be grabbed too.  They quickly escape only to have Aqualad gets trapped inside a giant clam containing a spring loaded trap.  Once free they come across a graveyard of lost ships, where they are attached by two goons dressed in squire outfits.  They are shot and pinned against a coral pillar, by a wizard dressed like Gandolf the grey.  Helpless they have to listen to his sad story about an evil sorcerer shrunk him and his friends and made them water breathers.  The evil sorcerer threw the shrunken people and the cure for their smallness into the ocean.

So the sea sleuth and his young pal go out to find the cure.  They find a coral mountain with a treasure chest inside.  (this sounds familiar, did this happen two issues ago?).  they find the vial of antidote and need the help of some octopi to escape.  They return with the vial and surprise surprise, the wizard is the evil sorcerer shrunk down as punishment. 

Aw Aquaman,  just when I start thinking your not an idiot, you go and prove me wrong.

So an all out fish battle occurs, killer whale vs killer whale, octopus vs octopus. Aquaman snaps the evil sorcerers magic wand and they are returned to miniscule size. 

the best part of this issue?  The Tootsie Roll ads.

[Odinson76]

Aquaman #6 coming soon...Zooks!